While they can never be a substitute for experience, certifications and university-level certificates can be a good way to differentiate yourself from the competition.
PMI Certifications
Based on your past experience, one or more of the following certifications from the Project Management Institute® might help to accelerate your career path!
- For those who are new to project management and don’t have much experience, attaining the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® can be a great way to show your commitment to the profession.
- If you have multiple years of project management experience, the Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification is the one to get! Many organizations are now requiring it to attain higher level positions.
- If you have hands-on experience as part of an agile team, you could consider the PMI-Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)® certification as an alternative to a framework-specific designation such as the Certified Scrum Master®.
University Level Project Management Certificates
By taking courses WCP offers in association with the University of Waterloo, you can earn one of the following certificates:
- University of Waterloo Project Management Certificate
- University of Waterloo Advanced Project Management Certificate
Who are the University of Waterloo Project Management Certificate for?
While the PMI certification exams are highly recognized, only an academic understanding of project management is required to pass the exams and achieve these designations. As a result, there is no guarantee that someone with these credentials is effective at managing projects or leading teams.
The scope and depth of project management topics covered in our three certificate programs, however, go well beyond that required to achieve the PMI certifications.
By making extensive use of experiential learning techniques, realistic project scenarios, group exercises and discussions, participants go well beyond the theory and are prepared to apply, and benefit from, the learned techniques on the actual projects in which they are involved.
When paired with the appropriate PMI certification, having a University of Waterloo certificate tells clients and perspective employers that you are more than simply a “paper pusher”, it tells them that you understand and can properly apply the tools and techniques.
For organizations, hiring someone with a University of Waterloo certificate means you are hiring someone who understands project management, and will make a difference where it counts!
Other Certifications
Some of our courses are also certified by the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) and these qualifying courses (which have the Gold Seal Certification logo next to them) can earn Special Industry Credits towards your CCA Gold Seal Certification.