The world has too many options today. Consider the simple case of purchasing biscuits. As you stroll through the supermarket, you’ll see a whole section dedicated to just biscuits: flavoured, non-flavoured, digestives, cookies, tea-biscuits, cream biscuits, and the list goes on. Now, when you go to the supermarket, you’d obviously pick one of your choices, keeping in mind the other parameters like medical history and allergy information, intolerance, or you could go by taste. Similarly, another person in the same aisle would pick another brand of biscuits. If you have been with me till now, I am about to connect biscuits and project management directly. 

As a professional, there are always several options for upskilling. The most common question for project managers is: Should I choose PMP or PgMP? 

And the answer is quite simple. It is based on your experiential history, the job positions you aspire to qualify for, and the problems you wish to solve. Now that the dynamics of work have changed significantly with the introduction of VUCA: Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity, there is a need for both project managers and program managers. These two positions come with the PMP and PgMP certifications, respectively. Just like biscuits, one might suit a person and the other won’t, or in another case, both can serve a person’s interest simultaneously.

Let’s first understand how these two certifications differ from one another.

Difference between PMP and PgMP Certifications

The PMP certification is the most sought-after credential in the project management field. Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is the global standard for analytical and problem-solving skills. The certification shows employers you can lead projects to success and enhance the team’s working capabilities to suit the organization’s vision. It endorses your skills of defining the project's scope, managing resources, making a project budget and working within it, setting timelines, communicating project expectations and progress, documenting it, and calculating and tackling risks. In addition, a PMP-certified project manager hones soft skills such as conflict resolution and building trust with project team members and stakeholders.

Then, what does the PgMP Certification do?

The Program Management Professional (PgMP) is an advanced certification that deals with leading multiple interlinked ‘projects.’ A program is the management of two or more projects together to produce enhanced benefits, rather than managing them individually. These projects could deal with the delivery of a single product or work towards a similar end goal together. Thus, a program manager deals with even more ambiguous and complicated variables than a project manager. The PgMP certification shows your ability to navigate ambiguous situations, identify and solve for blockers with minimal guidance, and influence and build cross-organizational partnerships.

With a PgMP certification, you can showcase your ability to meet deadlines, identify and mitigate roadblocks, and accelerate efficiency toward delivering value to the end user. The certification also showcases your ability to manage budgets, manage multiple competing priorities simultaneously, schedule project deadlines, manage risks, and conduct a thorough performance analysis. Some additional requirements fulfilled by PgMP-certified individuals include looking into staffing requirements, program governance, monitoring the progress of program activities, and providing recommended corrective actions for programs and staff.

For more details, you can always visit PMP and PgMP Course Details articles by ProThoughts.

Who should opt for PMP Certification?

PMI conducts a salary survey every alternate year for professionals serving as entry-level project managers to senior executives in project management. The latest survey showed that respondents with a PMP certification report higher median salaries than those without a PMP certification—16% higher on average across the 40 countries surveyed. 50% of the respondents say that their total compensation (including salary, bonus, and other cash incentives) increased over 12 months before completing the salary survey. This is quite notable given the generally negative impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on global employment. 

But, to be eligible for these benefits, one must meet certain eligibility criterias. The candidates must fulfil either of the two sets to qualify for their exam:

Set 1:

• 4 Years of bachelor’s degree 
• 3 years of experience leading projects within the past eight years
• 4,500 hours of project management experience 
• 35 hours of project management education, project management training, or CAPM certification

OR

Set 2:

• High School Diploma or Associates Degree
• 5 years of experience leading projects within the past eight years
• 7,500 hours of project management experience
• 35 hours of project management education, project management training, or CAPM certification

You can check your eligibility for free using the PMP eligibility calculator created by the team of experts at ProThoughts.

Who should opt for PgMP Certification?

Unlike PMP, PgMP is a less popular option amongst professionals, primarily because of its seniority level. Senior professionals, especially those with extensive experience in project management, can go for PgMP certification. The job descriptions demand an independent thinker capable of operating within ambiguously defined structures with a bias for delivering tangible results. It is an excellent add-on if you already have a PMP certification. The detailed eligibility criteria for PgMP are as follows:

Set 1:

1. High school diploma, associate degree, or their global equivalent.
2. Minimum 48 months of unique and distinct professional project management experience or PMP Certification.
3. Minimum 84 months of unique and distinct professional program management experience.

OR

Set 2:

1. 4 years bachelor’s degree or its global equivalent.
2. Minimum 48 months of unique and distinct professional project management experience or PMP Certification.
3. Minimum 48 months of unique and distinct professional program management experience 

OR 

Set 3:

1. Graduate or postgraduate degree from a GAC-accredited program
2. Minimum 36 months of unique and distinct professional project management experience or PMP Certification.
3. Minimum 36 months of unique and distinct professional program management experience. 

Candidates aspiring to crack the exam are supposed to fulfil either of the set of requisites mentioned above in order to further into the application process. 

The Bottom Line

The demand is never-ceasing for both PMP and PgMP-certified individuals and is seeing a consistent upward tangent in the market. So what’s more job-worthy in 2023 depends on your current skill set and your aspirations in the field. The PMP will be ideal if you’re a project manager with around 3-5 years of experience. If you’re a senior project manager with an extensive work experience of 6-7 years, then PgMP would be your most lucrative option. In the latter case, you can skip the queue and head on for the advanced certification.