The Project Management Institute (PMI) is the world’s leading project management organization with over 500K members worldwide. They offer opportunities for networking, discounted registration for project management certifications (like the Project Management Professional or PMP and the Certified Associate in Project Management or CAPM), and free online resources including a PDF download of the latest Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK).

Article about the PMP vs CAPM

As a student, you can become a member of PMI for only $35 per year, which is a $94 savings over the regular price of $129 per year.  When you register for a PMI Student Membership you will be required to show that you are a member by uploading a copy of your class schedule.

In the Washington DC area, there are also five local chapters where you can network with other project management professionals.

• PMI Southern Maryland Chapter (offers UMD students free access to their monthly events)
• PMI Silver Spring Chapter
• PMI Washington, DC Chapter
• PMI Montgomery County Chapter
• PMI Baltimore Chapter

The UMD Project Management Center for Excellence offers an annual two day Project Management Symposium where you can hear presentations on trending project management topics plus network with Project Management Professionals.  Three of the five local PMI chapters participate in the event with us.