The People Company Consulting Group Inclusion Institute™ Certified Diversity Practitioner Program

Become a Certified Diversity Practitioner

Diverse, inclusive companies and organizations outperform their competitors.

As a Certified Diversity Practitioner, you’ll be equipped to create and implement strategies that improve diversity, equity and inclusion in any industry. You will learn the strategies and develop the skills to lead change, impact organizational culture, and measure DEI effectiveness.

DEI Certification Overview

The People Company Consulting Group Inclusion Institute™ Certified Diversity Practitioner Program prepares professionals to create and implement highly successful Diversity, Equity and Inclusion [DEI] strategies for organizational excellence and a competitive edge in today’s marketplace.

We currently offer our program in three formats:

Fully Online with online course content plus live Zoom lectures and discussions
Accelerated with online course content, lectures and discussions
Independent Study option with access to our online curriculum

The Fully Online and Accelerated In-person formats are intensive programs delivered through online content, live lectures, discussions, activities, case studies, group projects and guest presentations. Blending theory and practice, this course will give you the skills and confidence to lead diversity initiatives at your organization that can achieve trackable results.

With the Fully Online virtual format, you and your cohort will attend two and a half days of live instruction. You’ll also have the opportunity for ongoing professional development as you build your network with future certified diversity practitioners.

The Accelerated Certified Diversity Practitioner Program allows the same opportunity to connect with your cohort and expand your network of DEI professionals over 5 days of virtual classroom learning.

When you complete the program, you will be recognized as an IICDP™ (Inclusion Institute Certified Diversity Practitioner). The knowledge you acquire will put you at the forefront of the diversity, equity and inclusion profession and position you to influence the attitudes, values, decisions and actions that impact people from different backgrounds, voices and experiences. You will be able to help corporations, organizations and individuals work more inclusively, creatively, productively and think, do and be better at what matters most.

Industry Recognized Certified Diversity Practitioner Program

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) expertise is more essential than ever. The Inclusion Institute Certified Diversity Practitioner (IICDP) Program by The People Company Consulting Group is designed to position you as a leader in the DEI field—equipping you with the knowledge, strategies, and skills to drive meaningful change.

Rooted in research and best practices, IICDP is an intensive, immersive learning experience that has been empowering DEI practitioners across the U.S. and internationally since 2020. This program goes beyond theory, preparing you to influence attitudes, shape decisions, and create inclusive cultures where diverse perspectives thrive.

As an IICDP-certified professional, you’ll be equipped to help organizations foster greater inclusion, collaboration, and innovation—ensuring they think better, do better, and be better at what matters most.

The People Company LLC, d/b/a The People Company Consulting Group, is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities.

How Our DEI Certification Works

The People Company Consulting Group Inclusion Institute™ Virtual Certified Diversity Practitioner Program includes two and a half days of virtual classroom curriculum, assigned readings, developing a DEI strategic plan for your organization, and a final exam.

The Accelerated Virtual Certified Diversity Practitioner Program includes 5 days of in-person classroom curriculum (delivered during one week plus an additional month to submit the final project), assigned readings, developing a DEI strategic plan for your organization, and a final exam.

Whether virtual or in-person, when you attend all sessions, complete the online curriculum, pass the exam and pass the final project, you will achieve the Inclusion Institute™ Certified Diversity Practitioner (IICDP) designation.

Depending on whether you choose our fully online program or accelerated program, live classroom curriculum will be held online via teleconferencing software.

Our live classes are where you’ll connect with experienced diversity practitioners and your fellow cohort. We’ll discuss what you learned in your assignments and readings and answer questions. During your independent learning time away from our classroom, you will collaborate with your DEI cohort and discuss best practices.

You’ll be expected to complete the online assignments through The People Company Consulting Group Inclusion Institute Learning Management System between virtual sessions.

The IICDP examination is administered at least 10 times throughout the year. You will need to sign up for an exam date no later than your last day of the course for which you are enrolled.

