Software Engineering Institute Carnegie Mellon

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SEI Credentials Program: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  1. What certificates and certifications are offered by the SEI?

  2. How is a certificate different from a certification?

  3. How do I register for a certificate or certification program?

  4. How much do these programs cost?

  5. Are there any other fees associated with a certificate or certification?

  6. How might an SEI certificate or certification help my career?

  7. Where and when are the courses required for SEI certificate and certification programs offered?

  8. After I begin working toward a certificate or certification, how long do I have to complete the program?

  9. Do classes given by SEI Partners count toward SEI certificates and certifications?

  10. I have already taken several of the courses required for a certificate or certification and have decided to complete the program. What should I do now?

  11. I am an SEI member. Can I use my discount toward a certificate or certification program?

  12. How much time will it take to complete a certificate or certification program?

  13. What if one of the classes I need for my program is cancelled?

  14. What payment methods are accepted for courses, certificates, and certifications?

  15. Can attending a single course fulfill requirements for multiple certificates?

  16. If I earn a certificate or certification, does this give me rights to SEI intellectual property?

  17. Do I have to pass a test to obtain a certificate?

  18. If I receive an SEI certification, how long is it valid, and how do I renew it?

  19. What if I do not pass the certification examination?

  20. How should I prepare for the CERT-Certified Computer Security Incident Handler exam?

  21. What types of questions are on the CERT-Certified Computer Security Incident Handler exam?

  22. This FAQ hasn’t answered my questions. Who can I contact?
  1. What certificates and certifications are offered by the SEI?

    The SEI offers seven certificates and one certification:
  2. How is a certificate different from a certification?

    Certificates are awarded after you attend a prearranged series of continuing education courses and serve to recognize your successful completion of an educational process. Certification is earned after you complete a prearranged series of courses and your knowledge is assessed against a set of industry-relevant standards. Certifications often include ongoing requirements that must be met to keep the certification valid. While SEI certifications do not grant you permission to use the intellectual property of the SEI, they do signify that you have been certified by the SEI to have obtained a specific set of skills and level of knowledge in a particular area.

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  3. How do I register for a certificate or certification program?

    Please see http://www.sei.cmu.edu/products/courses/certificates/registration.html for registration information.

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  4. How much do these programs cost?

    Program prices vary. Please see http://www.sei.cmu.edu/products/courses/certificates/prices.html for current prices.

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  5. Are there any other fees associated with a certificate or certification?

    There are no fees for the certificate programs. After completing all the required courses in a certificate program, you must submit a completed verification form (available in PDF).

    For SEI certifications, a certification application fee of $150 is charged for the review of the admission criteria by an SEI-designated administrator, the scheduling of the certification examination, and the administration of the certification examination.

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  6. How might an SEI certificate or certification help my career?

     The SEI has an unsurpassed reputation as a leader in advancing the practice of software engineering. Completing one of our certificate or certification programs can help you increase your
    • knowledge and skills in a specialized area of work
    • credibility within your organization and with your customers
    • prestige
    • marketability and compensation rate

    A certificate or certification can also help you move laterally within your profession at your current organization or at a new organization and even help you advance to a higher level position. Completing a program also lets potential employers know that you are serious about your profession.

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  7. Where and when are the courses required for SEI certificate and certification programs offered?

    All courses required for a certificate or certification will be publicly offered at the SEI facilities in Pittsburgh, PA; Arlington, VA; or Frankfurt, Germany. Please refer to the calendar of publicly offered courses for locations and dates. SEI Partners who have been authorized to offer SEI courses may also offer courses at other locations.

    Certification examinations are only given at SEI facilities.

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  8. After I begin working toward a certificate or certification, how long do I have to complete the program?

    You have two years to complete a certificate or certification program. The two-year window begins when you take the first course in the sequence. If you are not able to complete all the requirements in two years, you might be asked to retake a course or resubmit your credentials before receiving a certificate or sitting for a certification examination.

    In some cases, the SEI grants waivers for the two-year completion requirement. If you would like to request a waiver, please send your request and the dates for the courses you attended to credentials-info@sei.cmu.edu. The SEI considers waiver requests carefully; requesting a waiver does not guarantee that the SEI will grant a waiver.

