CIP Program
About the Program

The CIP Program is the property/casualty insurance industry's professional education program. It is designed to equip each graduating student with a solid level of technical expertise and it is recognized throughout Canada and internationally. Every candidate writes the same qualifying examinations on the same day and under the same conditions.

The program has been designed and the content of the courses has been determined by committees of working insurance people. It is, therefore, the industry's own standard. Insurance people from the various sectors of the industry have written the text material.

Effective September 2004, the curriculum will require students to complete 10 courses to graduate (5 mandatory, 3 applied professional, and 2 elective).

The CIP Program has been enhanced with new texts and teaching aids, but the 9 applied professional courses, of which any 3 are required, represent the greatest advancement. These applied professional courses will be offered at 3 levels of study, in each of 3 categories: agent & broker, underwriter and
loss adjuster.

Students may fulfill their 3 applied professional subject requirements by taking courses at any level within any stream. It is, however, our strong recommendation that subjects be selected according to an individual's future career goals and job requirements. Students currently enrolled are being individually contacted with regard to the courses they must complete to graduate under the new program.

THE COURSES

Mandatory & Elective Courses
Mandatory courses will continue to concentrate on essential insurance knowledge including: Principles & Practice of Insurance, the Business of Insurance, Automobile, Property and Liability.

Elective courses will concentrate on specialized aspects of insurance and a wide choice will still be offered.

Applied Professional Courses
These 9 courses are at the heart of our program enhancement. They will give students an opportunity to shape their learning according to their interests and career goals.

Applied Professional courses will focus on the three, key, career directions within the industry: Agent/Broker, Underwriter or Loss Adjuster. Within each area there are three course levels: essential, advanced and management.

*Please refer to the 2006 - 2007 Syllabus for course availability, or contact your local Institute/Chapter.

Note: Students may fulfill their subject requirements by taking courses at any level within any stream. It is, however, our strong recommendation that subjects be selected according to an individual's future career goals.

Completion

Provided you have been fully employed in the insurance industry for at least one year, your name will be submitted to the Board of Governors for election as a Chartered Insurance Professional of The Insurance Institute of Canada. This will entitle you to use the designation CIP for as long as you maintain paid membership in your local Institute and the CIP Society.

Students who successfully complete the CIP Program should consider furthering their education in the Fellowship program. The CIP Program must be completed before Fellowship courses are started.

Becoming a Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP)

So how exactly do you become a Chartered Insurance Professional? Although the CIP Program itself is challenging, the steps required to earn the insurance industry’s leading qualification are straightforward:
 

1.	You must become, and remain, a member of your local insurance institute (see the inside front cover of the syllabus). You can apply for membership when you register for your first course. Or, you can complete your membership form on-line here.
2.	Meet the academic requirements of the CIP Program by completing 10 courses as described in this syllabus.
3.	Fulfill the experience requirement of at least one year of full-time employment in the insurance industry. If you are unsure whether you meet this experience requirement, you may request clarification by submitting a detailed work history to the Registrar before enrolling in the program.
4.	Once you have completed steps 1, 2, and 3, and provided you have not breached the Institute’s Code of Ethics, your name will be submitted to the Board of Governors for election as a Chartered Insurance Professional. The Board normally meets once every year, in October.
5.	Your local insurance institute will be advised of your success and will notify you of the time and location of the convocation ceremony at which you will be presented your diploma. Prizewinners will also receive their awards at these ceremonies.
6.	Upon election as a Chartered Insurance Professional, you will automatically become a member of the Institute’s graduate community, the CIP Society. Your membership in the Society will be without charge until you renew your institute membership the following May.

You will be entitled to use the professional designation CIP for as long as you maintain paid membership in your local institute and the CIP Society. Please see page 34 of the syllabus for the exciting and extensive menu of CIP Society benefits.

Prizes

Prizes are awarded based on the results of the examinations.

All awards are at the discretion of the Board of Governors, which reserves the right to withhold any prize.

For a current list of our Awards and Prizes, please consult our current CIP Program Syllabus.