A final exam score of 80% or higher and demonstrated proficiency in the DEI strategic plan is required to receive the Inclusion Institute Certified Diversity Practitioner designation.

Curriculum will be updated and additional content added in order to assure the course content reflects the latest research and developments in diversity, equity and inclusion practice.

Who Should Be Certified

Human Resource Professionals
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Professionals
Emerging leaders from any industry who want to help their companies grow in diversity and inclusion
Leaders who want to create vision, mission, and values that drive diversity
Executives who want to create a clear cultural shift in their organization by implementing new strategies, policies and procedures.
Professionals from any industry with an interest in the field.

What You’ll Learn

The People Company Consulting Group Inclusion Institute™ Certification Program is practical and rigorous. You will learn theory and then you will practice implementing it.

Objectives

By completing this course, you will:

Understand the evolution of DEI
Recognize the significance of DEI in the workplace
Explore the practice of DEI
Learn about unconscious bias and microaggression
Learn keys to cultural competence
Discover how to measure DEI impact
Explore The People Company Consulting Group DEI Implementation Framework
Gain insights for inclusive recruiting
Learn the knowledge and skills to perform at a high level as DEI professionals and bring value to their organizations
Build relationships and establish a network with credible and equipped professionals to support continued growth as a diversity practitioner
Enhance your credibility with The People Company Consulting Group Inclusion Institute Certified Diversity Practitioner designation

“Debbie is a wonderful resource and instructor. She came into my organization and ran multiple sessions for a broad audience. She is able to talk about complex and often sensitive topics in a way that makes everyone feel safe and able to contribute, whether they are completely new to the ideas of diversity and inclusion or they have been involved in the work for some time.”

—Erin Isaak, SHRM-CP
Leadership & Executive Coach | Organizational Culture Consultant
previously Director of Organizational Development
Forte Research Systems, Inc.

“I enrolled in the People Company inclusion Certified Diversity Practitioner Program to establish a strong base of knowledge and understanding regarding the history, strategy, and executional best practices for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion work. The program provided in depth learning experiences and tools that I was able use in practical application to help guide my company forward on our DEI efforts. Through these efforts we were able to complete an all-employee organizational assessment and develop and integrated multi-year strategy to launch and optimize our DEI plan with the goal of shifting our culture, policies, and community engagement. One aspect of the course I really enjoyed was the group projects, which gave me a chance to learn from and collaborate with professionals from different industries, backgrounds, and in some cases based internationally in different countries. Overall, I found the experience to be comprehensive, insightful, and rigorous in a way that was enjoyable and productive without being too overwhelming or redundant. I would recommend the People Company Institute Certified Diversity Practitioner Program to anyone looking for an efficient, effective, and comprehensive way to enhance their DEI competency in ways that can drive practical value for individuals and/or institutions and organizations.”

—Dwayne Maddox
AVP Marketing & Inclusion Experience
National Guardian Life Insurance Company

Course Requirements

Readings and activities will be assigned before the first session and in between subsequent sessions. Participants are expected to complete all assignments prior to each session and be prepared to actively engage in discussions and small group projects.

All participants will have access to The People Company Consulting Group Inclusion Institute™ resource drive, which will house required readings and activities for their IICDP cohort.

Successful certification is dependent upon mastery of any pre-work, the online curriculum, completion of the DEI Strategic Final Project, and successful completion of the final exam.

Your success matters to us. We are available to answer your questions and help you understand the curriculum before your exam. If you do not score an 80% or higher on the final exam, you will have an opportunity to re-take the exam one time at no additional cost, but not sooner than 90 days after the formal program ends. Any subsequent exams incur an additional examination fee of $495.

Certification Requirements

Attendance and completion of all live classes (for Fully Online and Accelerated formats)
Completion of online curriculum
DEI Strategic Final Project
Passing multiple-choice and short-answer exam with a score of at least 80%. (In the event you do not pass the exam on the first attempt, you may retake the exam after 90 days at no additional cost. Subsequent attempts will incur additional fees.)