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Can this program be completed entirely online?
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Yes! Students can take this program fully online in the convenience of your home or office or in a traditional in-class format. You can choose which format works best for your learning. All of the required courses and most of the electives can be completed in a fully online environment. For online courses, all assignments, tests and quizzes can be completed online.
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Do the classes provide Professional Development Units (PDU’s)?
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Yes, our Project Management courses may be used to earn the Project Management Institute’s Professional Development Units (PDUs). A course would be entered as Category 1 PDU. One hour of classroom instruction equals one contact hour. Most of the three unit courses provide 27 instructional hours and therefore equate to 27 PDU’s. To claim PDU’s, simply print out your UC San Diego Extension transcript or course history document, accessible through My Extension, and provide to PMI.
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Do you provide job or internship placement?
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No, we do not currently offer job placement assistance, internships, or career services assistance. However, the classes are excellent for networking purposes. To new students or those interested to join the field, we recommend getting involved with your local PMI chapter. The PMI association offers volunteer and networking opportunities. Volunteering with PMI provides you with the experience hours that are applicable towards the certification exams. Starting out in the field you will want to pursue entry level positions, such as a ‘project coordinator’. Here is a link to San Diego’s local PMI chapter: www.pmi-sd.org. Click here to view a list of PMI-SD’s upcoming events.
Participation in the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt course does involve a real-world project with a local company or organization. Students who are not employed can team up with other classmembers to work on a company project, which can help build your resume experience.
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How are online classes formatted?
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Most, but not all, of our online courses are asynchronous, which means that you can login and complete your work anytime 24/7. The lessons for each week are accessible via Blackboard, our online learning management system. While you can view the lectures and participate at your preferred time, you may have weekly assignments, quizzes and/or tests that are due on specific dates.
Recently, we have begun to offer new virtual reality courses that allow you to interact with instructors and peers in real-time from your home or office. These courses have specific meeting dates and times and are listed as hybrid courses on our website. It is important to be present for scheduled class meetings.
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How do I apply to the certificate program?
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Click on the “Apply Now” button on the certificate page. Complete the required fields on the application. Then click the “Save” button. Once you have saved the application, be sure to click the “Submit” button. You can track the progress of your application at My Extension. After acceptance, there is a one-time certificate fee due that secures your place as a certificate student.
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How do I get my certificate once I have completed the requirements?
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When you have paid your certificate fee and successfully completed all program requirements, you will need to request an audit by Student Services. To request an audit:
- In your My Extension account, click on “My Courses.”
- On the right side of the page under “My Certificates,” click on the name of the certificate.
- On the right side of the page under “Tools,” click on “Request Certificate Audit.”
- Complete and submit the form that appears.
Once you have formally submitted your audit request, your certificate will be mailed to the address we have on file for you within three weeks provided you have successfully completed all program requirements.
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How long is each course?
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Two-unit courses run for approximately 6-7 weeks; three-unit courses run for approximately 9-10 weeks. New weekend intensive courses such as the Project Management Boot Camp allow you to complete 3-unit courses in just 4-5 weeks. For exact course dates of upcoming sections, visit the webpage of the course you are interested in taking on our website.
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How will I receive my final course grade?
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Once the course is complete, the instructor has 10 business days to submit grades. Once grades have been posted, you can view and print your grade sheet from your My Extension account.
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If I work full-time, will I still be able to complete this program?
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Yes. Our programs are designed for the working professional. Classes are offered in evenings from 6:00pm-9:00pm, online, or on Saturdays to help you find a class format that meet your schedule.
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Is there any financial aid associated with this program?
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UC San Diego Extension has a number of financial resources to assist students. Please visit our Financial Resources page for information about staff and faculty discounts, programs for the unemployed or underemployed, private student loans and more.
If you are a veteran who served in our armed forces, you may be eligible to use your veteran education benefits to cover some or all of your program tuition. Please review our Veterans Education Benefits page for details.
Are you a member of the San Diego Chapter of the Project Management Institute? If so, you are eligible for a 20% tuition discount on select Project Management courses. To request your discount, please complete this required request form at https://forms.gle/CEAjJFENq6NNZja37
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What are the grading options for courses?
