Insurance is a unique field of expertise.

Many people didn't plan to become insurance professionals, butthrough the twists and turns of life find themselves within theindustry. As an industry, insurance not only values the education of its professionals but requiresit for many. Throughout the country, agents must be licensed ineach state, and many states also require adjusters to belicensed.

This licensing ensures that the fundamentals are understood andcan be applied correctly. But it doesn't stop there. Insurance isan industry with many nuances, and the professional agent,adjuster, underwriter or loss control specialist realizes howbeneficial advanced education is for an understanding of theindustry and the ability to hone skills in applying thatknowledge.

Education is so valued within the industry that most companieswill pay for classes, textbooks and exams in order to supportemployees in their careers. Some may even give bonuses for passingclasses.

Related: Bridging the talent gap

There are many organizations providing such education on a stateand local level, in addition to the national providers. Whatfollows is a brief list of some of the major national designationsand their providers:

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PLCS, CLCS and SBCS

The National Underwriter Co., based in Erlanger,Kentucky, has three such designations.

The first is Personal Lines Coverage Specialist,PLCS. Designed for new and experienced professionalsalike, it provides solid foundational and specialized knowledgenecessary to understand personal lines coverages starting withinsurance principles and explaining in depth homeowners, auto andumbrella coverages. This is the only designation available dealingwith personal lines to such an extent. Six online courses areprovided allowing the student to fully master complex content. Anin depth knowledge of this information is key for anyone hoping tospecialize in personal lines. The content is written by editors ofFC&S Bulletins, well-respected providers of insurance policyinterpretation for more than 80 years. Continuing education creditsare available.

CLCS, Commercial Lines Coverage Specialist, isdesigned to give expert knowledge of the fundamental commerciallines of coverage, general liability, commercial property, workerscompensation and business auto, as well as insurance principles.The coverage guides give complete analysis of commonly usedcoverage forms. As with PLCS, content is written by the editors ofFC&S Bulletins, and continuing education credits areavailable.

The SBCS, Small Business Coverage Specialist,is the only designation of its kind. It focuses on the particularcoverage needs of small businesses and how to provide them usingcommon policy forms. It combines personal lines and commerciallines forms, because small businesses may be home-based or couldneed commercial coverage. This designation explains when to usewhich type of coverage, and is also written by the editors ofFC&S Bulletins with continuing education credits available.

(The National Underwriter Co. is owned by ALM Media, parentcompany of PropertyCasualty360.com)

Related: Training the next generation of construction andinsurance professionals 

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CPCU, AIC, ARM, ACSR, AAI, AIDA and AIS

The American Institute for Chartered Property CasualtyUnderwriters — better known as "the Institutes" — is a largeorganization, based in Malvern, Pa., that provides classes for avariety of designations; some may simply be certificate classes,while others confer a designation. All are geared toward theproperty and casualty side of the industry.

The most well-known and respected designation is CPCU,Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter. The designationconsists of four foundation courses, three courses from either thepersonal lines or commercial lines concentration, one elective andone ethics course. The foundational courses cover basics in theindustry of risk management, accounting, insurance operations andlaw. The concentrated courses provide basics in personal orcommercial lines. Continuing education credits are available.

The Institutes also have a variety of other designationsspecific to claims (AIC), risk management (ARM), customer servicerepresentative (ACSR), insurance advisor (AAI), data analytics(AIDA), insurance services (AIS), cyber risk management andothers. In addition, the Institutes provides designationsfor an Associate in Risk Management —ERM, an Associate in CommercialUnderwriting (AU), an Associate inManagement (AIM), an Associate inInformation Technology (AIT), andan Associate in Insurance Accounting and Finance(AIAF).

Related: The secret weapon for career success: lifelonglearning 

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CIC, CRM, CSRM, CPRM and CISR

The NationalAlliance for Insurance Education & Research, located inAustin, Texas, has a number of designations as well, most notablythe CIC, Certified Insurance Counselor.

