Earning PDU Credits from Six Sigma Courses

Earning additional professional certifications can be a sensible and efficient use of your time. Not only does this investment help you maintain your PMI certification, but it also helps you gain or hone skills that are relevant or even crucial to effective project management. Six Sigma courses are an excellent example of certification training courses that can teach you valuable skills while contributing to your Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) for the Project Management Institute (PMI). Many Six Sigma courses qualify for Professional Development Units (PDU) and may already be pre-registered in the CCR System (CCRS).

Become a better project manager while maintaining PMI certifications such as the PMP and adding new professional certifications to your resume. Learn more about earning PDUs from Six Sigma training courses in this resource from Project Management Academy.

---

---

What is Six Sigma?

Six Sigma is a set of techniques and tools for improving processes and the quality of deliverables by reducing the probability of errors. This data-driven methodology is typically associated with manufacturing and production. It focuses on leveraging empirical and statistical data to produce defect-free deliverables more efficiently.

Six Sigma vs. Lean Six Sigma

Lean Six Sigma combines lean manufacturing and lean enterprise tools and techniques with the Six Sigma methodology to eliminate as much waste and potential for mistakes as possible. Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma certifications come in different types:

• Six Sigma White Belt
• Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt
• Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt

White Belt and Yellow Belt certifications are considered more entry-level, while Green Belt and Black Belt certifications demonstrate higher levels of expertise in Six Sigma methodologies.

Whereas Six Sigma tends to focus more on manufacturing and production, Lean Six Sigma is generally associated with businesses of all types. This methodology involves leveraging a team to reduce waste and improve performance, a critical part of quality management for any project in any industry.

---

---

PDU Six Sigma – Does my Course Count?

Six Sigma courses can count for PDUs if their content is relevant to project management knowledge areas. Conveniently, there are many links between Six Sigma principles and project management tools and techniques for quality management. You are more likely to earn higher PDU values for Green Belt and Black Belt training courses than Six Sigma White Belt PDUs.

There are two ways to find out if you can get Six Sigma PMI PDU credits for your course. Read more about Lean Six Sigma PDUs below.

1. Ask your training provider about Six Sigma PMI PDUs.

If your training provider is an Authorized Training Provider (ATP), the PDU values are pre-approved by PMI for PDU credits. For example, you can earn 40 PDU hours through Project Management Academy’s Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Training.

To earn the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt credential and the associated PDU hours through Project Management Academy, you must demonstrate your ability to manage all project phases, analyze processes, measure performance, and much more.

2. Calculate and document PDUs for Six Sigma on your own.

You can request credit manually for any courses that PMI has not already approved. Since one hour of learning related to project management equals one PDU hour, some or all of your Six Sigma training may qualify for PDUs. PMI accepts live or virtual classroom time and individual professional development as Education PDUs.

Review your course curriculum, PMI’s PMBOK® Guide, and the CCR Handbook to help you calculate how much time you spent on project management topics. Then, you can submit your PDU information to PMI through the CCRS for review. Ensure you keep records and documentation to show PMI and increase your chances of having your PDUs accepted.

How to Claim PDU Credits from Six Sigma Courses

The PMI CCR Handbook outlines the steps for claiming PDU credits for PMP and other certification maintenance. These steps will differ slightly if you are reporting PDUs earned through an ATP or if you are calculating and documenting your PDU credits on your own.

If you are reporting PDUs earned through an ATP or another training or course provider:

1. Log into the CCRS.
2. Select “Report PDUs”.
3. Click “Course or Training.”
4. Select a course or provider from the dropdown menu. The rest of the fields should auto-populate. If any required fields are missing, fill them in to the best of your ability.
5. Check the box stating that you agree the claim is accurate.
6. Click the “Submit” button. Your CCRS dashboard will show pending and approved PDUs.

If you are self-reporting PDUs:

1. Log into the CCRS.
2. Select “Report PDUs.”
3. Click “Course or Training.”
4. Manually type in the required information. Do not select a course or provider from the dropdown menu!
5. Check the box stating that you agree the claim is accurate.
6. Click the “Submit” button. Your CCRS dashboard will show pending and approved PDUs.

If you are having trouble filling in your PDU information, check with your course provider to ensure you have all the correct information you need to claim PDU credits for your Six Sigma course. PMI may take a few days to review and approve your reported PDUs.

Summary

Many Six Sigma certification training courses require a considerable time investment, so it is an excellent idea to apply that time towards your continuing certification requirements from PMI. Earn a Six Sigma certification to learn about process improvement and quality management while maintaining PMI certifications such as the PMP certification. Was this guide helpful? Let us know if you are ready to take a Lean Six Sigma training course to earn PDUs and a Six Sigma certification, or read about 14 of the best project management certifications to help you take your career to the next level.

---