Dr. Betsy Aller (with a PMI certificate) and IME 6140 students; most are working toward the 35 PDUs needed to take the PMP exam
WMU is completing its first year as a registered education provider (REP) for the Project Management Institute (PMI), “the world’s leading not-for-profit association for the project management profession,” according to its Web site at http://www.pmi.org
Three faculty members in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (IME) – Dr. Larry Mallak, Dr. Betsy Aller, and Dr. David Lyth – are actively involved in the delivery of courses and/or training offering professional development units (PDUs).
“Being a REP allows us to offer PDUs for students and professionals who wish to sit for the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam,” said Mallak, who was acknowledged for completing the paperwork to secure REP certification.
Mallak said that project management is an essential skill set in industry today. The increasing complexity of work and the need for integration of skilled workers to produce work that’s on time and that meets specifications requires more technical professionals to hold PMP credentials.
IME 6140 Project Management provides an effective means for local employers to send their employees for project management training. Students in WMU’s program get more than the typical training offered by other providers.
“They get the academic foundation for the project management content and preparation for the PMP exam,” Mallak said. “The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) is now a required text in the course and is the basis for the PMP exam material.”
By taking IME 6140 and paying an administrative fee, those students interested in earning PMI certification can garner the necessary 35 PDUs needed to take the PMP exam. “We are the only university in Michigan that’s licensed to deliver the training and offer those PDUs,” Mallak said.
According to Mallak, getting PMP certification has become an important element of a professional portfolio. “There’s been a huge growth in the demand for PMPs,” he said. “There’s also been a substantial increase in the number of people taking the exam.”
WMU’s REP status was awarded last January for the calendar year, and Mallak said that plans call for the license to be renewed on an annual basis. As a REP, WMU is licensed to award PDUs not only in IME 6140 coursework, but also in shorter training courses offered to local industry and online. These courses must be approved by PMI.
“They provide additional opportunities for West Michigan employees to have ready access to high quality training while obtaining credits toward their PMP credential or toward their PMP renewal,” Mallak said. “To retain their PMP status, those with PMP credentials must earn a minimum number of PDUs.”
According to Dr. Paul Engelmann, the IME Chair, the advantage to having certification is that training is available locally. “We can now offer short courses so local industry won’t have to send their people to Chicago to be trained,” he said. “And for a small fee, our students who take IME 6140 can get those credits as part of their master’s or doctoral work.”
For more information about PMI, email larry.mallak@wmich.edu or betsy.aller@wmich.edu
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