Core courses are required in order to obtain the designation,including personal and commercial lines, life and health, andagency management. In order to maintain the designation, one of avariety of programs must be attended annually. Solid foundationalknowledge is provided for key elements of insurance coverage, usingthe ISO forms. Life and health designations are available aswell.

The Certified Risk Managers (CRM) designationis designed to demonstrate that that the insurance professional isknowledgeable in all areas of managing risks, hazards, andexposures. The Certified School Risk Managers(CSRM) Program is intended for risk management specialistsworking with schools, colleges and universities.

CPRM, Certified Personal Risk Manager, is thenewest designation program of the National Alliance with a purposeof training the insurance and risk management communities to betterserve the high net worth and affluent client. The program containsa combination of risk management, technical expertise, and accountdevelopment.

The National Alliance also offers the CISR, CertifiedInsurance Service Representative designation for thosewhose main function is customer service.

Related: Entrepreneurial Insurance Symposium, Day 2: Whatyou missed 

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RF and CRM

For risk management professionals, RIMS,the risk management society, the most prestigious designation isthe RIMS Fellow, RF.

This requires completion of three college-level courses in riskmanagement or earning one of the following designations:ARM Associate in Risk Management, CRMCanadian Risk Management, CRM Certified RiskManager, and ALARYS AIRM, the LatinAmerican designation.

Also required is five years' experience in the industry, fourcourses in business acumen, and attendance at 12 days of RIMSFellow workshops or equivalent online courses. In order to maintainthe designation credits, must be obtained by attending two days ofRIMS Fellow workshops and participating in certain professionalactivity, such as speaking, teaching, publishing articles orattending conferences and seminars.

Related: 11 insurance professionals win scholarships forgraduate work

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SCLA

The American Educational Institute has a number ofdesignations for claims professionals dealing with claims handlingand claims law.

There are two basic classes on claims fraud fundamentals andfundamentals in coverage and claims law. There are six programseach with a number of courses designed to provide comprehensiveknowledge of claims law, liability, property, workers compensation,fraud and auto claims coverage and principles.

Completion of these classes gives you a specialist designationfor the given topic: legal principles, casualty claim law, propertyclaim law, workers compensation claim law, fraud claim law andautomobile claim law. Associate designations combine the legalprinciples program with any of the other claim law programs.

In order to receive the Senior Claim Law Associatedesignation (SCLA), an individual must complete a class onlegal principles and three other claim law programs.

Related: Claims adjusting in the 21st Century: What's insidea millennial home? 

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CLP, CIIP and DAE

The International Association of InsuranceProfessionals has three designations:

• Certified Leadership Professional (CLP), withclasses surrounding leadership and management skills.
• Certified Insurance Industry Professional(CIIP), which requires completion of 16 hours of classesand completion of another industry designation or program alongwith time in the industry.
• Diversified Advanced Education (DAE), whichrequires that you complete 12 hours of classes, have an industrydesignation, participate in IAIP leadership events and complete ofone of IAIP's ethics programs.

Related: 12 ways to engage millennials in insurance andfinance careers 

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Fraud and compliance

Fraud is such an issue within the industry that there aredesignations for those dealing with fraud.

The Associationof Certified Fraud Examiners has a Certified FraudExaminer designation. Not specific to insurance, thedesignation course covers financial transactions and fraud schemes,law, investigation, and fraud prevention and deterrence. As withmost designations, an exam is required.

The NationalHealth Care Anti-Fraud Association has the AccreditedHealthcare Fraud Investigator (AHFI) designation.Requirements include 75 hours of training or teaching on healthcarefraud and passing the required exam. An Investigator's Boot Camp isavailable for training.

The Association of Insurance Compliance Professionals,located in Reston, Virginia, currently offers two programs: theAssociate Compliance Professional (ACP) and theCertified Compliance Professional (CCP), as wellas a continuing education program. Each of the programs follows aregulatory, life, annuity, health or property and casualtyconcentration.

Related: The changing face of fraud