The Certified Ethical Advertising Executive course is the first and only ethical certification for advertising industry practitioners - designed by a non-partisan body of market participants, government/legal officials and consumer advocates. The CEAE examines ways to translate ethical considerations into business decisions and provides a set of principles as reference points for decision making.

The CEAE Course used a theory-based pedagogical approach to develop our curriculum. We support problem-based learning so students develop a real-world sense of ethical standards in the industry. Through video training modules and formative assessments (quizzes) focusing on historical case studies, the course takes the first step in creating a community of ethical practice. Learn more by reading our CEAE Course Syllabus.

To ensure trust and security standards, the CEAE is hosted on the IAE Canvas Learning Platform. N.B. If you are a college student with a pre-existing Canvas account, you will have to create a new Canvas account (outside of your university/organization) to access the IAE’s coursework. The Canvas Learning platform security protocol is built based on ISO 27001, NIST’s Cyber Security Framework, AICPA’s Trust Services Principles and Criteria and SANS’ CIS Critical Security Controls. Further information is available here.

Once you have purchased the CEAE Course, you will receive an email titled “IAE [The Specific Course You Purchased] Purchase Confirmation.” This email will have a link to register a new account on the Canvas Learning Platform and a unique access code to access our coursework through Canvas. N.B. This email may be flagged to your spam/junk folder in the email you used to register.

Once you have completed the CEAE course, and scored over a 70% on the quiz materials, you will have access to the CEAE Certification Badge. This can be accessed through your Canvas account on the left-hand navigation menu. In this navigation, you should see an option in blue that states “Accredible.” Click this option and from there you may access your badge and post your new certification to LinkedIn and other social media platforms!

Special emphasis has been placed on test designs for fairness, validity and reliability of assessment. The curriculum combines problem-based learning with a social learning framework. The IAE has combined the best educators with diverse industry expertise. Receiving certification is contingent on demonstrating successful completion of 70% of quiz questions. The course is held to an academic standard to protect the integrity of the CEAE credential while ensuring high standards are consistently met.

The CEAE is the first and only professional advertising ethics certification. The CEAE is the product of collaboration and cooperation between the University of Texas at Austin, the IAE Advisory Council. The CEAE alumni network includes Market Participants (e.g., Procter & Gamble, Havas, Mastercard, Microsoft, Trade Desk, et al.), Government (e.g., former FTC ad regulators/Acting General Counsel FTC) and Academia & Civil Society (e.g., American Bar Association, University of Missouri, Howard University).

The CEAE curriculum was based on principles of verifiability, diversity and inclusivity across marketing topics which help create a community of practice. We use an online digital delivery system (i.e. the e-learning environment). The curriculum was designed in cooperation with the faculty at the University of Texas and our Advisory Council. The foundations of our curriculum are the nine principles developed by Wally Snyder, former FTC Ad Regulator and CEO of the American Advertising Federation. These principles are taught through modern case studies representing the current role of ethics in marketing. Each case study brings input from market participants, government and civil society. The curriculum is constantly improving through data-driven development.

The CEAE is built for the advertising practitioner community. There are 600,000 advertising practitioners in the United States alone. The IAE works with universities to bring the CEAE course to marketing students as well. Certificants come from a variety of backgrounds, such as brand managers, data scientists, account professionals, buyers, influencers, procurement executives, salespeople, creatives, interface design professionals, software developers, planners, financial executives, lawyers, researchers, psychologists and more. The course is for professionals and companies who value ethics as a personal benefit and competitive advantage.

Our industry’s stakeholders (such as our customers, our suppliers, our employees, our investors and our communities) are demanding enhanced ethics. Elevating your company’s leadership and prominence in your market relies on enhanced ethics. Protecting your professional reputation depends on ethics. Ethics is the engine of trust.

Mission Statement: The Institute for Advertising Ethics was created to support and perpetuate ethical behavior across the advertising industry. The IAE recognizes the need for the industry to conduct itself, its businesses and its relationships with consumers in a fair, honest, transparent and forthright manner. The IAE focuses on advertising-supported marketing and communications across media platforms; we also incorporate data usage tied to those communications. The IAE teaches, certifies and empowers industry practitioners while protecting and valuing the consumers touched by the marketing industry.

The Certification is offered at $350.00 for Professionals and $25.00 for Students and Educators. Please contact scholarship@iaethics.org if you are in need of financial assistance.