It came to my attention the other day that there are two types of hours you earn with respect to the PMP credential. If you are still earning your PMP, you must account for a certain number of project management and training hours. These hours are called 'contact hours.' The amount of contact hours required to earn your PMP varies depending on whether or not you have a bachelor's degree:
- Category 1 (WITH BA), 4500 hours of PM experience that spans a minimum of 3 years and maximum of 6 years
- Category 2 (without BA), 7500 hours of PM experience that spans a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 8 years
After you earn your PMP, then you must maintain the credential by attending training and informational sessions. These hours are called 'PDUs' (Professional Development Units). Certified PMPs are required to earn 60 PDUs a year.
*PMP and PDU are registered trademarks of Project Management Institute, Inc.
Cynthia West
Vice President, Project Insight