Graduate Certificate?

[Insomniator]

For the past two years I've worked IT support for an online state college after graduating from Rutgers with a BA in IT.

A woman at work today asked me 'what have i done to continue my professional development?' She has always told me to not 'get comfy' here... to not become one of those lifetime state workers. I know what she means and 100% agree. I answered nothing at all of course and she told me that I could take a 'graduate certificate' in say project management... and the credits would go towards a masters if I decide to continue. No real commitment to a masters degree, just the 4 courses for the certificate.

I've never head of such a thing... is this a good idea? I think it would be free or real cheap since I work for the school but I have heard that getting a masters degree from a 'no name school' can hurt your rep more than help it.

 

[edro]

Ohio State's "Graduate Certificates" appear to be:

Certificate in Civic Education and Democratization
Certificate in Francophone and Post-Colonial Studies
Certificate in Global Food Security
Specialist in Latin American Area Studies
Specialist in Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Specialist in Russian Area Studies

Wow... those seem pretty worthless.

 

[DanDaManJC]

you could get a PMP..

http://www.pmi.org/Pages/default.aspx

that's a well respected certification for project managers and is pretty hard to get, so it actually means something when you do get it

 

[SP33Demon]

They're good for people who aren't sure if they want to get a full blown master's, just make sure the credits will transfer to a program you like in case u want to go further than the cert.

 

[Insomniator]

you could get a PMP..

http://www.pmi.org/Pages/default.aspx

that's a well respected certification for project managers and is pretty hard to get, so it actually means something when you do get it

Thats exactly what she suggested and the PM cert here requires I join that program for verification or something.

I just dont know if I'm ready for school mode again... 2 years since I took a test. This is definitely worth it though if it helps get out of the help desk loop. This kind of job is great for now but I can't be fixing computers for the next 50 years.

 

[kami333]

I agree it's nice working and not having to worry about classes/tests etc. I took 2years off after I graduated, then started taking classes again. I've racked up 76hrs since my BA without really trying (or paying, I also worked at a university). Taking a break right now since I just moved and need to establish residency in my new state but I'll probably go back next year (new place also offers tuition reimbursement).

Just sit down and make plans. 6months, 1years, 2 years, 5 years, 10 years. Figure out where you want to be and what you need to accomplish for that.

 

[Train]

my school had a certificate in Artificial Intelligence that was actually pretty hard to get.

Was sort of like an unofficial, optional minor for CS majors if you ask me.

I'm not sure if you could have used those credits torwards a masters though, so maybe it's more valuable than just another minor.

 

[Imp]

I haven't taken one before, going to get a full masters degree. I do know one person who's getting a master's certificate towards business or something like that. Her GMAT score isn't good enough to get into an ivy league school for an MBA, so she thinks it'll get her foot in the door.

Not sure if using a certificate as a stepping stone is remotely a good idea (cost pending). However, from doing a bit of reading, it seems like a nice thing to do to bump up your credentials in a specific field you are already in. Personally, I think of it as a certificate; the masters portion seems like a marketing thing.

 

[DanDaManJC]

Thats exactly what she suggested and the PM cert here requires I join that program for verification or something.

I just dont know if I'm ready for school mode again... 2 years since I took a test. This is definitely worth it though if it helps get out of the help desk loop. This kind of job is great for now but I can't be fixing computers for the next 50 years.

yeah everyone I know with a PMP are basically middle - management. that kinda work has its own plusses and minuses but you're right, it does open up more opportunity

also you dont necessarily need class time for the pmp, but there are a certain number of hours of "experience" or training that you need to get the cert... but those could taken in the form of attending seminars (say attend a seminar on how to use microsoft project 2007/2010 or stuff like that)

 

[Elbryn]

yeah everyone I know with a PMP are basically middle - management. that kinda work has its own plusses and minuses but you're right, it does open up more opportunity

also you dont necessarily need class time for the pmp, but there are a certain number of hours of "experience" or training that you need to get the cert... but those could taken in the form of attending seminars (say attend a seminar on how to use microsoft project 2007/2010 or stuff like that)

to take the pmp you need quite a few hours of project management experience across the 5 process groups, 4,500 hours with a bachelors, 7,500 with an associates over what i think is 5 or 7 year span of time. you have to document each project you worked on, the number of hours and how the split across those process groups fell. then you run the risk of having your application audited which involves you needing to get signatures from managers from each of those projects validating your time.
you also need to take a project management course with at least 35 hours of instruction.

that said, if you can meet all those req's and go to take the test, it's just like any other computerized test with available study materials. read em, memorize the important parts, divorce the "real world" project management experience from the "book stuff", and regurgitate. Like any other multiple choice test, it's eminently passable.

Man.. thinking about the req's makes me want to put forth the effort of going to some CE's and keeping the certification valid rather than letting it expire. even though i dont do PM work anymore.

Another lesser option may be the CAPM which has lesser requirements. It's not the "gold" standard that the pmp seems to be though.

Honestly, if you work for a school, i think your better bet is to go get an mba.. especially if it's free. a master's degree will never expire and it definitely looks better than a graduate certificate. Even better, take a project management class during your master's and you've fulfilled the pmp requirements along the way. get the req'd experience and you can take the test also.

 

[Elbryn]

oh, another add on as well. dont make the mistake of assuming that a PMP cert is going to automatically make a huge difference. the numbers of pmp's are rising and having the cert wont make employer's hire you on it's own accord. you still need solid experience to get a job.