Student FAQs

I would like to take some e-Training and classroom training classes. May I apply both e-Training and classroom classes toward an associate's and master's certificate?

You may apply any qualifying course toward an associate's and a master's certificate, whether it's an e-Training or a classroom course.

ESI's e-Training offers all of the core project management courses required for the Master's Certificate in Project Management awarded jointly by ESI and The George Washington University.

Cancellations are subject to a $150 processing fee, if cancelled within 30 days of the class start date. However, you may send a substitute or transfer to another ESI class without penalty prior to the start date of the class. No-shows cannot transfer payment to another ESI class and will not receive a refund. Payments for cancellations will result in a credit valid for one year (refundable upon request) from date of the cancelled class. All courses are subject to cancellation. When a course is cancelled, ESI assumes no responsibility for nonrefundable airline tickets or lodging expenses. To cancel a classroom course, transfer to another classroom course or to send a substitute, contact ESI Customer Service +1 (888) ESI-8884.

If ESI's e-Training receives notification of cancellation within the first seven calendar days of enrollment, the student or organization will receive a refund, less an administration fee of 10% of list (non-discounted) tuition. Beyond the seven calendar days from enrollment, no credits or refunds, partial or otherwise, apply. To cancel an e-Training course or for more information, contact ESI Customer Service +1 (888) ESI-8884.

Submit your payment in form of a check, credit card number, purchase order or government training form before the course begins. Publications will not be sent until payment is received. For registration occurring within one month of course date, check or purchase order must be received before registration is finalized.

Upon prior sufficient notice, ESI will provide reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities pursuant to applicable laws. We request written notice at least 15 business days prior to the start of a course so that ESI can arrange for reasonable accommodations and establish appropriate billing arrangements. If applicable, the employer of the student will be billed for the costs of any necessary accommodation. Please call 1-866-374-8201 or contact ESI at accommodations@esi-intl.com for assistance.

Download Accommodations Form

If a course location is not indicated in your letter, that means ESI is still finalizing the site. We will notify you via letter as soon as the site is confirmed.

Within a week to 10 days of registering, you will receive a confirmation letter in the mail with information about the specific class hours, site, and classroom location. Notice of any change to the course location will be included in this letter and/or a subsequent confirmation letter. If a site location is not listed in your letter, that means ESI is still finalizing the site and will notify you as soon as the site is confirmed.

Our customer service representatives can update you on the status of your confirmation. Call ESI Customer Service at +1 (888) ESI-8884.

Yes. Our course counselors are available to help you determine a strategy for specific career training or the appropriate course sequence for a master's certificate. To speak to an ESI course counselor, call +1 (888) ESI-4680.

You can expect a course completion certificate from ESI, if you fulfill all course requirements, approximately three weeks after the class ends. Completion certificates for courses held outside the United States can be expected within five weeks of course completion. If you have not received a course completion certificate within that time, contact ESI Customer Service +1 (888) ESI-8884.

Yes. You can expect a course completion certificate from ESI if you fulfill all course requirements. Course requirements always include attendance and passing an exam or submitting a satisfactory project or report rather than an exam. E-training courses also earn in a printed completion certificate upon successful completion, with the exception of PMAppraise^TM. If you miss a class day, you must make that class time up to receive credit for the course and a course certificate.

Missed Class Sessions

Yes. ESI offers several discounted courses for federal employees under ESI's GSA Federal Supply Schedule

Public course discounts

You may qualify for a 10 percent discount on project management, IT project management, business analysis, or contract management courses if you:

• register at the same time for two or more classroom sessions
• register yourself and a friend at the same time for the same classroom session

ESI offers discounts for training and consulting services for government agencies and employees under ESI's GSA Federal Supply Schedules

Discounts do not apply toward past classes or e-Training courses. Discounts cannot be combined.

If you fail the exam in class, you may retake it up to two more times in a proctored environment or on exam day in another session of the same course. To arrange another exam, please contact your ESI Training Manager at +1 (703) 558-3000.

Most ESI courses contain a final exam. For courses with exams, ESI can provide the exam score and confirmation of course completion. For courses without final exams, ESI can provide confirmation of course completion and a pass/fail grade. Your instructor will grade your exam before you leave class. If you would like a transcript showing your training history, including course title, date and CEUs earned, contact the Office of Student Affairs at +1 (888)ESI-4681. You may also view your training history and grades by logging onto MyESI at http://www.esi-intl.com/public/MyESI/index.asp.

If you are seeking a transcript reflecting ACE credits for a college or university, you must obtain that transcript from the ACE Council on Education (ACE/CREDIT) College Credit Recommendation Service student registry. See the related Transcripts answer.

• Washington, DC area:

  ESI has negotiated rates for several hotels located near the Rosslyn Training Center and Ballston Training Center.

• Other Locations:

  ESI does not recommend specific hotels for those courses conducted at a hotel site. Rather,  ESI typically sets aside a limited number of guest rooms at a negotiated price for students at the hotel where the course is taught.

If you plan to stay at the hotel where the course is held, contact the hotel 30 days prior to the class start to receive the ESI rate. ESI will send a confirmation letter providing details about the hotel location, price and reservation information.

