What is a Facilities Management Professional Certification?
A Facility Management Professional (FMP), like a Sustainability Facility Professional (SFP) or a Certified Facility Manager (CFM), must complete a training and examination course designed to teach and verify their knowledge before receiving certification. An FMP certificate serves as the foundation for future facility management professional certification and provides the most comprehensive understanding of facility ideas.
Benefits of FMP Certification?
While certification is not usually required for a profession in facilities management, there are some advantages to doing so. As a facilities manager, you may deal with a wide spectrum of people in a variety of departments and corporate environments, including government and real estate. As a result, certifications offer you a broader knowledge foundation that can help you succeed in your work. It also aids in keeping you up to date on industry trends, patterns, and requirements. Some people may prefer qualified facilities managers, thus possessing a certification may help you more.Â
In the coworking or hybrid office context, facilities management is a great way to truly understand and learn how to operate your space, or to set the standard for the person you will be hiring to operate your space.Â
From an employment standpoint, there are many reasons to pursue FMP certification—whether you’re just starting out in the field or are keeping up with the industry as it evolves.Â
Some of the top reasons to consider FMP certification include:Â
- Better fundamental understanding of core facility conceptsÂ
- Professionals gain more confidence in their job performanceÂ
- Continuing education demands keep FMPs attuned to industry best practicesÂ
- FMP certification (and other accreditations) stands out on résumésÂ
- FMPs can command a higher salary due to their formalized educationÂ
- Certification opens the door to upward mobility, including higher accreditationsÂ
FMP certification, at its core, is a form of professional development, which means career advancement in every conceivable way. Whether it’s unlocking upward mobility and higher pay or bringing a new level of success to their current position, FMPs represent an upper echelon of facility professionals.
Where and how can you get an FMP Certification?
If you’re interested in facilities management certification, consider these three steps:
1. Get a bachelor's degree
Before you can pursue a facilities manager certification, it’s often necessary to earn a bachelor’s degree in a field related to your specialization. Though facilities managers have diverse job responsibilities, there are focus areas that encompass most of their work. Some facilities managers work more on management-related tasks, while others work closely with sales departments or safety standards. Consider a degree that can help prepare you for your chosen focus.Â
Some degree programs that may be helpful toward your facilities management career include:Â
- Business administrationÂ
- AccountingÂ
- Information systems managementÂ
- Operations management
2. Consider training modules
The training you receive to become a facility manager also depends on your area of specialization. There are many institutions that provide courses on different aspects of facilities management. These include general issues, business stability and current metrics. Depending on your current knowledge, industry entities, such as the International Facilities Management Association (IFMA) and similar organizations, offer continuing education programs. The IFMA has over 50 training modules for aspiring facility managers. Depending on what certification you plan on pursuing, you may need to take part in more than one training module.
3. Select a certification type
There are many certifications you can earn. Focus areas include sustainability within the workplace, becoming an overall management facilitator or efficiency processes. Here are some facility manager certifications you can choose from:
1. The Certified Facility Manager Credential
The Certified Facility Manager Credential is one of the most well-known certification programs in the industry. Earning this certification allows professionals to bring well-rounded, industry-standard experiences to facility manager positions. In this program, participants assess candidates’ competency in the field through work experience and coursework. The program ends with a comprehensive exam, which reviews 11 core facility management competencies. These include federal law, general management techniques and risk management. After completing this certification, you receive both physical and digital evidence of your accomplishment, and you have the option to use digital badges to represent your certification on job forums.Â
When pursuing this certification, consider becoming a member of the IFMA. All association members pay a significantly reduced fee to take the exam—$550 as opposed to the nonmember fee of $815. There are also several prerequisites, including at least three years of professional experience, a formal degree and ethics training.
2. The Facility Management Professional Certificate Program
The Facility Management Professional Certificate Program, also offered by the IFMA, is a highly academic program for aspiring facilities managers who want to improve their knowledge of facilities-related topics. Getting this certificate can give you credibility among both employers and peers. It shows you have extensive, up-to-date facilities knowledge that you can apply to a range of issues and improvement tactics. Participants in other programs, such as safety engineering, architecture or other related industries, can use this certificate to show their skills can apply to facilities management responsibilities.Â
The IFMA designed the Facility Management Professional Certificate Program so both novice and experienced facilities professionals can benefit from it, and they can review and learn core management concepts. There are no prerequisites to join the program. Fees for the program depend on professional background, IFMA membership and copy status. They range between $515 and $1,850.
3. The Sustainability Facility Professional Certificate Program
The Sustainability Facility Professional Certificate Program is another IFMA certification that focuses on maintaining sustainability within a work environment. Earning this credential allows facilities professionals to showcase their expertise in building sustainable management tactics and practices. These managers affect their organization’s environmental, social and economic well-being and continuously plan to improve metrics in these areas.Â
Study materials and other products for the program vary depending on your IFMA membership status. Pricing for materials and testing privileges ranges from $695 to $2,095. The entire course preparation product kit includes preparatory books, online courses and options for receiving physical study material upon request.
