How2Day: PMP Certification Requirements for the Department of Homeland Security

The Project Management Professional (PMP) credential is, according to the Project Management Institute, the most important and recognizable certification for project managers in all fields. This credential becomes even more important when in an industry dedicated to security, such as the Department of Homeland Security. PMP requirements for the DHS include additional criteria compared to the private sector.

In order to apply for a PMP, you must hold a degree from a four-year college. In addition, you must have served a minimum of three years and 4,500 hours in a project management role, with 35 hours of education related to project management.

Alternatively, if you hold only a high school diploma or GED, you may still apply, provided that you have seven years and 7,500 hours in a project management role, with 35 hours of project management related education.

In order to receive a PMP credential, you must take an exam. This exam consists of 200 multiple-choice questions, and it is strongly encouraged that you prepare regardless of your experience or education level. Some suggested methods of study are: reviewing the PMP credential handbook; forming a study group; reviewing sample questions; and studying the PMP Exam Specification, a 33-page, spiral-bound guide to the format of the test.

In addition to the stated requirements for the PMP credential, the DHS requires some familiarity with technology. The amount of expertise required is dependent on what stage the project manager's team operates on. At the first (research) stage, minimal technological skill is required. At the second (technological development) stage, a greater level of technological skill is required. At the third and final (product development) stage, the highest level of technological skill is required. Because of the enormous impact of the technology on both crime and criminal management, and to increase your likelihood of selection as a project manager, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself as much as possible with more technical aspects of technology, such as programming.

In order to maintain your PMP credential, you will be required to earn a minimum of 60 Professional Development Units (PDUs) during every three-year cycle. A PDU is professional education, on subjects such as diversity awareness and problem solving, that can be applied towards either earning or maintaining the PMP credential. Typically, each hour spent in a lesson corresponds to one PDU.

For those who do not meet the criteria for the PMP credential, the Project Management Institute also offers a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certificate, an entry-level credential. The CAPM requires only a secondary degree (high school or GED), coupled with either 1,500 hours of experience or 23 hours of project management education. A CAPM also does not require the PDUs that the PMP does to maintain the certification, but instead requires an examination to be completed during each five years that one holds the certificate.

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