We Upskill Benefits Professionals so Organizations Stay Competitive

AI is rewriting job expectations in real time. Standing still is the surest way to fall behind. The American College of Benefit Specialists (ACoBS) helps benefits professionals and stakeholders build practical skills that keep them employable and in demand. We give organizations the confidence to adapt in a workforce shaped by AI.

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Explore Our Certification Programs

ACoBS offers four specialized designations covering medical, pharmacy, retirement, and voluntary benefits management — each built to enhance your expertise and credibility.

CMBS

Certified Medical Benefits Specialist

Gain deep insight into medical plan design, compliance, and cost management.

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CPBS

Certified Pharmacy Benefits Specialist

Master PBM contracts, formulary management, and pharmacy cost containment.

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RBMS

Retirement Benefits Management Specialist

Develop expertise in 401(k), pension strategies, and fiduciary compliance.

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VBMS

Voluntary Benefits Management Specialist

Learn to design, communicate, and manage supplemental and voluntary benefits.

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Curriculum Overview

Each designation has a distinct learning path. Browse summaries below and open the full syllabus for details.

CMBS — Medical
  • Plan Design
  • Cost Containment
  • Utilization Management
  • Governance & Fiduciary Duty
  • CE for L&H, SHRM, & HRCI
  • Expert-led group discussions
  • Pay Later: monthly or quarterly options
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CPBS — Pharmacy
  • PBM Contract Analysis & Audits
  • Formulary & Rebates Management
  • Specialty Drug Management
  • Transparent Benefit Design
  • Earn CE for ACPE, SHRM, HRCI, and L&H
  • Pay Later: monthly or quarterly options
View syllabus
Enroll
RBMS — Retirement
  • Plan Fundamentals & Compliance
  • Fiduciary Standards & Governance
  • Investment Strategy & Risk
  • Participant Education & Optimization
  • CE for L&H, SHRM, & HRCI
  • Expert-led group discussions
  • Pay Later: monthly or quarterly options
View syllabus
Enroll
VBMS — Voluntary
  • Voluntary Product Design
  • Employee Communications
  • Vendor Evaluation & Contracting
  • Total Rewards Integration
  • CE for SHRM, HRCI, and L&H
  • Expert-led group discussions
  • Pay Later: monthly or quarterly options
View syllabus
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Program Investment

Enroll once, gain lifetime access to program materials, updates, and certification renewals.

Single Certification

$2,750

One-time payment

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Certification Bundle

$4,125

Save when enrolling in two programs

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Best Value

Full Access Bundle

$7,195

Access all four certification programs and save even more

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What Our Graduates Say

“I wanted to thank you very much again for your teachings and the CPBS training. Because of what I’ve learned, I was able to successfully get my program back over $41.3M+ in rebates + pricing guarantee/effective rate shortfalls so far, after immediately applying what I’ve learned and over a year’s worth of hard work wrangling the PBM! Despite this, I am still not in love with rebates and have to think about the long-term future and outlook for my program. My sincere thanks to you again for all your help in my journey!”
Frank Chen, PharmD, MS HCM, BCPS, CPBS, LSSGB
Team Lead, Pharmacy Benefits Team
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
"I want to thank you so much for the knowledge, energy, and passion you brought to the topics covered in the course. Your delivery was so electric! Not only was there never a dull moment in this course, the information shared was so eye opening. Throughout the class I kept saying to myself how can I have spent so much time managing employee benefit programs (over 20 years) and not have been aware of much of the material covered in this course. I thought I knew much more that I knew before I took this course. I feel so much more equipped now, though I am certain there is so much more to learn. If ever you consider offering other related courses, please let me know. I would love to consider enrolling."
Charonda McGill
VP Health & Wellness/HRIS
Lendmark Financial Services
"I truly thank you for your effort in putting together this class, I learned more than I ever thought I would. I have always found it hard to concentrate in school and you kept me engaged, answers all my questions and I was pumped after each class. I have probably listened to those course replays 4-5 times each and get more out of them each time I watch them. It is invaluable for me and my agency."
Michael Adams
Managing Partner
Workforce Benefit Solutions

Are You Ready to Upskill Your Org?

We’re ready to certify your benefits team so your organization stays competitive.

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