Due to Foster School of Business and The HUB requirements, we’ve needed a formal way to track members for audit, sustainability, and official RSO purposes. Since we’ve grown so quickly, there’s been a myriad of interest forms, check-in forms, and ways to keep track of who has been attending. The decision to move to an application process for our membership is twofold. So that the PMA executive team can get to know each member better by looking at their background, interests, and vision for how to make the PMA better. As PMA’s first mission is to create a community of students interested in PM careers and internships, we want to guarantee that the PMA can provide experiences and opportunities that work best for the community and members. To ensure members are dedicated and will contribute to the PMA in creating a welcoming, collaborative, and prosperous community. We take pride in offering guest speakers and professional growth opportunities to as many members as possible through our open events. Still, for the long-term success of the PMA, we decided to change to this new model. For the longevity of our organization, we want to benefit those who rise and want to be active members of the community.

Short answer: No. Long answer: Our application process is not a selective screening. True to our mission, we strive to create a community around students interested in or considering careers in product, program, and project management. We don't believe that communities are created by selecting who is in and who isn't. We believe that communities should be created by those passionate by a common belief. Anyone who fills out our application and provides a meaningful answer to Why PMA? and pays the membership fee will be accepted.

The backbone of the PMA’s events and success are the guest speakers who host them. These working professionals volunteer their time to create slides and presentation materials, drive to UW after work, pay for parking, and present to an audience of 80+. We’re extremely appreciative of these industry professionals for their valuable time and the sacrifices they make in their busy schedules to spend time with us. The membership fee is to help cover the cost of thank you cards, water, and thank you gifts as a form of appreciation and gratitude to them. Additionally, we are always striving to make PMA events better each week. We have some amazing events planned on their horizon, which would not be possible without financial backing.

We never want finances to be a barrier to those interested in joining the PMA. If you have a financial concern, please email uwpmassociation@gmail.com to speak to our exec team for accommodation.