TOPIC: Q: What is the difference between CEUs and PDUs?

I would like to know the difference between CEU's and PDUs. When I initially started my training - my instructors called the hours one needed for the PMI application approval - CEU (continuing education units). A few years ago the CEU was no longer used in PMI PMP documents.

Do you know the reason for the change?

Thanks. Elaine Jackson, PMP

Answer:

The Continuing Education Unit (CEU) is a nationally recognized measure of participation in an approved non-credit continuing education program. One Continuing Education Unit (1.0) is defined as: Ten contact hours of participation in an organized continuing education experience under responsible sponsorship, capable direction, and qualified instruction.

The Professional Development Unit (PDU) was established by PMI as the educational metric for project management educational activities. One PDU is earned for each contact hour spent in structured learning, which is relevant to project management. For conversion purposes, one (1) CEU equates to 10 PDUs.

My best guess is, that PMI chose to go with the 1 hour = 1 PDU approach, because every month hundreds of PMI Chapter dinner meetings happen around the world and the presentations given at those meetings are usually 1 hour in duration. So this makes it much easier to track and report.

I have .4 ceus, what does that adequate to in peus for county

CEUs are nationally recognized and each one is equivalent to 10 PDUs.
Additionally, if the provider of the CEUs is approved by IACET, the instructors, program, content, etc., have gone through a rigorous external approval process that grant's high standards recognition. Whereas PDUs are provided using an internal approval process based on contact hours and other internal factors. The difference is that one entails an externally peer reviewed audit vs an internal audit orocess.
Dr. G.C. Warren