• Worldwide recognition - CIPS study programs are recognized around the world
• A clear learning path linked to career progress - Wherever you start your learning journey, every CIPS award is closely aligned to a specific job level, helping you to prepare for promotion and enhancing your personal and professional development.
• Greater choice of business specific subjects - Traditional purchasing skills and relationship management:With the new topics and key business essentials, the CIPS membership levels are more closely aligned than ever to real life business issues.
• Remuneration - Salaries have risen rapidly over the last decade, outstripping other professions such as IT, finance, HR or sales and marketing. Purchasers who are members of the institute can expect to earn around £2,000 more than non-members.  In addition, 57 per cent of procurement staff report good or excellent job satisfaction.(*Reference: CIPS / Croner Reward Purchasing and Supply Salary Survey, 2009) 
• Transferable skills give you a choice and variety of potential workplaces -  One of the most beneficial things about this career is that a well-qualified purchasing professional can walk into a wide range of environments where they can use their skills to buy a whole variety of products and services. 

The International Certificate consists of five units as follows:

1. Understanding Purchasing Principles – provides students with an introduction to the key principles and objectives that underpin the professional purchasing task.
2. Selecting the Right Supplier – provides a framework that can be used to identify  potential sources of supply, appraise and select the best suppliers from these sources and then monitor and encourage improvement in these suppliers.
3. Effective Negotiation in Purchasing and Supply – provides an understanding of the process of negotiation, strategies and tactics required for an effective negotiation, complemented by specific aspects of behaviour
4. Managing Inventory – provides an understanding of the methods used by organizations to obtain the right quantities of stock or inventory
5. The Business Environment for Purchasing and Supply – provides an understanding of the immediate business environment which affects the organization and the individual in business activities.

Download the CIPS Course Syllabus

Preferably a Degree holder with 2 years of experience in the field.  However, a candidate with a high school certificate and possessing good communication skills in English, with at least three or more years of experience may also be allowed to apply.

Spread over 8 months, classes are scheduled once a week during evening hours / weekends. International exams are scheduled during May and November.

The Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (CIPS) is an international organisation, based in the UK, serving and supporting the purchasing and supply profession. CIPS dedicated to promoting best practice within the profession, is the largest provider in the U.K. offering specialist courses across all aspects and levels of the supply chain, from the start of a career to senior management level. For more information log on to www.cips.org