Practical PDUs for Project Managers
What Exactly Are PDUs?
PDU stands for Professional Development Unit. PDUs are akin to continuing education credits or professional development hours required in other professions to ensure practitioners stay updated on best practices, trends, and skills in their field. For instance, accountants earn Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits, and teachers accumulate Continuing Educational Units (CEUs). Regardless of the acronym, the purpose is the same: certified professionals must maintain credibility and stay current, no matter when they earned their certification.
Imagine if your accountant didn’t stay informed about tax law changes or if your child’s teacher relied on outdated curricula and methods. Similarly, project managers must keep their skills fresh and relevant to deliver effective results and serve their clients with excellence.
How Many PDUs Do You Need to Renew Your Certification?
The number of PDUs required within each three-year certification cycle depends on your specific PMI certification. The following certifications require PDUs:
Project Management Professional (PMP)®
Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)®
Program Management Professional (PgMP)®
Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP)®
PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)®
PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)®
PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)®
PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)®
PMI Construction Professional (PMI-CP)™
PMI Project Management Ready™
For certifications such as PMP®, PgMP®, PfMP®, and PMI-PBA®, you must earn 60 PDUs within each three-year cycle. For certifications like PMI-ACP®, PMI-RMP®, PMI-SP®, and PMI-CP™, the requirement is 30 PDUs within the same period.
Always refer to the Project Management Institute (PMI) for the most up-to-date certification renewal and maintenance requirements.
Why is it Important to Earn PDUs?
While earning PDUs is necessary for certification renewal, it is also an opportunity to advance your career and sharpen your skills. If you are going to invest 60 hours (yes, one hour equals one PDU), why not focus on obtaining practical, actionable skills that can immediately enhance your work? For example, if you are a project manager in the field of Technology and Software Development, you might benefit more from a course on time management than one on construction estimating.
Earning PDUs doesn’t have to feel like a chore. Instead, it can be a rewarding way to grow professionally, gain new insights, and stay competitive in your field.
What Counts as PDUs for PMP?
The Project Management Institute (PMI), which oversees project manager certifications, categorizes PDU-eligible activities into two main areas:
Education: Includes professional development courses, webinars, workshops, conferences, and project management-focused podcasts.
Giving Back: Involves activities such as volunteering for project management-related roles, mentoring, or coaching other professionals.
How Do You Earn PDUs? How Much Time Do You Need to Spend to Get one PDU?
Earning PDUs doesn’t need to be complicated. PMI’s guidelines allow you to tailor your professional development plan to align with your specific career goals. By understanding PMI’s categories and requirements, you can strategically plan your activities.
For example, attending a 1-hour training session on meeting management aligns with PMI’s Talent Triangle segment, “Ways of Working,” and earns you 1 PDU. This type of course not only provides tools to run purposeful, efficient, and results-driven meetings but also offers professional strategies for handling unnecessary meetings—freeing up more time to focus on what truly matters. Who wouldn’t want that?
In most cases, 1 PDU equals 1 hour of professional development activity. However, not all activities automatically count as PDUs. To simplify the process, consider choosing PMI-Authorized Training Partners (ATPs). ATPs, like Paton Consulting, are vetted by PMI, and their courses are pre-approved for specific PDUs. PDUs earned through ATPs are not subject to audits, unlike some other professional development activities.
Why Choose Paton Consulting?
Paton Consulting specializes in education-focused PDUs. As a PMI Authorized Training Partner, we offer project management training tailored to enhance your skills while fulfilling your PDU requirements. Whether you want to boost your technical expertise or sharpen your leadership abilities, our courses align perfectly with the PMI Talent Triangle.
By partnering with Paton Consulting, you can ensure your professional development activities are meaningful, compliant, and directly applicable to your career.
Remember, earning PDUs isn’t just about maintaining your certification—it’s an investment in yourself and your professional future.