Albany, N.Y. (May 2, 2011) - The Center for Professional Development at Excelsior College today announced it has been named a Registered Education Provider (R.E.P.) by the Project Management Institute (PMI), the world's leading project management member association. An R.E.P. is an organization approved by PMI to offer Professional Development Units (PDU) for its training courses.

“PMI is a recognized global leader for the project management industry and for project managers. Professional certification through the Institute is crucial to career advancement,” said Susan Kryczka, executive director of the Center for Professional Development (CPD) at Excelsior College. “Excelsior’s CPD focuses on developing, promoting, and delivering high quality, non-credit training programs leading to certificates in professional disciplines. We look forward to helping prepare the next generation of project managers.”

The two CPD courses approved by PMI are the test preparation versions of Project Management and Project Management for IT Professionals. Both courses, which are instructor facilitated, help students prepare for the Project Management Professional (PMP)® Certification Exam.

The Project Management program focuses on the knowledge, skills, tools and techniques for a broad range of activities, from scheduling to communication, from time management to closing a project. Each module will review key concepts from A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide).

Project Management for IT Professionals focuses specifically on how project management concepts can be applied to IT projects.

Project management, as defined by PMI, is the “application of knowledge, skills and techniques to execute projects effectively and efficiently.” PMBOK® Guide attributes five processes to project management: initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing. The field focuses on strategic and organizational proficiency to deliver results based on predefined goals while working under predetermined resources and scope. The growth of the technology and information technology sectors have led to increased interest in project management as a discipline and a rapid growth in PMI membership.

"PMP and PMBOK are registered trademarks of Project Management Institute, Inc."

About The Center for Professional Development at Excelsior College

The Center for Professional Development at Excelsior College offers a variety of non-credit bearing programs that are designed for individuals seeking continuing education, lifelong learning and professional development opportunities in job-specific areas.

About Project Management Institute (PMI)

PMI is the world's largest project management member association, representing more than half a million practitioners in over 185 countries. As a global thought leader and knowledge resource, PMI advances the profession through its global standards and credentials, collaborative chapters and virtual communities, and academic research. When organizations invest in project management, supported by PMI, executives have confidence their important initiatives deliver expected results, greater business value, and competitive advantage. Learn more at www.pmi.org