CDE® Certification

Personal awareness, authentic leadership, and the ability to manage critical vulnerabilities are essential traits for influential 21st-century leaders. The CDE® is self-aware and committed to lifelong learning, which enables them to lead with empathy.

As organizations look to the future, improving one’s approach to the bottom line encompasses multiple components of sustainability. Also, leaders can effectively secure stakeholder buy-in and resources by understanding DEIA's business case.

Leadership in the DEIA space is complex, especially in large organizations. Mastering this competency allows executives to develop formal frameworks that advance DEIA work while navigating competing dynamics and priorities.

Understanding the unique needs of a diverse workforce helps executives correct practices that prevent inclusive recruitment and retention strategies. The CDE® helps create a pipeline of future leaders and ensures equitable opportunities for all.

An inclusive environment is intentionally designed, nurtured, and supported. DEIA leaders learn to operate a best-in-class effort that fosters equity, defines inclusive excellence, and achieves a discrimination- and harassment-free work environment.

Diversity leaders are challenged to confront age old assumptions about unconscious bias. This competency identifies implicit associations that lead to discrimination, inequality, and exclusion and presents effective techniques to overcome stereotypes and biases.

Constructing a quality board is about the caliber and perspective of individual directors and a group dynamic that allows for effective execution of strategic organizational oversight. Designed to ensure a pipeline of diverse board candidates, this competency helps improve policies and decision-making at the board level.

Small business owners have the potential to be the lifeblood of the economy. An inclusive supply chain strategy that supports minority- and women-owned businesses may solve mission-critical problems and contribute to local economic development.

Global business activity continues to bridge international cultures. DEIA leaders understand the challenges of cultural integration and how to overcome them, positioning them to counsel leadership about potential problems and opportunities.

DEIA leaders play a critical role in driving innovation at their organizations. Fostering a culture of inclusion and diversity of thought can lead to the development of new and innovative products, services, and processes.

Diversity should benefit all people, not just marginalized groups. This competency presents alternatives to an outdated social and power construct in the workplace and encourages all parties to engage in a culture that is becoming increasingly diverse.

Creating a culture that values and advances DEIA starts at the top. The CDE® learns to identify and cultivate executive sponsors, or senior leadership, who help advocate for inclusive initiatives and remove barriers to change.

Diversity leaders align their work with the organization's strategy by identifying the key areas where DEIA can have the biggest impact on success. They also partner with other internal departments and teams, as well as external enterprises that can help extend the organization's reach and impact.

Demographic shifts have a major impact on the workforce and marketplace. Diversity leaders analyze demographic data to develop effective DEIA strategies for service delivery, talent management, marketing, communications, competitive positioning, and more.

DEIA leaders need to be prepared to adapt their strategies to meet the needs of the changing workforce and marketplace. This competency helps leaders evaluate how DEIA efforts have evolved and prepares the organization to adopt forward-thinking practices and strategies.

Collecting data or sharing research reports is not enough. DEIA executives must provide insight into how the data will impact the organization now and in the future. Beyond assumptions or opinions, data allows the organization to benchmark its people, policies, and practices against competitors and other best-in-class enterprises.

Certification and Membership are separate programs. 

• You have the option of adding on Membership for a discounted rate when registering for Certification.

Renewing your Membership does not renew your Certification, and recertification does not include an annual Membership. 

• Recertification occurs every three (3) years.
• Membership renews annually.

Candidate and Designee access to CourseNetworking (thecn.com) automatically expires on the last day of the month that you are scheduled to complete your certification (1 year) or are scheduled to recertify (3 years).

To ensure uninterrupted access, make sure to schedule your exam, submit your Candidate Project, pay any fee, and/or upload your 60 CEUs before the expiration date.

• Certification example: If your certification year ends August 31, 2025, the assessment (both the Candidates Project and exam) is due by August 30, 2025.
• Recertification example: If you are scheduled to recertify on August 31, 2024, your recertification fee must be paid and 60 CEUs uploaded for review by August 30th. 

If your Certification timeframe expires, a $350 Exam Change Fee is due prior to account reactivation.

Recertifying Designees receive 90-, 60-, and 30-day email reminders directly from the CN when your recertification month is approaching. If your certification lapses more than one year, there is a $250 recertification fee due along with a new Candidate Project.

Effective February 12, 2025, no refunds will be provided for any reason, including for the exam, prep course, study guide, recertification fee, and/or membership fee.

Candidates may withdraw from the program, make a substitution, or defer enrollment. If a Candidate elects to reschedule or make a substitution in the same calendar year (January 1st through December 31st), there will be no fee. If a substitution is made in a subsequent calendar year, a $350 exam change fee applies.

Candidates enrolled in the 8-week Online Program may change to the 3-day Academy for free in weeks one (1) through four (4). After the fourth week, a Class Change Fee of $350 will be assessed.

IDC offers year-round testing. Candidates may take the knowledge exam or submit the Candidate Project at any time. If necessary, a Candidate may reschedule their knowledge-based examination at any time.

There is no fee to reschedule the examination more than 48 hours in advance of the test. Changes within 48 hours of your test is considered a late cancellation.

Candidates must contact the specific testing center to change their examination date.

Any changes not made within 48 hours of the knowledge exam appointment are considered a late cancellation and will require a $350 examination change fee. There are no exceptions to this late cancellation policy. Pay the exam change fee.

Candidates who fail the CDP® or CDE® examination and/or Candidate Project are eligible to retake the assessments. Candidates must wait 28 calendar days (approximately 4 weeks). Each Candidate can only take each portion of the assessment a maximum of three (3) times in one calendar year. A candidate is eligible for two exam or Candidate Project retests per calendar year. The knowledge exam retest fee is $617 per sitting. Pay the fee.

An administrative fee of $35 will be charged for all returned checks.

The Institute for Diversity Certification prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, gender, race, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by law. IDC's credentialing process is designed to be fair to all Candidates.