AICP Certification Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements before applying to take the examination:

Be a current member of the American Planning Association (APA).
Be engaged in professional planning, either currently or in the past, as defined by AICP.
Have completed, at the time of application submission, one of the combinations of education and corresponding years of professional planning experience listed in the chart below:

Level of Education*	Total Number of Years of Professional Planning Experience Required
Graduate degree in Planning from a program accredited by the PAB**	2
Bachelor's degree in Planning from a program accredited by the PAB**	3
Graduate degree in Planning from a program *not* accredited by the PAB	3
Any other post-graduate, graduate, or undergraduate degree***	4
No college degree	8

* The education may be obtained before, during, or after the experience.

** Accredited degrees have been determined by the Planning Accreditation Board to meet standards approved by the American Institute of Certified Planners and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning or recognized by the Canadian Institute of Planners. AICP gives educational credit to applicants holding these degrees if the degree was received (1) during the period the university has been accredited (or previously recognized), and (2) by the time that an application for member is filed. If you are unsure about the status of your planning degree, consult the Planning Accreditation Board's list or contact AICP.

*** Non-accredited undergraduate planning degrees and degrees in related and other disciplines (i.e. Geography, Architecture, History, Music, etc.) at undergraduate and post-graduate levels.