TOPIC: PMI Membership Question

I went through a period of unemployment and due to earning very little in 2009, qualified for a fairly large Pell grant. Armed with this grant, I enrolled in a local community college last fall, and again for this winter semesters.

I am a student, with a student ID at a college that grants Associate degrees which are transferrable to a local university toward a bachelors degree.

On the PMI.org website, they have a discounted rate for students.

Do you think I qualify, and if so, would having this membership hurt me from obtaining my PMP in a few months?

From PMI’s website:

Student Member
PMI memberships aren't just for working project practitioners. If you are enrolled in a degree-granting program at a college or university that has U.S. accreditation, or the global equivalent, the PMI student membership may be right for you. All you need is a passion for project management and verification of college enrollment.


Thank you,

David

David,

The final verdict whether or not your enrollment as a student qualifies for the student membership with PMI would need to be verified with This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., because unfortunately I am not aware of the exact rules around how they grant these.

But I can see your point about not being able to take the PMP Exam: The PMP exam is clearly advertised as a certification for practitioners, and if you become a student member there may be a question raised regarding "are you really a practitioner if you are a student member"?

However, there are many instances where practitioners decide to leave their jobs and head back to university. So it's quite possible that PMI doesn't care which type of membership you have, as long as you meet the certification prerequisites.

Again, this is a question that is beyond my expertise (you're the first one to ask this question in my 7 years of dealing with PMI), so I recommend that you also verify with PMI.

My expectation is that a) you qualify for the student membership and b) even student members can take the exam as long as they meet the certification prerequisites.

Please let us know what PMI says.

My email to PMI...I have a couple of questions about membership and certification.

I am an adult between jobs and studying for the PMP exam which I hope to take in May of this year. I have 8 years of project management experience, but no degree. So, I am in the process of documenting the 7,500 hours of PM work from the past 8 years.

Although an adult and out in the workforce, I am also a college student. I am attending College full-time working towards my associate degree. My college is an accredited college and its two-year programs are accepted by four-year colleges. I am attending meetings at the Local Chapter of PMI.

With the documentation to show that I am a student (including ID, current schedule, etc.) I should be able to join PMI as a student.

Does membership as a student allow me to apply for and take the PMP exam? Does it in any way raise a red flag for audit (which I'm sure I would pass, but would avoid if possible)?

Thank you for your time in answering my questions,


Answer back from PMI:

Greetings,

Thank you for contacting Customer Care at the Project Management Institute.



Membership and credentials are two seperate processes. Anyone can apply for the PMP credential if they feel they meet the experience/education requirements.

Holding a student membership will not affect your application in any negative way. A membership with PMI will only be beneficial to the process of applying for the PMP credential - your credential fees will be discounted from $555 to $405 and you will have access to the PMBOK Guide, a valuable study tool. In addition, participating in your local chapter will put you in touch with current PMPs who would be a great source for study and testing tips.

Applications are picked for audit randomly, and your membership status is not a factor.

If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact Customer Care.

Conclusion...

It appears that any membership in PMI is valid, and will get you the same discount in testing.