Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is the internationally recognized and industry-accepted standard for project management professionals.

The Department of Defense Management supports two ways for students to earn the coveted PMP credential:

For students in the resident 816 MS Systems Acquisition Management and DL 836 MS Program Management programs

Two courses (MN3302 Advanced Project Management and MN4900 PMP Exam Prep directed study) are integrated into the curriculum matrices.  

  • For the 816 and 836 students enrolled in the Advanced Acquisition Studies (AAS) certificate (217 or 218) and accepted into the Acquisition Research Program (ARP), students will be awarded a voucher after the completion of MN3302 and before the quarters they take MN4900 that covers Project Management Institute (PMI) membership fees and PMP exam registration fees.
Refer any questions about the vouchers to the 816/836 Academic Associate.

For students not in the 816 or 836 degree programs

DDM offers the MN4900 directed study.  

  • MN4900 is a 2-0 credit hour, pass/fail directed study course.  The course is open all quarters to any NPS registered student who wants to prepare for the PMP exam.  
To request MN4900, students fill out the request form for a Directed Study.
The form is routed for approval through the Instructor, Academic Associate, Program Officer and Department Chair.  The deadline to submit a request is the quarter’s Add/Drop deadline.  Once the request is approved, the Registrar's Office will automatically be notified and will update PYTHON by the end of the Add/Drop deadline.  

In the request form, use the following information:
  • Instructor:  Dr. Robert Mortlock
  • Course ID:  MN4900
  • Course Name:  Readings in Management – PMP Prep
  • Lecture Hours: 2
  • Lab Hours:  0
  • Check the Pass/Fail box
  • Course Description:  Preparation for the Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam
  • Reason for the Directed Study:  Desire to acquire PMP certification while at NPS to further education and enhance practical applications of project management

MN4900 PMP Exam Prep Course Syllabus

MN4900 is a (2-0) credit hour graduate level course in a master’s degree curriculum.  This course advances the principle of “student centered learning."  Students will usually take two quarters of MN4900. During the first quarter, they study the PMP Exam Prep Guide. During the second quarter, they take practice exams and schedule and take the exam.

Course References:

  • A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK ® Guide) – 7th Edition and The Standard for Project Management, Project Management Institute (PMI), 2021 (ISBN 978-1-62825-667-3).
    • Access the ebook version at the NPS library. 
  • Hard copies of the PMBOK 7th Edition are available at the library to check out and use during the quarter that you take MN4090. 
  • Rita Mulcahy’s PMP Exam Prep, Eleventh Edition, 2023 (ISBN 978-1-943704-43-7).  
    • Used copies of this reference are available online.  
    • Hard copies of the PMP Exam Prep book are available at the Library on reserve for students enrolled in MN4090 to use during the quarter the students are enrolled in MN4090.
  • Students can also access O’Reilly Online Learning for access to not only the ebook, but also practice exams for the PMP and video courses supporting PMP certification.  

Course Requirements:  

Students work independently through the chapters of the PMP Exam Prep Guide throughout the ten weeks of this course.  Students are required to complete study chapters in the PMP Exam Prep book. Students report their progress to the Instructor through the Course Sakai site.  The course is pass/fail, and passing grade is earned after studying the chapters.  

Students are encouraged to take this course at least 2 quarters prior to graduation so that they can schedule and take the PMP exam before leaving NPS.  After completion of the course, students are encouraged to take as many PMP practice exams as necessary prior to scheduling the actual PMP exam.  After successfully passing the exam, students should notify the Instructor of their accomplishment.

Learn more about Project Management Professional certification.

What is PMP Certification?

(From the Project Management Institute)
As the world’s leading authority on project management, the Project Management Institute (PMI) created PMP Certification to recognize project managers who have proven they have the skills to successfully manage projects. Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification represents an elite group of project managers. It proves project leadership experience and expertise in any way of working.

To obtain PMP certification, a project manager must meet certain requirements and then pass a 180-question exam. The PMP exam was created by project leaders for project leaders, so each test question can be related to real-life project management experiences.

PMP certification validates that you are highly skilled in:

  • People: Recognizing you have the skills to effectively lead and motivate a project team throughout a project.
  • Process: Using predictive, agile and hybrid approaches to determine which way of working is best for each project.
  • Business Environment: Highlighting the success of a project and its impact on overall strategic organizational goals.
Learn more about PMI and PMP.