Certificate or Certification- What's in a name?

Taking a series of courses doesn’t automatically lead to certification – but taking a certificate program could help you prepare to earn a professional field-specific certification. Our team has a detailed explanation page , but let me break it down: 

Certification is issued by a third-party organization with an established body of knowledge - nationally or internationally (ASQ, SHRM, PMI, NCPMC, etc.). There is often an exam and/or significant project outside of coursework and continuing education requirements. An educational provider cannot just say that they offer certification – it has to be recognized and administered by that third party.

At the Professional Development Center, we offer several paths towards getting a certification:



1)    Short courses that meet the educational requirements to sit for the professional certification exam. At the end of the course, you receive a certificate of completion or enrollment record of completion that you can present in your application to the certifying organization. In the case of Project Management Professional (PMP) – via the Project Management Institute (PMI) -- that requirement is a minimum of 35 hours of education PLUS a required number of documented hours managing projects. 

2)    Longer Certificate Programs (which we define as a cluster of courses consisting of at least 60 hours of instruction) provide deeper knowledge and training in a specific competency. They can stand alone in showing your commitment to excelling in the profession and give you a strong foundation for passing a certification exam like the SHRM-CP® or HRCI’s® Professional in Human Resources® (PHR®).

3)    Some  Certificate Programs do confer a certification or designation upon completion because a third-party certifying body has directly approved the curriculum and assessments, such as  a Final Exam and/or Capstone Project.  The Certified Public Manager© (CPM©) is an example of this. As the only authorized provider of this designation in the State of Washington, we maintain membership in the National CPM® Consortium and are reviewed by that body on a regular basis.

Generally, our philosophy at the PDC is that you don’t always need a certification to be successful in your job. The most important thing is to learn how to do the job daily with the best skills. That is why we focus on learning practical and applicable skills and not just preparation for an exam. However, in certain areas certification can lead to a leap forward in your career – and the courses that you take with PDC will give you that broad knowledge to take the leap to get certified in your field. 

As always – if you have any questions, reach out to us and we’ll help you find the best path to learn and grow in your career.