The International Institute of Forecasters (IIF) offers a certificate program with the goal of facilitating improved forecasting practices in organizations. We encourage university departments and individual trainers across the world to work with us to develop training programs embracing the best forecasting principles. This program brings benefits for both the individual forecaster and the organization by:
- Ensuring that your business forecasting is state-of-the-art. The certification is awarded to experts who demonstrate good understanding and use of the forecasting process, methods and best practices.
- By employing IIF certified forecasters this guarantees their level of knowledge and skills, simplifying the creation of a team of forecasting experts that can offer to your organisation a unique competitive advantage.
- The result is superior, transparent and credible forecasts that can improve decision making and operations company-wide.
Successful program validation allows the course provider to award an IIF Certificate of Forecasting upon successful completion. The IIF will assist with promoting programs to all providers. For each person registering for a certificate, the certificate provider will pay a pre-determined fee to the IIF. Certificate holders will then be entitled to use the credential, IIF Certified Forecaster.
The IIF invites potential course providers to submit appropriate courses for evaluation. Although we are not prescribing a detailed syllabus for prospective courses, we will outline general topics that should be covered and provide guidance as to how to develop an application.
Current Programs
Certificate in Professional Demand Management, Shanghai, China
Demand Driven Supply Chain Management Co. Ltd. invites demand professionals from various industries to share mindset, operation process and experiences of practice. The depths of the sharing plus the previous systematic professional training combine theories and practices of demand management perfectly, which will deepen and enrich the students’ knowledge of demand management system, strengthen their operational ability.
The IIF certifies and fully endorses the forecasting portion of the Demand Driven S&OP curriculum as conforming to the standards of good scientific forecasting practice.
If you are a past participant of the Certification Program, you can query your CDMP Certificate.
Certificate in Strategic Forecasting Practice in Life Science – DHBW Mannheim, Germany
The Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University Mannheim offers an attractive and unique study method that combines theoretical studies at the university with practical experience in a partner company. Our university is proud to be the first German university to award the International Institute of Forecasters (IIF) Certificate in Forecasting Practice to those of our students who have successfully completed 6 forecast-specific courses. Professor Dr. Christian Schäfer (IIF member) leads and teaches major parts of this program with a focus on strategic forecasting in the Life Science Industry.
Bentley University — Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) program
Bentley’s Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) program provides an in-depth understanding of the latest data analytics practices. Bentley has had a long tradition in Business Analytics education, and the program was designed around real-world skills that successful business analysts need. The program offers an interdisciplinary curriculum with courses at the intersection of Applied Statistics, Business and Computer Science (related to databases). Through its curriculum, the program provides training in statistical programming languages R and Python, as well as general skills in database language (SQL). For more information visit Master’s in Business Analytics | Graduate Admission | Bentley University
California Lutheran University — M.S. in Quantitative Economics Program
The MS in Quantitative Economics degree provides in-depth training in Economic Theory, Econometrics, and Financial Economics. It is a very applied degree, with many assignments involving hands on work with real world examples.
The Econometrics curriculum includes inertial and structural economic model building and forecasting, and we provide training in EViews Programming, the EViews Model Object, and in R Programming.
Johns Hopkins University — Applied Economics Program
The MS in Applied Economics Program develops skill in economic reasoning, and in constructing and estimating economic models through the use of econometrics and other quantitative techniques. This is a ten-course degree program.
The IIF has approved two sequences of Applied Economics Program courses as meeting requirements for awarding its Certificate in Forecasting Practice. Admissions requirements are the same as our MS in Applied Economics degree. Those who successfully complete Statistics, Econometrics, Macroeconomic Forecasting, and Microeconometrics or Macroeconometrics, with at least a grade of B, at the Applied Economics Program and who have participated in an additional single-session mini-course on “Forecasting in Organizations”, will receive the Certificate.
Lancaster University Management School, Centre for Marketing Analytics and Forecasting
As Europe’s leading centre for forecasting research, Lancaster Centre for Marketing Analytics and Forecasting develops applied research with companies, transfers knowledge between academia and business, and builds best practices in methods, processes and systems in areas of forecasting and marketing analytics.
Starting from 2016, Lancaster CMAF has started offering the Certificate of Forecasting through the Masters in Business Analytics programme. This programme is ideal for those working on business problems to support decision making in organisations. In the programme, they emphasise the practical analytical aspects of business problems as well as the fundamentals of management science. For more information on this program, visit the Lancaster University Business Analytics MSc programme and the Lancaster CMAF website.
The Centre also provides IIF certificates to participants of its Demand Forecasting executive training courses subject to passing an additional assessment. You can learn more about that on the Lancaster CMAF website.
Bayes Business School — Finance, IFRM and BIF Program
Bayes Business School is a leading global business school, part of City, University of London. It’s known for the world-class business education, excellent research reputation, and the close connections with business. The faculty members are experts in their fields, producing cutting-edge research with real-world impact. The 2021 Research Excellence Framework ranked Bayes 5th in the UK for business and management research.