The International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training’s mission is to:
Improve the quality of continuing education and training worldwide through accreditation.
Our vision is to:
Advance the global workforce.
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Are you an education provider who seeks to evaluate the quality of your training? Discover how you can earn the IACET Accreditation.
As the official standard for continuing education and training (CE/T), IACET Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are recognized by a wide range of organizations.
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The International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) developed the original Continuing Education Unit (CEU) and today ensures that providers of continuing education and training can prove they provide high-quality instruction by following the ANSI/IACET 2018-1 Standard for Continuing Education and Training through a rigorous accreditation process.
The ANSI/IACET Standard for Continuing Education and Training is a universal model for learning process excellence. It defines a proven model for developing effective and valuable continuing education and training (CE/T) programs by measuring a CE/T provider's training program from procedure to process to result.
Because the ANSI/IACET Standard focuses on how continuing education and training programs are developed, not what they cover, it provides a certifiable framework of researched and proven best practices that can be applied across disciplines and industries.
The ANSI/IACET Standard measures all aspects of a CE/T provider’s program development across ten nationally recognized categories. This has allowed for the ANSI/IACET Standard to be recognized as the official standard for CE/T in the world. Within the competitive marketplace, can you afford to not be recognized by a reputable organization certifying your commitment to high-quality, excellent education?
IACET's mission to train a global workforce means that providers across the world have been able to achieve the IACET Accreditation. With providers across the globe, IACET maintains an internationally recognized standard for continuing education and training.
How can you be sure that a continuing education or training program delivers solid learning outcomes? That it is offered through an accredited training provider? That the processes used in its development adhere to best practices in instructional design? IACET, the Council on the Continuing Education Unit (CCEU), and a U.S. Department of Education task force were created to address questions like these.
Our history includes the development of the original Continuing Education Unit (CEU) and creation and maintenance of the ANSI/IACET Standard for Continuing Education and Training. IACET uses the ANSI/IACET Standard, in-depth research on the learning process and a nationwide network of experts to help continuing education and training providers to develop a framework for continuous improvement and a superior learning experience. View a timeline of IACET's history.
Not all Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are created equal. The term "CEU" is in the public domain. It is used by many organizations for their continuing education or professional training hours. However, these are not true IACET CEUs.
How can organizations deliver – and adult learners receive - the continuing education required to maintain professional memberships, certification or licensing? How can records of these educational experiences be effectively accumulated, updated and transferred? Expand the blocks to discover how the CEU answers these questions and how it is calculated. We also give you some background on the IACET CEU and why its higher standard is important. Want to keep learning?
The Continuing Education Unit or CEU was created and defined in 1970 after IACET and the U.S. Department of Education task force studied the measurement of non-credit continuing education activities. The continuing education unit (CEU) was designed to:
The IACET and U.S. Department of Education task force defined the CEU standard of measurement as:
1 CEU = 10 contact hours
of participation in an organized CE/T experience, delivered under responsible sponsorship, capable direction and qualified instruction. CEUs can often be converted into other measurements, such as Professional Development Hours or Continuing Education Credits, depending on the organization and/or regulating body.
Download IACET's "How To Calculate CEUs" Guide (PDF)
Note: Many organizations convert CEUs to PDHs, CPC, CECs, or other units of measurement. Some higher education institutions will accept CEUs. Please check their pages for the specific acceptance and/or conversion ratios as they can vary.
IACET is the caretaker of the CEU. We maintain and refine the Continuing Education Unit. The accrediting body educates organizations, trainers, teachers and learners through our programs, publications, and industry research (example: Skills, Challenges and Trends in Instructional Design).
And In 1998, the "IACET CEU" designation was born as part of our Accredited Provider Program (which was established in 1991). As we mentioned earlier on the page, the term CEU is commonly used (like Kleenex for tissue). Our IACET CEU ensures that a Standard of learning is in place. Only Accredited Providers, or APs, who have been approved by the IACET Commission are allowed to award IACET CEUs.
It gives you, the adult education student, confidence in an organization's education or training program. As an IACET Accredited Provider, their training adheres to the ANSI/IACET Standard for Continuing Education and Training. Their CE/T program's policies and processes have met all ten elements of the ANSI/IACET Standard. The IACET CEU assures employers, credentialing associations, licensing bodies and others that a learner has completed a quality training program which meets THE national standard for continuing education and training.
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