Qualifications to launch your career
The educational route is the most popular way to become a member of the CIPD. It will help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to launch your professional career.
Our network of education centres offers a range of full-time, part-time and/or flexible learning courses. Our qualifications are designed to suit everyone, from those with little experience to those in more senior positions.
Our Professional Standards govern entry to CIPD membership and form the basis of all our qualifications. They act as a benchmark for the profession. They define levels of knowledge and competence you need to demonstrate when operating in a support role, practitioner or at an advanced level.
Our qualifications
Support-level qualifications
These are aimed at those who want to build and develop their career in personnel and development. Successful completion of a support-level qualification will lead to Associate membership. Our support-level qualifications include:
Transitional programme
The recently launched Certificate in Business Awareness and Advanced Professional Study (CBAAPS) will introduce you to the wide range of business skills needed in today's competitive environment. It enables you to make the transition from a certificate, or non-relevant degree programme onto a postgraduate programme, specifically the CIPD Professional Development Scheme (PDS). Your membership will not be upgraded on completion of this qualification but you will be eligible to progress to the PDS, which leads to Graduate membership.
Practitioner-level qualification
The Professional Development Scheme (PDS) is the educational programme based on our practitioner-level Standards. It is aimed at those seeking to advance their managerial career in personnel and development.
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