Certified Interpretive Planner™
What are the benefits of being a CIP™?
- Certification helps you cultivate and build a professional self-image.
- Being recognized by your peers as a professional in the industry.
- Certification makes you more competitive and may improve your chances of being hired or getting a promotion.
- The process of becoming certified and maintaining the designation provides incentives to continue your professional development.
What are the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities I need to have to earn a CIP?
You should be able to demonstrate a basic knowledge of:
- The history of the interpretive profession
- The basic principles of interpretation
- Current literature in the interpretive field
- Marketing, management, and maintenance of interpretive programs and facilities
- Meeting facilitation
- Cost estimating
- Business and strategic planning
- Assessment of natural, cultural, and operational resources
- Development of thematic guidelines
- Writing measurable objectives
- Formative and summative evaluation
- Development of media guidelines and descriptions
- Market analysis
What are the Prerequisites for earning the CIP?
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In order to apply for professional certification, the applicant must demonstrate their eligibility either through academic study, work experience or a combination of both.
- Academic experience: the completion of a bachelor’s degree in science, business, arts or an area relevant/related to the field of interpretation.
- Work experience: the completion of a total of four years (8,000 hours) experience in the category for which certification is requested.
- Combination/hybrid: the completion of an associate’s degree in science, business, arts, or performing arts and 5,000 hours of experience in the category for which certification is requested.
What do I submit for the peer review process of CIP certification?
- 50 question, open book literature review
- Answer four of six essay questions (500 words or less)
- Two examples of plan documents
- Two examples of non personal media from a plan you have designed
How much does the CIP certification cost?
Please see Fees page for this information.
How do I get certified as a CIP?
- Fill out the online Professional Certification Application and upload your eligibility.
- After submitting your eligibility you will be taken to a page where you can pay your certification fee.
- Receive in the mail the packet of materials including a checklist of things to do. You will have up to one year to send in your submission.
- Mail in your submission to the NAI office. You will receive a confirmation email that your package was received and sent to your peer reviewers.
- You will be notified in 2-3 months with your results.
NAI Courses or Trainings to help prepare you prior to attempting this certification:
For more in-depth information, please see our Certification Handbook & Study Guide’s section on the Certified Interpretive Planner.