Is CMI a recognised qualification?
Is CMI a recognised qualification? This is a simple question that anyone can ask. When you see a course like our CMI Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership, it can be hard to gather what that means. The question we’re going to be looking at in this post is what the “CMI” means and what sort of qualification you come out of the course with.
It’s not a type of qualification – in this case, the qualification is a Level 7 Diploma. I’ve already written about what a level 7 qualification is, so if you’re unsure about that, go back and have a read of that. The CMI here stands for “Chartered Management Institute” – a recognised organisation that represents managers. College of Contract Management in the United Kingdom is a leading course provider worldwide. You can learn more about us at our website.
What does it mean?
It is, however, still very significant that the CCM list ‘CMI’ as part of the qualification name. What that means is that this is an award the CMI have not only recognised as good quality, but that they actually issue the award themselves. We here at the College deliver the actual content. This makes us an Approved Study Centre for the CMI (for a full list of them see their website) – although note that many organisations will use different terminology to describe the same relationship.
This provides a real assurance that not only is the course of excellent quality but that it fits exactly with what the CMI is looking for from its members. The fact that the content aligns with the competencies expected by a leading membership body guarantees that you will cover the areas that are the CMI considers important. A course that so closely aligns with such a body will also often put you on the path to becoming a member of that body yourself as well, which in many industries can make a substantial difference.
It also means that – coming back to the original question – while the letters CMI might not actually be what the qualification is called, they do serve to mark out a qualification that will be widely recognised from one that might not. Being able to show that you possess a qualification recognised by the CMI is a great way of differentiating yourself from others who might possess something similar but not quite equal.
The CMI Recognised Course
Something very similar, although not quite so emphatic, is course accreditation. This is where a recognised body (one like the CMI) will examine the recognised course content. They will then confirm that it conforms to their professional standards. This provides a substantial reassurance that the course content is high-quality and aligned with the expectations of the body. Undertaking an accredited CMI recognised course then becomes extremely valuable, and once again, for some bodies it can even provide a path into membership.
RQF Qualification
All of this is different from the actual qualification itself. The same body may issue or accredit many different courses that have very different content and structure. The type of qualification depends on how it is constructed under the RQF, or Regulated Qualification Framework. This is the structure that guides the creation of courses and governs what level award they provide you. Formerly, the QCF used to fill this role, but this has since been phased out. As of 2017, RQF should have replaced all QCF courses.
The RQF provides a consistent framework for UK recognised qualifications. Although, note that qualifications elsewhere in the world may not necessarily follow it. However, the European Qualification Framework (or EQF) does provide a scheme to find equivalents in European qualifications.
Nature of the CMI
The fact that this is totally separate to accreditation by a body like the CMI means that a CMI recognised qualification of any level can theoretically be accredited. However, in reality, most accredited qualifications will be at least graduate level. This is because membership to such bodies needs quite a high level of expertise. Indeed, part of the point of such bodies is to be a group of highly skilled professionals. Therefore, accrediting or issuing a course which does not uphold those high-quality skills would run counter to their purpose.
Where “CMI” is recognised is that members of such organisations are often able to add letters after their name. This is known as a postnominal. So, for example, if I were a member of the CMI, I could call myself Chris Munns MCMI. Higher levels of membership often have slightly different postnominals – for example, a Fellow of the CMI can call themselves FCMI. As such, if you see anyone talking about being “CMI qualified” or something similar, this may be what they mean. Alternatively, they may mean that they have taken a CMI recognised course such as accredited or issued by the CMI.
Study for your CMI Level 7 Diploma Live Online
Our CMI Level 7 Diploma is your ticket to having a master’s degree level qualification. This CMI recognised qualification teaches the skills you need to be a superb leader. We deliver our courses through live online lectures, so you can ask questions as you would in a classroom. You’ll receive your tuition from an experienced and qualified expert in Strategic Management and Leadership. Learning live online means that you can receive a quality British education from wherever you are in the world. We design our schedules to fit around working hours so you can keep working full-time. We even record the lectures so that you can catch up or revise at any time, all from the comfort of your own home.
The course is worth a minimum of 39 credits. You’ll choose what you want to learn from a large selection of modules. All the modules will teach you how to manage a team, lead strategically and achieve your business goals. Modules such as ‘Financial Management’, ‘Developing a Marketing Strategy’ and ‘Strategic Human Resource Planning’ can further your expertise in your area of interest.
Benefits
- Develop as a professional and a leader.
- Learn how to analyse and develop strategies.
- Have a Masters-level qualification on your CV from the Chartered Management Institute.
- Have Affiliate Membership of the CMI while you study.
- Qualify to apply to become a CMgr MCIMI.
- Improve your employability in managerial roles.
- Boost your earning potential.
- Prove your commitment to professional development and capability in strategic management to your current or future employers.
- All credits earned are transferable to other university or college programmes within a similar discipline.
- Qualify to later progress to a Master of Business Administration (MBA).
- Reap the financial and career rewards that come as a result of implementing your new strategic management skills to your business
Time Period and Flexible Payment Options
The CMI Level 7 Diploma course takes 8 – 12 months to complete, but it is possible to achieve your diploma faster. You can pay in full or via a monthly direct debit. Delivering our courses online allows us to charge you less. This is because we don’t need to pay for the upkeep of staffing of a large campus as other colleges do.
Hopefully, this has cleared up any confusion as to what kind of recognised qualifications you can expect from something with “CMI” in the title. If you have any further questions, please contact the College of Contract Management on jeya@theccm.co.uk