Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Caltrans Project Management Certificate Program?
• What are the Objectives of the Caltrans Project Management Certificate Program?
• What are the expected outcomes of the Caltrans Project Management Certificate Program?
• Who is the target audience for this program?
• What are the courses in the program?
• Are there any pre-requisites to this program? Do the courses have to be taken in any order?
• Who is paying for these courses? Who will cover the travel expenses?
• Do I earn Continuing Education Units (CEU) for taking these courses?
• What is a CEU and what is a PDU?
• Can I earn Professional Development Units (PDU) needed to maintain my Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification?
• If I am not enrolled in the Project Management Certificate Program, can I still take these courses and receive credits?
• What standards were used in developing the curriculum?
• Who are the instructors and what are their credentials?
• Can I transfer any of the equivalent non-CSUS Project Management courses, which I have completed prior to this program?
• Who administers the program?
• Are there any quizzes and assessments?
• What is the minimum passing score?
• How is the effectiveness of a course is measured?
• Is this program or its individual courses available to the public?

 

Q. What is Caltrans Project Management Certificate Program?
A. Caltrans Project Management Certificate program provides the fundamentals of Project Management as they are applied to the delivery of the Capital Projects at Caltrans and lays a foundation for Project Management Professional (PMP) industry certification. The program is part of the Caltrans Project Skill Development (CPSD) effort. The certificate program consists of eight courses (six on-line and two live class room delivery), and is offered in partnership with California State University, Sacramento, College of Continuing Education.

Q. What are the Objectives of the Caltrans Project Management Certificate Program?
A. The Project Management Certificate Program is intended to give Caltrans Project  Delivery team members the necessary skills to enhance their effectiveness through processes such as organizing, planning, scheduling, monitoring and controlling a variety of tasks in order to keep Capital Projects on task, on time, and on budget. The program is intended to include both a theoretical and practical problem solving approach to project management.

Q. What are the expected outcomes of the Caltrans Project Management Certificate Program?
A.After completing this program, participants should be able to:

• Improve customer service through on-time project delivery
• Apply the latest project management processes, tools, techniques and methodologies
• Contribute to the organization's productivity
• Increase their on-the-job effectiveness
• Enhance information quality, timeliness and availability
• Reduce project costs and scheduling conflicts
• Earn educational credentials
• Prepare for the PMI® certification process

Q. Who is the target audience for this program?
A.This program is designed for staff at the Caltrans senior level and above from the Divisions of Project Management, Design, Construction, Right of Way, Environmental, Traffic Operations and Engineering Services. This program may also be appropriate for the Caltrans Range D Engineer or Associate level staff if the individual has a solid understanding of Project  Delivery and a high level of project responsibilities. Participants include, but are not limited to:

• Project Managers
• Functional Managers with employees assigned to project teams
• Managers of Project Managers
• Individuals looking to become PMP® certified
• Individuals with PMP certification who wish to obtain PDU (Professional Development Unit) to maintain their certification.

Q. What are the courses in the program?
A. The eight courses are as follows:

• Project Management Concepts & Workings
• Project Quality Management
• Project Human Resource Management
• Project Communication Management
• Project Risk Management
• Project Procurement Management
• Ethics for Capital Project
• Applications of Project Management Fundamentals

For detailed information about the above-noted classes visit:  http://www.cce.csus.edu/programs/caltrans/pm/classes.htm

Q. Are there any pre-requisites to this program? Do the courses have to be taken in any order?
A. For this program there are no pre-requisites, but as noted earlier this program is designed for a specific target audience. You must start this program by first enrolling and completing the Project Management Concepts and Workings course and end the program with Application of Project Management Fundamentals.

Q. Who is paying for these courses? Who will cover the travel expenses?
A. Caltrans’ Capital Project Skill Development (CPSD) is covering all tuition and expenses for this program.

Q. Do I earn Continuing Education Units (CEU) for taking these courses?
A. Students will earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) from Sacramento State, College of Continuing Education and will be issued a certificate of participation once they have met all requirements for completion of the certificate program.

Q. What is a CEU and what is a PDU?
A. One CEU (Continuing Education Unit) is equivalent to 10 instructional hours. One PDU (Professional Development Unit) is equivalent to 1 instructional hour.

Q. Can I earn Professional Development Units (PDU) needed to maintain my Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification?
A. Yes, each instructional hour in this program is equivalent to 1 PDU that can be applied toward your PMP certification requirements. NOTE: Neither CSUS or Caltrans will report the earned PDUs to the Project Management Institute (PMI). It is up to the certification holder to submit their earned PDU on-line at PMI’s website. Currently, PDU for this program would be reported in PMI's Category 4. For additional guidelines on this subject please visit the PMI website: http://pmi.org/info/PDC_PMPCCR.asp and click on the "CCR Program Handbook" link.


Q. If I am not enrolled in the Project Management Certificate Program, can I still take these courses and receive credits?
A. Yes. Not all students participating in courses will be working towards their Certificate in Project Management, but all will receive the CEUs. The only exception is the Application of Project Management Fundamentals course. You cannot take this course if you are not registered in this program.

Q. What standards were used in developing the curriculum?
A. Curriculum follows industry standard (Project Management Institute - PMI®) and is tailored to Caltrans policies and procedures. CSUS is a registered education provider with the Project Management Institute.

Q. Who are the instructors and what are their credentials?
A. A mix of university faculty and Caltrans staff are utilized for course development and delivery. Most instructors, whether Caltrans or university instructors, are certified Project Management Professionals (PMP®).

Q. Can I transfer any of the equivalent non-CSUS Project Management courses, which I have completed prior to this program?
A. Yes. A student can request to transfer up to 3 courses OR 46 hours toward the Caltrans Project Management Certificate Program course hours.  Transferred courses must be approved by the California State University Sacramento, College of Continuing Education.

Q. Who administers the program?
A. Sacramento State's College of Continuing Education in coordination with Caltrans Office of Capital Project Skill Development (CPSD), will perform all administration with Caltrans 12 district offices and various headquarters units in Sacramento. Administration by CSUS includes student registrations, managing students' files, progress reporting, record keeping, and issuance of the CEUs and completion certificates.

Q. Are there any quizzes and assessments?
A. All courses include quizzes and assessments. On-line courses include discussion postings in addition to quizzes and students' assessments.

Q. What is the minimum passing score?
A. Minimum passing score for a course is 70%.

Q. How is the effectiveness of a course measured?
A. Currently all courses include level 1 (students' reactions) and level 2 (students' learning) assessments (Donald Kirkpatrick's first two levels of training evaluation). Level 1 evaluation measures how participants in a training program react to it. Level 2 evaluations represent the average increase in subject matter knowledge by students.

Q. Is this program or its individual courses available to the public?
A. Yes. In addition to other government agency employees, the program is also open to the general public. For a fee, the program and individual courses are available to the general public through Sacramento State College of Continuing Education. Please visit our website at: www.cce.csus.edu.