PMP Cerification You can do PMP certification only if you meet the basic requirements (detailed later). You will need to study on your own to attain PMP certification. A PMP training course is exam oriented course - it is not a learning oriented course so you many not be able to learn nuances of project management by getting PMP certification. Masters in Project Management There are many universities/institutes that offer Masters in PM. A masters programs would be more involved and time consuming than PMP. It will be more costly also but you will learn serious project management by enrolling in such a course. If you decide to do masters, you should do it only from a leading university. Job Opportunity PMP, per se, will not create any job opportunity. PMP, at best, can help in enhancing the career opportunities. Having said that, scope of PMP is excellent. It is a well renowned & respected certification. It is one of the top 10 certifications in the world. A masters program would open the doors for a entry level PM jobs and help you in meeting job responsibilities. Scope in Career Many companies have made it mandatory for the PMs to attain a PMP or equivalent certification. You will find many JDs saying “PMP mandatory”. If you do not have the certification then you are not considered for the PM designation. This might restrict your career progress. Another reason to do PMP is salary. According to PMI's Salary Survey 9th edition - those with a PMP certification garner a higher salary (20% higher on average) than those without a PMP certification. You can also read more about PMI salary survey and check out the salaries for your geography and your industry - http://www.pmi.org/learning/project-manage...ry-survey.aspx. PMP Requirement There are only 2 requirements to apply for PMP: 1. Project Management Experience 2. 35 hours of Project Management Education Project Management Experience You need 4500 hrs of experience if you have done 4 years of degree (bachelors degree or equivalent). Other wise if you have a diploma of equivalent then you need 7500 hrs of experience. The PM experience should be in a leading & directing projects. PM role is mandatory before applying for the exam. However, PM role is not equivalent to PM designation/title. PM role means that you should have managed full or part of a project. Your role in the project could be of PMO Executive, vendor management, team management, client management etc. The projects could be related to any industry. They could be big or small, technical or non-technical etc. Contact Hours for PMP You can get PMP training in 3 different modes: 1. Regular classroom training 2. Online classroom training 3. Self-learning online training Classroom Training Classroom course are the best for learning provided the trainer is good. If you want to do a classroom training, then you should find the best trainer in your city. The trainer is more important than the institute. An aspirant remains in contact with the trainer for 4 days, institute has very little role during these 4 days. If the trainer is not good then 4 days & the money goes waste. It does not mean, institute is not important. A good institute would provide comprehensive study material & good post workshop support. But first find out few good trainers, look at their linkedin profiles and talk to them. Classroom course are usually most expensive. The classroom training can range from $200-$2500 depending on your geography/country. If you are living in South Asia, a classroom course will cost less than an good online self-learning course. Online Classroom Training These courses are good if you need a defined training schedule with some flexibility. These are better for learning than self-learning courses but not as good as classroom courses. If you decide to go for an instructor led option, then you can read the review & comparison of 6 popular instructor-led online PMP training courses - PMP Instructor Led Training Courses. These are more expensive than self-learning courses but somewhat less expensive than self-learning courses - the cost can range from $200-$2000. The prices of 6 popular courses are mentioned in the comparison article. Self-learning Online Training These courses are good if you have got good self-discipline & self-motivation. If you decide to do a self-learning training, then you should read the review & comparison of 6 popular self-learning training courses - PMP Online Training Course. You can save a lot of money by taking a good self-learning course - the cost can range from $200-$400. The prices of 6 popular courses are mentioned in the comparison article. Complete Guide to PMP
