About the CEP Institute

The Certified Equity Professional (CEP) Institute was founded in 1989 by a group of equity compensation professionals in the San Francisco Bay area. Their mission was to establish, promote, and provide certification and continuing education for the equity compensation industry.

In 1992 the Institute found its permanent home at Santa Clara University’s Executive Development Center (EDC). The EDC manages the CEP Institute, while industry-recognized professionals representing all equity compensation disciplines provide subject-matter expertise for course development.

Since its founding, the CEP Institute self-study curriculum has served as the industry’s educational standard. Organizations and individuals use Institute exams as a measurement of basic (Level I), intermediate (Level II), and advanced (Level III) knowledge, skills, and abilities related to equity compensation administration.

These standards are defined by the Core Disciplines of Equity Compensation: Securities Law; Accounting; Taxation; and Equity Plan Design, Analysis and Administration. The CEP designation is granted to individuals who have passed all three exams, and have demonstrated mastery of equity compensation-related issues in all of the core disciplines.

The CEP Institute assists candidates in forming study groups which meet both in person and by telephone.

Included with tuition is access to the CEPI Exam Overview Webinars. The CEP Institute will open the webinars for use approximately five weeks before the exam. Course reviews are also often offered by industry organizations.