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  9. Do classes given by SEI Partners count toward SEI certificates and certifications?

    Yes. Some SEI Partners have been authorized to offer SEI courses. If you take, or have taken, a course from one of our partners, it will count toward a certificate or certification. When you apply for your certificate or certification, the SEI will verify your course attendance for all courses, including those taken from SEI Partners.

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  10. I have already taken several of the courses required for a certificate or certification and have decided to complete the program. What should I do now?

    If you have completed several of the courses required for a certificate or certification, you should continue to enroll in the rest of the required courses through the regular course registration process. Note that all courses in the program must be completed within two years unless you have a waiver (see question 8).

    When you have completed the prescribed series of courses, you can download the certificate verification form or the certification application for admission. Fill out the appropriate form and mail it to the SEI. If you are applying for certification, send the one-time non-refundable fee and any other requested items. The SEI will verify the information you have submitted and mail your certificate or certification to you.

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  11. I am an SEI member. Can I use my discount toward a certificate or certification program?

    SEI members receive a $150 discount on one course per membership year. Upon registration for the individual course, this discount may be applied toward your certificate.

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  12. How much time will it take to complete a certificate or certification program?

    Completion time depends on the number of courses required and the dates the courses are offered. SEI courses are offered several times each year by the SEI and by SEI Partners. While the maximum time allowed for completing a program is two years, you can often obtain the CERT-Certified Incident Handler Certification in less than a year and some certificates in less than six months. Note that the SEI reserves the right to cancel classes due to low enrollment.

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  13. What if one of the classes I need for my program is cancelled?

    If a course is cancelled, we will notify registrants and ensure that another offering of the course is available for participants within the two-year window for completing their programs.

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  14. What payment methods are accepted for courses, certificates, and certifications?

    Payment in full is required before your attendance in a course or the issuance of a certificate or certification. You may pay by credit card, company or personal check, or completed purchase order. Please read our terms and conditions for more information regarding payment.

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  15. Can attending a single course fulfill requirements for multiple certificates?

    Yes. For example, the Introduction to CMMI course is the first course in the sequence for the SEI Certificate in Software Process Improvement Implementation and in the SEI Certificate in Personal Software Process for CMMI. Completion of the course will count toward both certificates.

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  16. If I earn a certificate or certification, does this give me rights to SEI intellectual property?

    No. Completion of an SEI-offered course, certificate, or certification does not grant you any rights to SEI intellectual property. For more information about SEI intellectual property rights, see the SEI terms of use.

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  17. Do I have to pass a test to obtain a certificate?

    No. However, testing is required for the successful completion of some courses. Please refer to the individual course descriptions for more information. Testing is required for SEI certification, however.

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  18. If I receive an SEI certification, how long is it valid, and how do I renew it?

    SEI certifications must be renewed every three years. To renew, you will need to document your successful completion of a prescribed number of continuing education units (CEUs).

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  19. What if I do not pass the certification examination?

    If you do not pass the certification examination on the first try, you can retake the examination two times within the next six months without any additional fees. If you do not pass the certification examination after the third try, you must reenroll in the prescribed sequence of courses before you can take the exam again. Each time you retake the certification examination after six months, you must pay the one-time, nonrefundable application fee.

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  20. How should I prepare for the CERT-Certified Computer Security Incident Handler exam?

    The exam covers material in these SEI courses:

    Familiarity with the material in these specific courses is required for successful completion of the certification exam.

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  21. What types of questions are on the CERT-Certified Computer Security Incident Handler exam?

    The certification exam consists of 50 multiple choice questions and one essay question. You must pass both sections in order to pass the entire exam. Passing the multiple choice section requires a score of at least 85%. Essays are scored by members of the SEI technical staff.

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  22. This FAQ hasn’t answered my questions. Who can I contact?

    If you still have questions about SEI certificates and certifications, submit your questions using the contact information at the bottom of this page.

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Questions about the SEI's Credentials programs? Contact

Customer Relations
Software Engineering Institute
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890
Phone: 412-268-5800
FAX: 412-268-5758
Email: credentials-info@sei.cmu.edu