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If you are taking a course towards the Project Management certificate we recommend completing your courses for a Letter Grade. You will need to receive a C- or higher grade to apply coursework toward the certificate. Grades below a C- and Not for Credit will not count towards certificate requirements. If you are not working towards the Certificate you may take a course for one of three options: Letter Grade, Pass/No Pass, or Not for Credit.
Upon completion of our Project Management Certificate, you may be eligible to transfer up to 12 units towards University of Wisconsin, Plattville’s, M.S. in Project Management. In order to transfer coursework you must take courses for a letter grade and receive an A or B grade.
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What are the required textbooks for a course?
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Instructors will post the current textbook requirements on the course page on our website. Please note the textbook requirements are subject to change every quarter and different instructors may require different books, even if they are teaching the same course in the same quarter. Be sure to check the textbook requirements for the section in which you are enrolling.
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What is Lean Six Sigma?
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Lean and Six Sigma (LSS) are a blend of two of the most powerful process improvement tools. The methodologies provide a systematic way to improve performance efficiencies and to reduce variations in all business operations to achieve productivity and profitability gains. LSS courses develop practitioners who are prepared to apply the tools and deliver significant results.
We offer a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (in-class, hybrid and online), and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (in-class) course. There is a difference among these courses—in length, time commitment, fees, projects/course requirements; the Green and Black Belt have different learning objective and address different levels of Lean and Six Sigma. For example, the Green Belt is roughly half the time commitment of the Black Belt, but both can be completed in one quarter.
LSS participants will also receive an additional credential in addition to the Project Management certificate by completing either the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt courses. LSS coursework will help to satisfy the elective unit requirements for the Project Management certificate.
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What will I earn at the completion of the program?
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Upon successful completion of the Project Management program, you will receive a Professional Certificate in Project Management from UC San Diego Extension. A Professional Certificate is defined as:
- Representing mastery of an established body of knowledge as is necessary to succeed in a field of professional practice
- Material presented by multiple instructors, representing multiple viewpoints and a breadth of issues and practices
- Curriculum reflecting timely changes in the field of study; complementing prior or simultaneous degree study in the field
- Meeting a minimum of 120 classroom instruction hours (the Project Management certificate provides 210 classroom instruction hours)
- An award of a gold seal “full-size” certificate document upon successful completion

UC San Diego Extension—like all other UC San Diego schools, colleges and departments—is accredited by WASC through the University. All courses and certificate programs offered by UC San Diego Extension have been developed and administered in accordance with Extension policy and the regulations of the Academic Senate of the University of California.
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When does course enrollment open for each quarter?
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Classes posted to our website and open for registration approximately two months prior to when the new quarter begins. If you would like to receive an email reminder you can sign up for our newsletter(s) in My Extension, under the “Preferences” tab. The Fall quarter begins in late September, Winter begins in January, Spring begins in April, and Summer begins in late June.
You can also contact ProjectManagement@ucsd.edu about course dates and enrollment periods.
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When is the refund deadline for courses?
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The refund deadline for courses in this program is typically one week after the start date. This allows you one week to try out a class and review the courses syllabus. If you decide that the course does not meet your educational needs, be sure to drop within the refund deadline. For intensive format courses, the refund deadline is usually the day before the course start date. While you are permitted to drop a course after the refund deadline, a refund will no longer be provided. The exact refund deadline for each section is listed in the section notes on the course page in our website, and you can also find it in My Extension by clicking on “My Courses” and then the name of the course.
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Will this program prepare me for a certification exam?
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Curriculum is based on the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) developed by the Project Management Institute (PMI). Our program provides an overview of the PMBOK and teaches students how to best apply the various tools and techniques, in an application oriented setting. Although our courses can certainly help students to prepare for PMI’s CAPM (Certified Associate Project Management) or PMP (Project Management Professional) certification exams, the classes are not meant to be a test preparation. By taking courses you will receive the educational hours needed to be eligible to sit for PMI’s certification exams.
For information about the PMP Certification, only proctored through PMI, please visit their website: http://www.pmi.org/certification/project-management-professional-pmp.aspx
APPLY NOW
APPLICATION FEE: $0
There will be a $95 fee upon acceptance into the program