Insurance Qualification Programmes

Programmes

Insurance education to suit each stage of your career path, designed to help develop the skills you need both now and into the future.

Professional Qualifications

Entry Level

Certificate in Insurance Product Advice (APA)

Entry-level qualification on our framework that gives you the foundations to build a successful career in insurance.

  • Award: Certificate in Insurance Product Advice
  • Designation: APA
  • Modules: 3
  • Semesters Start: February, June and September (Exam Dates)
  • Semester Duration: 12 weeks
  • Delivery: Online
€360 Per module + membership fee
Intermediate Level

Certificate in Insurance Practice (CIP)

If you already hold an APA, the CIP is the next move to advance your career, broadening your product knowledge and career mobility.

  • Award: Certificate in Insurance Practice
  • Designation: CIP
  • Modules: 5
  • Semesters Start: February, June and September (Exam Dates)
  • Semester Duration: 12 weeks
  • Delivery: Online                                                              
€360 Per module + membership fee
Advanced Level

Higher Diploma in Insurance Management (MDI)

The advanced, professional qualification aims to enhance technical knowledge and develop key management skills.

  • Award: Higher Diploma in Insurance Management
  • Designation: MDI
  • Modules: 5
  • Semester Start: June and December (Exam Dates)
  • Semester Duration: 18 or 21 weeks
  • Delivery: Online                                                                
€585 Per module + membership fee
text

Exemptions

Have you completed a business or insurance qualification? You may be entitled to an exemption from one of our insurance programmes.

Career Pathway

To support members build rewarding careers the Institute has developed a career pathway to provide the relevant learning for each stage of a members career.  

Qualification Career Pathway
  1.  
    Step 1

    Certificate in Insurance Product Advice (APA)

    The entry-level qualification that helps you learn more about insurance and gives you the foundation to build a successful career in insurance.

  2.  
    Step 2

    Certificate in Insurance Practice (CIP)

    If you already hold an APA, the CIP designation will equip you to do more and grow your career by broadening your product and industry knowledge.

  3.  
    Step 3

    Higher Diploma in Insurance Management (MDI)

    Grow in confidence with our advanced, professional qualification that helps you achieve more, by enhancing your technical insurance knowledge and developing key management skills, such as critical thinking, report writing, researching and problem-solving.

Specialty Programmes

Insurance Practitioner Apprenticeship

A three-year, work-based training programme that combines academics with on-the-job learning.

  • Award: BA (Hons) in Insurance Practice
  • Duration: 3-years
  • Semester start: September
  • Delivery: Work-based learning, Blended
Learn more

Certificate in Climate Risk

Explore key climate change concepts and gain insights from leading climate risk experts in this specially designed 13-week course.

  • Award: Certificate in Climate Risk
  • Duration: 13-weeks
  • Semester Start: September
  • Delivery: Online
Learn more

Certified Insurance Director

Specifically designed to safeguard strong leadership and sound judgement at the board level.

  • Award: Certified Insurance Director
  • Duration: 10 days over 4-months
  • Semester Starts: September
  • Delivery: Face-to-face
Learn more

Micro-credentials

Motor Specialist

The comprehensive MDI–04 Motor Insurance Module provides the essential knowledge needed to navigate the Irish motor insurance market, with a particular focus on the consumer.

  • Award: Motor Specialist Digital Badge
  • Duration: 21 weeks
  • Delivery: Online
Learn more

Liability Specialist

The comprehensive MDI-05 Liability Insurance Module provides in-depth knowledge of the world of liability including risk management, underwriting and claims.

  • Award: Liability Specialist Digital Badge
  • Duration: 21 weeks
  • Delivery: Online 
Learn more

Property and Business Interruption Specialist

The comprehensive MDI-06 module provides the essential knowledge needed to navigate the world of how property insurance and business interruption claims are handled.