Below are links to Web sites where you may investigate hotels available across the United States, should you choose to stay at a hotel other than where the course is being held. ESI does not endorse or partner with these Web sites and is not responsible for the Web site content. Instead, these Web sites are offered as a resource.

• CitySearch.com
• Citytravelguide.com
• Fodors.com

• CitySearch.com
• Citytravelguide.com
• Fodors.com

By completing the Business Analysis Professional Development Program and earning your Professional Certificate in Business Analysis, you will become a Certified Business Analyst (CBA)*. This prestigious credential is awarded by ESI and demonstrates your commitment to professional excellence. You may use the CBA designation on your business cards, résumé and correspondence.

*Certification is provided by ESI (and any other future certifying party) solely to show that an individual has met the requirements of completing courses as described herein; no other representation or warranty is being certified.

ESI offers a variety of courses you can take to earn your master's certificate. Depending on your experience and knowledge base, there are some courses you may want to take first and others that you may want to take later in your course of study. The certificates below contain certain course recommendations that you may want to follow.

• Advanced Master's Certificate in Project Management
• Master's Certificate in Project Management
• Master's Certificate in Information Technology Project Management
• Master's Certificate in Program Management
• Master's Certificate in Government Contracting
• Master's Certificate in State and Local Government Contract Management (on-site only)

No. Courses cannot be applied to more than one master's or professional certificate.

ESI handles these requests on a case-by-case basis. Although you may not apply courses toward two certificates, it may be possible to transfer some courses from one certificate program to another. Call the Office of Student Affairs at +1 (888) ESI-4681.

Master's certificates are typically awarded on the last day of your final class in the certificate program. If you did not receive your master's certificate in class, please contact ESI Customer Service +1 (888) ESI-8884.

If you have missed a class day(s), you will automatically receive a letter from ESI after the course ends, outlining your options for making up the class time and the ESI staff contact for arranging the make-up day. You must make up any days you are absent to receive credit and a completion certificate for the course.

ESI accepts checks, credit cards, purchase orders and government training forms. Accepted credit cards include: American Express, Discover, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa. Checks should be made payable to ESI International. Purchase orders and government training forms should name ESI International as the vendor.

You may contact the ESI Accounting Department at receipts@esi-intl.com. Please indicate your complete information, including student name, company (if applicable), course name, course date and fax number if you make your request.

You may register for a course at any time; however, ESI must have full payment one month prior to your course start date in order to guarantee your seat.

Any student registration received within one month prior to the course start date will not be processed until ESI receives one of the following:

• Credit Card
• Signed purchase order
• Signed training form

If you register by phone within five weeks of the course start date, you must pay via credit card. You may also call ESI Customer Service at +1 (888) ESI-8884 to arrange to fax a valid purchase order to ESI.

To report your PDUs, you will need to submit a PMP^® Professional Development Activities Reporting Form directly.

PDU Information

Call ESI Customer Service at +1 (888) ESI-8884.

The American Council on Education (ACE) College Credit Recommendation Service evaluates adult education programs and decides whether they merit recommendations for college credits (not actual credits, but recommendations for credits) at the undergraduate level. Please remember that while ACE has indicated that selected ESI courses merit college-level credit recommendations, each college and university makes its own determination of the amount of transfer credit it will accept, based on its specific requirements, including applicability of the subject matter to the area of study.

Students must join the ACE registry to receive a transcript showing ACE college credit recommendations. ACE has recommended college-level credit for ESI's core Project Management, core Information Technology Project Management, Procurement, and core e-Training courses. ACE information sheets, which include a list of all ESI courses that have been evaluated by ACE and the corresponding college credit recommendation for each course, are provided with the course materials, and may also be obtained from the Office of Student Affairs or on our website. To receive ACE credit recommendations for ESI courses attended, students must first register at ACE's registration site at https://www.acenet.edu/transcripts/register/.

For more information or further assistance, students should contact the Office of Student Affairs at 703-558-3168 or 888-ESI-7681.

Most ESI courses contain a final exam. For courses with exams, ESI can provide the exam score and confirmation of course completion. For courses without final exams, ESI can provide confirmation of course completion and a pass/fail grade. Your instructor will grade your exam before you leave class. If you would like a transcript showing your training history, including course title, date and CEUs earned, contact the Office of Student Affairs at +1 (888)ESI-4681. You may also view your training history and grades by logging onto MyESI at http://www.esi-intl.com/public/MyESI/index.asp.

The only other available transcript option would be to join the ACE student registry and receive an official transcript from ACE reflecting ACE's college credit recommendations for the student's ESI training. (Please note that this transcript will not be from The George Washington University.) However, before joining the ACE Registry, it is suggested that the student take the ACE information sheet showing the list of ACE college credit recommended courses to his or her college advisor to discuss the relevance of his ESI training to the degree program he is pursuing. If his college or university is unfamiliar with ACE/CREDIT, he may call ACE's Advocacy Program at (202) 939-9476. A member of the ACE staff will be happy to address any questions a school official may have regarding the program. Questions may also be addressed to the Office of Student Affairs at 703-558-3168 or 888-ESI-4681.