Professional Designations

Establishing yourself as a leader in the insurance industry takes dedication, strong skills, and a solid knowledge base. Build your skills and knowledge as you build your business – and future with the Institutes Designations AAI.

Big “I” Montana members receive an exclusive discount on The Institutes’ Designation Programs!

• Assess and manage your clients’ risks with coverage solutions
• Create a plan for success as an agent
• Attract and retain clients through tailored solutions
• Maximize technological solutions to manage your book of business and agency
• Sharpen your understanding of coverage solutions to protect your clients’ personal and commercial liabilities
• Understand the role of insurance in personal financial planning

Grow your career and speak like an insurance pro in no time with The Institutes Designations’ Associate in Insurance (AINS)

Big “I” Montana members receive an exclusive discount on The Institutes’ Designation programs!

• Insurance basics to help you build the foundation you need to understand how risk is assessed and claims are processed
• How to collaborate with colleagues across departments by understanding how different areas of the business influence each other
• Best practices for serving customers by understanding how insurer functions work together to create and deliver products
• A broad overview of risk and insurance by learning the different types of insurers and risk management practices
• How to easily adapt and serve your customers as your organization grows and insurance needs change

Make a real-world impact by gaining a holistic and strategic understanding of risk assessment and treatment with The Institutes Designations’ ARM.

Big “I” Montana members receive an exclusive discount on The Institutes’ Designation programs!

• How to best collaborate with key business stakeholders and lead holistic risk management strategies
• Proven techniques to effectively create risk management strategies that combine insurance coverage with other measures and mitigate the impact of losses on an organization’s bottom line
• How to speak the language of data scientists, risk specialists, and other experts to create a comprehensive understanding of an organization’s risk, including cyber and reputational liabilities
• Best practices to navigate risk by understanding the ramifications of laws and regulations on an organization’s liability

Enhance your professional confidence and build a strong foundation in commercial underwriting principles with The Institutes Designations AU.

Big “I” Montana members receive an exclusive discount on The Institutes’ Designation programs!

• Understand how emerging technology has transformed underwriting and how to leverage it in your day-to-day work
• Evaluate commercial property loss exposures so you can appropriately select and price risks
• Analyze the full spectrum of liability risks facing an organization so you can accurately determine loss potential
• Determine a property’s level of fire protection so you can ensure coverage is priced properly
• Understand the ins and outs off excess and umbrella liability insurance so you can provide increased limits to customers

Gain practical leadership skills with The Institutes’ Designations’ CPCU, the leadership standard in risk management and insurance.

Big “I” Montana members receive an exclusive discount on The Institutes’ Designation programs!

• Develop and hone your critical-thinking skills so you can solve strategic business challenges
• Lead teams confidently with a solid understanding of how insurer departments connect with one another
• Develop solutions that address exposures created by the legal system
• Use rations and monetary calculations to determine the financial impact of potential strategies
• Use data to further contribute to the insurance value chain and elevate your organization’s competitive advantage

The Agribusiness and Farm Insurance Specialist (AFIS) program is a continuing education curriculum focusing on the insurance and risk management needs of agribusiness and farm operations.

Obtaining the Designation

The core curriculum for the AFIS program consists of five parts that can be taken in any order. To earn the certification, participants must successfully complete the Upon successful completion of the five core courses and examinations, students are awarded the AFIS designation. Students have five (5) years to take all five parts.

Retaining the AFIS Designation

To retain the AFIS designation, ongoing continuing education is required.

• Six (6) hours annually of an AFIS approved CE topic
• Every third year after obtaining the designation, attendance at an Emmett J Vaughan Agribusiness Conference

CORE COURSES

• Farm Property
• Farm Liability
• Farm Auto, Workers Comp, and Umbrella
• Special Farm Property Insurance Lines
• Miscellaneous Farm Insurance Lines

To learn more, click here.

The Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist (CRIS®) program is a specialized curriculum focusing on the insurance and risk management needs of construction projects and contractors.

Those who complete the program are entitled to display the CRIS certification to certify their knowledge of construction insurance and risk management and dedication to the industry.

Obtaining the Designation

To obtain the CRIS certification, you complete 5 specialized courses on construction risks and insurance, passing all 5 exams.

Retaining the Designation

To retain the CRIS designation, ongoing continuing education is required. You may fulfill the requirement by completing an approved construction risk and insurance course.

• 7 hours in the first 24 months after receiving the designation
• 7 hours each year after the first 24 months

Core Courses

• Commercial Auto, Surety, CIPS and Miscellaneous Lines
• Commercial Liability Insurance for Contractors
• Contractual Risk Transfer in Construction
• Property Insurance for Contractors
• Workers Compensation for Contractors

To learn more, click here.