UMT’s Self-paced Training Programs Growing Rapidly

ARLINGTON, Virginia, May 12, 2002 - UMT’s PDU Suite™/Project Management Suite™ programs have proven to be a big success over the past year, educating hundreds of students around the globe in a variety of project management areas.

Nearly 400 students have enrolled in the 15 self-paced, online project management courses. The effort began as PDU Suite™ 2001 but has since been expanded under the name of Project Management Suite™.

"We’re very pleased with the success of this effort," said Academic Dean J. Davidson Frame. "The response has been excellent, and students are happy with the high quality of the material and the flexibility of study."

The courses allows students to upgrade their knowledge of project management while earning Professional Development Units (PDUs) that many of them need to maintain their Project Management Professional (PMP) status. UMT is a Registered Education Provider with the Project Management Institute (PMI), which oversees PMP certification.

The 15 courses, which are based upon UMT’s regular instructor-led semester offerings, cover a broad range of subjects, including project management, contracts and procurement, managing needs and requirements, and operations management. The PMP Exam Preparation course helps students prepare for the certification test.

"The program is designed for working professionals to improve their skills at their own pace," Dr. Frame said. "Many of them don’t have time to take full semester courses."

Each course consists of instructional modules containing cutting-edge knowledge, a textbook, a Think and Review section with answers, and a final examination. When students pass the exam, they receive a Certificate of Completion and are entitled to PDU credits.

"These courses are a great value," Dr. Frame added. "Students gain access to a substantial amount of very valuable material at an affordable cost. We revise these courses regularly so that the information is up-to-date."

In addition to earning PDU credits, students may earn an Executive Certificate in Project Management by taking courses worth a total of 150 PDUs. They also can put the credits toward one of UMT’s master’s degree programs.

"We look forward to expanding our efforts to include group enrollments," Dr. Frame said. "These courses are perfect for corporations, government agencies, and non-profits that want to educate large numbers of their employees."

More information about the Project Management Suite can be found here.