 

  • Award: Property and BI Specialist Digital Badge
  • Duration: 21 weeks
  • Delivery: Online
Learn more

Affiliate Programmes

Life & Pensions

Increase your career mobility by becoming qualified in both life and general insurance.

Learn more

Certified Diploma in Loss Adjusting

Awarded to those in the loss adjusting and loss assessment profession who have completed the CIP programme.

Learn more

ACII to FCII

Thinking of earning a qualification from the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII)? We're here to help along the way.

Learn more
As a first time student with The Institute, I wanted to say thank you. The webinars were excellent and the lecturer made the content very easy to understand with real life examples to put things into context. ‒ APA Student
By breaking the modules down into several mini milestones, I was able to build my semester around these, and gain a constant sense of achievement every time I completed something. This helped keep me motivated as I could see and feel my progress. ‒ MDI Student
Having completed a number of financial services courses in the past, I can honestly say that I found my recent experience of the CIP to be by far the best. The information in the text books was well presented, the online resources were engaging and helpful and doing the exam online was stress free. ‒ CIP Student

80% pass-rate across all programmes
2,000+ students enrolled every year
85% of students would recommend our programmes to others

Exams

Our qualifications involve a range of assessment methods, which vary depending on their academic level and subject matter.

Key semester dates

Find key dates for your diary – everything from when applications open and close, the dates and times of exams and assignment submissions and when results will be released.

Find key dates

Get exam day ready

Before registering for an exam, read our exam preparation list to ensure you are aware of what you need to do before, during and after your exam.

View exam preparation list
Exam Information
Learn more about Membership

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The Certificate in Insurance Product Advice (APA) requires the completion of 2 core modules and 1 product module. Each module consists of a 100-question multiple-choice exam.

    The Certificate in Insurance Practice (CIP) is designed for APA holders. It requires the further completion of 1 product module and 2 process modules. The product module assessment is a 100-question multiple-choice exam. The process modules assessment is a 2-hour written exam and a multiple-choice mid-semester assessment worth 10% of the final grade.

    The Higher Diploma in Insurance Management is designed for those that hold a CIP for 3 years or hold a Level 7 qualification and have worked in the insurance industry for several years. It requires the completion of 5 programme modules (2 Core + 1 Diploma + 2 Advanced Diploma). The modules are graded using a continuous assessment method comprised of written assignments, MCQ exams and problem-based exam questions.

  • Qualification
    A qualification is an academic award conferred by an educational body e.g. the Certificate in Insurance Practice is awarded by Atlantic Technological University Sligo. Holders of an academic qualification have successfully completed a particular course of study, but this does not automatically mean that they are competent to practice a trade or profession – that's where the designation comes in.

    Designation
    The term "designation" refers to the letters used after one's name upon successful completion of a qualification, indicating a compliant and knowledgeable professional - it is your licence to trade. Designations can be removed if certain conditions, like maintaining membership and meeting CPD requirements, are not met. The Central Bank of Ireland's Minimum Competency Code 2017 outlines recognised Insurance designations and the regulatory CPD requirements for maintaining compliance. 

  • The Insurance Institute provides professional qualifications recognised at Levels 7 and 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) and works in partnership with Atlantic Technological University Sligo our accreditation partner, to do so.

  • Member Services Team

    Available 9:00am-5:00pm, 5 days a week and can answer any membership or programme related questions you have. They can be reached at memberservices@iii.ie, on 01-6456670 or by visiting the Contact us page.

    Member Area

    A dedicated online area where you can avail of study supports, CPD eLearning and other exclusive resources to help your career development.

    Education Team

    Access to the subject matter expert responsible for your module, who can answer any queries you have about your studies.

  • Our core qualification semesters start at various points throughout the year.

    APA & CIP: Semesters start in February, June and September

    Higher Diploma: Semesters start in June & December

    For all other programmes, please contact our Member Services team for more information.

Still have questions?

Can't find the answer you're looking for? Please chat with our friendly team.

Contact us
Back to top
© Copyright 2024 by The Insurance Institute of Ireland