PMP Exam Prep

Beyond the course - Navigating the PMP certification process

Your journey to becoming PMP-certified begins with the PMP application. You do not have to complete the application before enrolling in UTC's course. However, we encourage students to at least begin the application process before the start of class. UTC is available to help you with any application questions you may have.

The goal of the PMP application is to detail your experience and training to show you have got what it takes to become a PMP professional.

Application Steps:

• Confirm your eligibility. Ensure you meet the experience and education prerequisites. →
• Gather your information. Document your experience and training by gathering information about projects you have led including where you worked, your role and responsibilities, and the duration of your projects. You will also include training you have completed such as institutions attended, courses completed, and qualifying hours.
• Dive into the application. You will need a pmi.org account to kick the process off. Have all the information you gathered in the previous step handy so you can sail through the application. If you need a break in the middle of the application, do not worry! You can save the application as you go.

Your application will be reviewed by PMI upon submission.

What is PMP Certification? 

The Project Management Professional (PMP®) is the world’s leading project management certification. The globally-recognized Project Management Institute is the organization that issues PMP certification. Earning the PMP shows that you can use predictive, agile, and hybrid project management skills employers are looking for. PMP certification validates that you are highly skilled in:

• People: Emphasizing the soft skills you need to effectively lead a project team in today's changing environment.
• Process: Reinforcing the technical aspects of successfully managing projects.
• Business Environment: Highlighting the connection between projects and organizational strategy. 

I Want This Certification! But Why Should I Prep With UTC? 

• The virtual model allows you to learn from anywhere! 
• Many project managers ask, “How long does it take to get PMP certification?” With UTC, your classroom prep lasts 8 weeks. While each individual differs in how much time they need to study after the course, the classroom training gives you adequate time to prepare as a group without dragging out the process for months!
• UTC has a strong brand and is ranked among the top 10 of all colleges and universities in Tennessee. 
• The class size of 20 is small enough to allow individuals to receive the personalized attention they need from the instructor but large enough to network with a number of other professionals.  
• 35 hours of project management training is required to sit for the PMP, which is exactly the amount of hours UTC’s PMP training course is. 

What You Will Learn

• Strategies and tools to effectively manage stakeholders and risks 
• Best practices for engaging and supporting virtual teams
• Emotional intelligence application to encourage productive team performance
• Planning documentation and requirements needed for scope, quality, schedule, stakeholders, communications, and closing
• External business conditions that impact scope and project delivery
• Organizational change management to ensure project delivery
• Project compliance management to avoid threats and potential consequences

How Much Money Can I Make With PMP Certification? 

The Project Management Institute researched and found that the median salary for project professionals with PMP certification is 33% higher globally than those without the PMP designation.  

A few common job titles and average salaries (based on averages in the United States) are:

• Senior Project Manager salary: $103,583
• Construction Project Manager salary: $82,388
• IT Project Manager salary: $91,628
• Engineering Project Manager salary: $92,977
• Technical Project Manager salary: $94,997
• Marketing Project Manager salary: $58,645
• Clinical Project Manager salary: $70,523

Dr. Ty Tabernik, PMP, PMI-ACP

Dr. Ty Tabernik is currently a tenured professor in the Computer and Information Science Department at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee. With over 40 years of industry experience, Ty has consulted for numerous corporations and held various management roles before transitioning to education.

During his tenure in industry, Ty successfully managed projects of varying scales, from smaller initiatives spanning several months to multimillion-dollar endeavors spanning three to four years.

Ty brings over 25 years of experience teaching Project Management Professional (PMP) exam preparation courses. He holds both PMP and Project Management Institute – Agile Certified Professional (PMI-ACP) certifications and is a Scrum Master and Six Sigma Green Belt. Additionally, he serves as the Program Lead for the Project Management Concentration in Trevecca's MBA program.

Ty's instruction extends beyond project management; he has also taught certification preparation classes for the Association of Supply Chain Management / APICS for over 40 years. His expertise covers certifications such as Certified in Planning and Inventory Management (CPIM), Certified in Logistics, Transportation and Distribution (CLTD) and Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP).

With a PhD in Information Technology and six master's degrees ranging in areas from instruction design to computer science and quantitative methods, Ty brings knowledge and experience he is excited to share with Agile Project Management Workshop participants.