⸻ ACCREDITATION ROADMAP

Pursuing Dual Accreditation — PMI ATP and AACE AEP.

MRC Academy is preparing dual accreditation applications with the Project Management Institute and AACE International. Applications are planned for submission in late 2026, with approval targeted for 2027. Until then, learners earn MRC-issued certificates.

⸻ WHY DUAL ACCREDITATION

Two recognitions. Two disciplines. One curriculum.

Earned value management sits at the intersection of project management and cost engineering. Most EVMS training providers pursue accreditation in one discipline or the other — rarely both.
MRC Academy is pursuing dual accreditation deliberately, because the practitioners who do this work meaningfully draw their credentials from both fields.

   PMI ATP

PMI Authorized Training Partner

The Project Management Institute's Authorized Training Partner program recognizes organizations whose training meets PMI's standards for project management education. Approved providers can deliver eligible training that may support PMI Professional Development Unit (PDU) reporting, subject to PMI requirements — relevant for PMP®, PgMP®, PMI-SP®, and other PMI credential holders maintaining their certifications.
What this means for your team: Once MRC Academy is approved, eligible course completions may be reported as PDUs by your CAMs, PMs, and Project Controls staff who hold active PMI credentials, subject to PMI requirements.

    AACE AEP

AACE International Approved Education Provider

AACE International's Approved Education Provider program recognizes training providers whose content qualifies for AACE Continuing Education Units (CEUs) toward AACE certifications — including Certified Cost Professional (CCP), Earned Value Professional (EVP), Certified Estimating Professional (CEP), Planning & Scheduling Professional (PSP), and others.
What this means for your team: Once AACE AEP approval is granted, eligible course completions may support AACE continuing education credit / CEUs for cost engineering and project controls professionals maintaining AACE certifications, subject to AACE requirements.

⸻ ROADMAP STATUS

Where we are on the roadmap.

Four phases. The first two are behind us or underway.  Application submission and approval are ahead.

⸻ WHAT LEARNERS EARN — TODAY & AFTER APPROVAL

Credentials evolve as the roadmap progresses.

Current Credentials

TODAY
   MRC Certificate of Completion
Awarded for individual module completion. Documents that the learner has completed the module’s content.
   MRC-issued EVMS Practitioner Certificate
Awarded to learners who complete the Phase 1 Bundle (all six Application Series modules at both Levels 1 and 2) and meet assessment requirements through graded module quizzes and knowledge checks.
Both are MRC-issued curriculum certificates. They are not PMI credentials, AACE certifications, DOE certifications, or third-party accreditations.

Additional Credentials Available

After Approval · Targeted 2027
   PMI Professional Development Units (PDUs)
Once PMI ATP approval is granted, eligible course completions will support PDU reporting for learners maintaining PMP®, PgMP®, PMI-SP®, and other PMI credentials.
   AACE Continuing Education Credit
Once AACE AEP approval is granted, eligible course completions will support continuing education credit for learners maintaining CCP, EVP, CEP, PSP, and other AACE certifications.
MRC certificates continue. PMI and AACE recognition will be additive to MRC’s existing certificates — not replacements.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Questions sharp buyers ask about the roadmap.

Why is MRC Academy pursuing both PMI ATP and AACE AEP rather than just one?

EVMS practitioners come from both the project management and cost engineering disciplines. A CAM may hold a PMP, an EVP, or both — and may need to maintain either credential while doing the same job. Pursuing dual accreditation makes MRC Academy useful to both communities without forcing learners to choose which credential path their training supports.

What happens if one accreditation is approved before the other?

Because the two applications are pursued in parallel and independently, approval timing is also independent. If one approval lands ahead of the other, MRC Academy will begin supporting PDU reporting or AACE continuing education credit / CEUs for that program at that time, subject to the program's requirements. MRC-issued certificates remain available throughout.

What happens if an accreditation application is delayed or denied?

If either application requires resubmission, additional curriculum work, or a longer review cycle, we will communicate the updated timeline transparently. MRC's curriculum quality, assessment design, and certificate program are independent of external accreditation — meaning learners continue to earn meaningful credentials regardless.

Do the MRC-issued certificates have value before accreditation is granted? 

Yes. The MRC-issued EVMS Practitioner Certificate documents completion of a rigorous, assessment-gated learning pathway designed by practitioners with deep DOE national laboratory experience. It is a curriculum credential awarded by Manta Ray Consulting — not a third-party validation. Many institutional buyers value MRC's internal credentialing as evidence of capability while external accreditation is in progress.

Will the curriculum change once accreditation is granted?

The curriculum is being built to align with PMI ATP and AACE AEP eligibility expectations from the outset. Approval may introduce minor administrative adjustments (assessment documentation, reporting formats), but learners completing modules today are encountering content structured for that eligibility alignment.