I.S.P. Designation | Canada's Association of Information Technology Professionals

Not sure what route to apply under? Let us recommend a route for you! Email info@cips.ca

I.S.P. Application I.S.P. Re-certification Become a Candidate

™

CIPS is the only professional organization in Canada that offers an Information Technology (IT) designation that is recognized by law* in Canada. Whether you are interested in furthering your IT education, building your IT career or looking to hire an IT professional with the right credentials and attitude, the Information Systems Professional (I.S.P.) designation is for you!

It's about Professionalism - Working towards or achieving the I.S.P. designation sets you apart from other IT practitioners. You are making a commitment to IT professionalism by ensuring you are continuously updating your skills and gaining relevant experience. Your I.S.P. designation confirms your status as an IT practitioner of the highest integrity. In the eyes of potential employers, customers or clients, this is a good thing.

Overall Requirement

Appropriate mastery of the CIPS Body of Knowledge (BOK);
Adherence to the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct;
CIPS Membership (Note: One can apply for the I.S.P. designation without being a CIPS member, but active membership must be held in order to hold and use the I.S.P. designation);
Provide detailed and descriptive employer or client references covering the two years preceding the application. The employer or client needs to be able to comment on your competence and confirm your work history over the last 24 months. The reference should be in a similar or higher professional level to you and cannot be someone who report to you.
A minimum of 1000 hours of professional work experience during the 12 months prior to submitting the application.
Application Fees

The I.S.P. designation is available to practitioners who meet these entrance requirements. Demonstrated mastery of the BOK is equivalent to completion of a CIPS accredited four-year degree program of study plus two years of relevant professional experience. This serves as the benchmark for the I.S.P. designation. The I.S.P. designation demonstrates varying degrees of knowledge and competency, provided that overall mastery is maintained.

I.S.P. Designation Eligibility Criteria

I.S.P. Application Routes

Candidate Membership

If you have the IT education** but do not yet possess the required IT experience, you may qualify for the "Candidate Member" designation! For more information on Candidate Membership click here.

The Decision Appeal Process

*The I.S.P. is legislated as a self regulating designation in six provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Other provinces are working toward similar legislation through their provincial government. The I.S.P. designation is also recognized in the United Kingdom (by the British Computer Society), Australia (by the Australian Computer Society), New Zealand (by the New Zealand Computer Society), and in the USA, CIPS has a mutual recognition agreement with the ICCP (http://www.iccp.org/) to facilitate easier cross-border movement for professionals in IT.

**Relevant post-secondary degree or diploma; successful completion of the Institute for certification of Computer Professional (ICCP) exams; or successful completion of the British Computer Society (BCS) exam.

I.S.P. Designation

Not sure what route to apply under? Let us recommend a route for you! Email info@cips.ca I.S.P. Application I.S.P. Re-certification Become a Candidate ™ CIPS is the only professional organization in Canada that offers an Information Technology (IT) designation that is *recognized by law in Canada. Whether you are interested in furthering your IT education, building your IT career or looking to hire an IT professional with the right credentials and attitude, the Information Systems Professional (I.S.P.) designation is for you! It's about Professionalism - Working towards or achieving the I.S.P. designation sets you apart from other IT practitioners. You are making a commitment to IT professionalism by ensuring you are continuously updating your skills and gaining relevant experience. Your I.S.P. designation confirms your status as an IT practitioner of the highest integrity. In the eyes of potential employers, customers or clients, this is a good thing. Overall Requirement Appropriate mastery of the CIPS Body of Knowledge (BOK); Adherence to the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct; CIPS Membership (Note: One can apply for the I.S.P. designation without being a CIPS member, but active membership must be held in order to hold and use the I.S.P. designation); Provide detailed and descriptive employer or client references covering the two years preceding the application. The employer or client needs to be able to comment on your competence and confirm your work history over the last 24 months. The reference should be in a similar or higher professional level to you and cannot be someone who report to you. A minimum of 1000 hours of professional work experience during the 12 months prior to submitting the application. Application Fees The I.S.P. designation is available to practitioners who meet these entrance requirements. Demonstrated mastery of the BOK is equivalent to completion of a CIPS accredited four-year degree program of study plus two years of relevant professional experience. This serves as the benchmark for the I.S.P. designation. The I.S.P. designation demonstrates varying degrees of knowledge and competency, provided that overall mastery is maintained. I.S.P. Designation Eligibility Criteria I.S.P. Application Routes Candidate Membership If you have the IT education but do not yet possess the required IT experience, you may qualify for the "Candidate Member" designation! For more information on Candidate Membership click here. The Decision Appeal Process The I.S.P. is legislated as a self regulating designation in six provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Other provinces are working toward similar legislation through their provincial government. The I.S.P. designation is also recognized in the United Kingdom (by the British Computer Society), Australia (by the Australian Computer Society), New Zealand (by the New Zealand Computer Society), and in the USA, CIPS has a mutual recognition agreement with the ICCP (http://www.iccp.org/) to facilitate easier cross-border movement for professionals in IT. *Relevant post-secondary degree or diploma; successful completion of the Institute for certification of Computer Professional (ICCP) exams; or successful completion of the British Computer Society (BCS) exam.