Earning Criteria

• Master Certified Technical Specialists achieve Certification by successfully completing interviews by three Level 2 or Level 3 Certified Technical Specialists, based upon a comprehensive package of information describing project and other experiences. The criteria used to decide on certification include mastery of all of the Skills mentioned above, as well as the requirement for repeated leadership of successful project engagements.
• Master Certified Technical Specialists have had at least 36 months of Full Time Equivalent lead experience, with accountability for the technical aspects within their Specialty.
• Master Certified Technical Specialists have performed as a Leader of their Technical Specialty in at least three major client engagements or development, implementation, and/or management of major projects or subsystems.
• Master Certified Technical Specialists have performed as a Technical Specialist in at least three successful solution/engagements in which their artifacts were used or otherwise met their acceptance criteria.
• Master Certified Technical Specialists  have worked with two or more types of technology/technique and two or more types of architecture, and must have solved a variety of different business problems.
• Master Certified Technical Specialists must have completed formal training in Project Management either through attendance at a taught course, or through self-study.
• Master Certified Technical Specialists must maintain their knowledge of the technology, trends, and techniques in the IT industry, and must undergo 40 hours per year of training, at a taught course or through self study, related to their Specialty.
• Master Certified Technical Specialists must make contributions to the profession through, for example, mentoring, publications, teaching, research collaboration, or participation in professional organizations.
• Candidates must already hold valid Open CTS Level 2 Professional Communication and  Professional Development Milestone Badges plus three Level 2 Experience Profile Milestone Badges, at least two of which must be in this Specialty.