The Awarding Bodies - CIPD

Awarding Bodies are organisations that are authorised to make awards, certification, or award qualifications

Listing Awarding Bodies

WhichCollege.ie provides an overview of awarding bodies operating in Ireland, the UK, and internationally. While many postgraduate qualifications are issued by organisations with statutory authority, a wide range of professional bodies also grant their own awards linked to advanced study. Although most Irish courses lead to qualifications from domestic awarding bodies, some programmes result in international or non‑Irish awards, depending on the institution or field of study.

A number of Irish institutions act both as education providers and as awarding bodies in their own right. This includes the Irish universities and the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), which have the authority to confer postgraduate qualifications.

An academic award (whether a degree, diploma, or certificate) is granted when a learner successfully completes a recognised programme of higher education at undergraduate or postgraduate level. These awards are issued by designated awarding bodies and are aligned with the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). The NFQ distinguishes between major and non‑major awards, with the latter covering minor, special‑purpose, and supplemental awards.

Major awards represent the primary qualification type at each NFQ level and correspond to substantial learning achievements. Examples include an Honours Bachelor Degree at Level 8, a Master’s Degree at Level 9, and a Doctoral Degree at Level 10.

Recent legislative changes have streamlined Ireland’s qualifications system, reducing the number of statutory awarding bodies. The responsibilities previously held by organisations such as the National Council for Educational Awards (NCEA), the National Council for Vocational Awards (NCVA), Solas, Teagasc, CERT, and Bord Iascaigh Mhara have been consolidated under the awards councils FETAC and HETAC.

Below, WhichCollege.ie outlines the awarding bodies responsible for certification across Ireland and the UK.

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The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) is the professional body for HR and people development.

About the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

CIPD has more than 140,000 members worldwide. They set the benchmark for excellence in people and organisation development. The Institute set professional standards and provides the expertise to drive the HR and L&D professions forward. In addition, they conduct research. They are independent, not-for-profit and hold a Royal Charter.

About CIPD Ireland

Based in Dublin, CIPD Ireland has more than 5,000 members across seven regional branches. They support the needs of the local HR and business communities.

The Irish branch of the Institute was founded in 1937 and is a member of the following:

European Association of Personnel Management (EAPM)
European Training and Development Federation (ETDF)
World Federation of Personnel Management Associations (WFPMA)

Their patron is the President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins.

Qualifications

The Institute offers qualifications at Level 3 Foundation, Level 5 Intermediate and Level 7 Advanced. Students can achieve Awards, Certificates and Diplomas at each of these levels. These qualifications provide a pathway to becoming a CIPD professional member. The Advanced Level Diploma, PDS (or university equivalent) provides the knowledge to apply to become a Chartered Member or Chartered Fellow.

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