Earn PDU Credits from Scrum Courses

The Project Management Institute (PMI)® and the Scrum Alliance® are global professional organizations managing skill certifications in Project Management and Agile. For example, the Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification and the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)® certification are managed by PMI and the Scrum Alliance, respectively. Project Managers may have multiple certifications from different organizations, each requiring training to maintain. Training to maintain these two certifications is measured in Professional Development Units (PDUs) and Scrum Education Units (SEUs). However, the way in which PDUs and SEUs are earned can be somewhat different, since they’re governed by two different organizations. For example, there is no such thing as a Scrum Master PDU.

---

---

PDU and SEU

Professional certifications signal you are a master of a specific skill set. PMI uses its “Professional Development Unit” (PDU) model for tracking the work to maintain PMI certifications. The Scrum Alliance uses its “Scrum Education Units” (SEU) to manage ongoing development requirements. Being certified is the beginning of the journey to master your profession; to maintain your status as a master with active credentials, you need approved training credits.

Maintaining Multiple Certifications: PDUs and SEUs

Professionals may be certified by PMI and Scrum Alliance. An understanding of the similarities and differences between PDUs and SEUs is critical. The terms “PDU” and “SEU” come from different organizations, and the terms PDU Scrum, CSM PDU, and Scrum Master PDU are not valid.

PDU claims, such as those for PMP, are submitted only to PMI. SEU claims, such as those for CSM, are only submitted to the ScrumAlliance. However, verifiable training may apply to both systems.

PDU

PMI created a project management-related continuing education efforts measurement: Professional Development Units (PDU).

Professional Development Units (PDUs) are
 “one-hour blocks of time that you spend learning, teaching others, or volunteering.”

1 PDU = 1 Hour

For all PDU credits, learning, training others, and/or volunteering is measured as 1 PDU = 1 Hour. Check the PMI certification PDU requirements for your specific PMI certification/s, so you do not have a lapse in your standing.

SEU

The Scrum Alliance uses the Scrum Education Unit (SEU) to track training supporting specific certifications, such as the CSM.

A Scrum Education Unit® (SEU®) is a credit earned by
completing an educational training or learning opportunity that furthers
your knowledge as a Scrum practitioner.

1 SEU = 1 Hour

Each hour “…you spend reading articles, volunteering, attending events, and taking courses equals one “Scrum Education Unit,” or SEU.” One may have a job title of Scrum Master, but that is not the same as being a certified CSM. Use the information available from the Scrum Alliance to confirm what qualifies as a SEU.  

How are PDUs and SEUs similar?

PDUs and SEUs represent values for recording time spent completing professional development and share these components:

• managed by a professional certification organization
• one hour of education is equivalent to one credit
• renewal cycles include a specific number of continuing education hours (as PDU or SEU)
• units cannot be submitted repeatedly to the same organization

It is safe to assume that with a Scrum Master or a Project Management certification, you will need training measured in credits (PDU and/or SEU).

---

---

What is different between PDUs and SEUs?

With separate organizations managing PDU and SEU systems, there is not a PDU scrum credit, a CSM PDU credit, or a Scrum Master PDU credit.

• how claims are submitted: PDUs via the PMI CCRS portal and SEUs via the Scrum Alliance system
• renewal cycle requirements for credits: vary in the number of credits needed by certification
• renewal fees set by PMI and Scrum Alliance

To be safe, carefully review the PMI certification PDU requirements and Scrum Alliance requirements for the most current information.

Can an SEU be used for PDU credit?

The same training can be submitted to PMI for a PDU credit and to the Scrum Alliance for an SEU credit. For example, a course in Agile or Scrum can be submitted to both PMI and Scrum Alliance for consideration.

For an SEU and PDU claim, an exaggeration and/or falsehood can have repercussions beyond a denied claim, it can result in a revoking of the certification and membership in the professional organization.

How many PDUs can I claim from a Scrum course?

The answer is: it depends. Common questions around PDU and SEU conversation include:

• What is the conversion formula for PDUs and SEUs?
  • There is not a direct correlation between PDUs and SEUs. Some courses may hold both a PDU and SEU value if the topic covered applies to the certifications being maintained (i.e., agile and/or Scrum topics could apply multiple Scrum Alliance certifications or PMI Agile certifications).
• Should I list “Scrum Alliance” for any SEU credits submitted to PMI?
  • Use the name of the actual training provider for the Scrum course when submitting to PMI.
• Can I get PDUs for passing a Scrum assessment?
  • PMI PDUs are earned for course attendance and not for passing a Scrum.org assessment.

How do I claim PDU credits from a Scrum Course?

The claim process is the same for any course. See the steps in the CCR Handbook.

Takeaways

---