The benefits expert every employer needs.
Employers and plans are paying for expertise they can trust. ACoBS gives you university accredited education across medical, pharmacy, retirement, and voluntary benefits to be that person, and the credential to prove it.
of Benefit Specialists
· verified credential ·
Benefit Specialist
Matthew Rusgis, PharmD Director of Pharmacy · GEHA Health
- SHRM
- HRCI
- L&H
- ACPE · Pharmacy
RECOVERED BY FRANK CHEN, CPBS · REBATES & PRICING GUARANTEE SHORTFALLS
“Because of what I learned, I got my program back over $41.3M+ after immediately applying it.”
Which track is you?
Each designation is a distinct learning path built and reviewed by working practitioners. Start with one, stack the others as your career grows.
- CMBS
Certified Medical Benefits Specialist
Gain deep insight into medical plan design, compliance, and cost management.
- Plan Design
- Cost Containment
- Utilization Management
- Governance & Fiduciary Duty
- CE
- SHRM
- HRCI
- L&H
- 14 Days left. Sep 1 Cohort
- CPBS
Certified Pharmacy Benefits Specialist
Master PBM contracts, formulary management, and pharmacy cost containment.
- PBM Contract Analysis & Audits
- Formulary & Rebates Management
- Specialty Drug Management
- Transparent Benefit Design
- CE
- ACPE
- SHRM
- HRCI
- L&H
- 14 Days left. Sep 1 Cohort
- RBMS
Retirement Benefits Management Specialist
Develop expertise in 401(k), pension strategies, and fiduciary compliance.
- Plan Fundamentals & Compliance
- Fiduciary Standards & Governance
- Investment Strategy & Risk
- Participant Education & Optimization
- CE
- SHRM
- HRCI
- L&H
- 14 Days left. Sep 1 Cohort
- VBMS
Voluntary Benefits Management Specialist
Learn to design, communicate, and manage supplemental and voluntary benefits.
- Voluntary Product Design
- Employee Communications
- Vendor Evaluation & Contracting
- Total Rewards Integration
- CE
- SHRM
- HRCI
- L&H
- 14 Days left. Sep 1 Cohort
Pursuing more than one? Bundle two for $4,125, or all four for $7,195, pay later, monthly or quarterly. Every enrollment includes lifetime access to materials and updates, with certification renewals available.
Practitioner built. University accredited.
University accredited education.
ACoBS credentials carry university supported continuing education accreditation, with the USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy supporting CE for the CPBS program, bringing academic rigor and review to a market that has had little of either.
Practical skills you use on Monday.
Every module is built around the real work, reading a contract, auditing a vendor, defending a benefits decision, so you leave with capability, not just a certification on the wall.
Continuing education that counts.
Credentials carry CE credit for SHRM, HRCI, and L&H, with ACPE pharmacy credit on CPBS, so your investment keeps your existing licenses current.
A credential that holds its value.
Lifetime access to course materials and updates keeps your expertise current, and certification renewals are available to keep the letters after your name active as the market changes.
Across all four designations and every U.S. state.
Graduates who would recommend ACoBS to a colleague.
SHRM, HRCI, L&H, and ACPE pharmacy credit.
Medical, pharmacy, retirement, and voluntary benefits.
From enrolled to credentialed.
Self-paced online coursework with cohort checkpoints. Most candidates finish in 8 to 12 weeks alongside full-time work.
- Step 01
Choose your track
Pick the designation that matches your role, or bundle multiple. Review the syllabus before you commit.
- Step 02
Learn the material
Work through online modules at your own pace, with practical case work drawn from real contracts and plans.
- Step 03
Earn the credential
Pass the assessment to earn your designation and the associated CE credits for your existing licenses.
- Step 04
Keep it current
Lifetime access to updated materials keeps your expertise market-ready, with certification renewals available to keep your designation active.
Expertise that pays for itself.
Named graduates across all four certifications, from medical and pharmacy to retirement and voluntary benefits. Here is what they say after completing the program.
“The impact was immediate. I’ve written two new groups since starting, and what I learned played a direct role in those closes.”
“How can I have spent 20+ years managing benefits and not known much of this? I feel so much more equipped now.”
“I learned more than I ever thought I would. I’ve replayed the course 4 to 5 times. Invaluable for me and my agency.”
“The impact was immediate. I’ve written two new groups since starting, and what I learned played a direct role in those closes.”
“I could argue this is just as important, if not more important, than my pharmacy degree. This course should be taught at every pharmacy school.”
Invest Once.
Access for life.
Every option includes lifetime access to materials and updates, with certification renewals available. Pay later, monthly or quarterly, on any plan.
Single Certification
One designation of your choice: CMBS, CPBS, RBMS, or VBMS.
- or ~$688 × 4
- pay later
- One full certification track
- CE credits (SHRM · HRCI · L&H)
- Lifetime materials & updates
- ACPE CE credit for pharmacists (CPBS track)
- MOST POPULAR
Two Track Bundle
Any two designations, the most common path for advisors.
- or ~$1,031 × 4
- pay later
- Two full certification tracks
- All associated CE credits
- Lifetime materials & updates
- Save vs. enrolling separately
Full Access
All four designations. The complete benefits-expert credential.
- or ~$1,799 × 4
- pay later
- All four certification tracks
- Every available CE credit
- Lifetime materials & updates
- Best value per credential
- Questions before you enroll?
- (702) 389-1159
- info@acobs.org
Before you
enroll.
Coursework is self-paced and online. Most candidates complete a single track in 8 to 12 weeks while working full time.
Fully online and self-paced, with cohort checkpoints so you progress alongside peers. You can start with the next available cohort for your track.
Yes. Every designation carries CE credit for SHRM, HRCI, and L&H. The CPBS pharmacy track additionally carries ACPE pharmacy credit.
Our continuing education is backed by an academic accreditor. The USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy supports CE accreditation for CPBS, so that credit carries university-level review, not just an internal stamp. On top of that, every ACoBS certification carries CE credit recognized by SHRM and HRCI, and CPBS carries ACPE pharmacy credit, so the hours you earn count toward the professional credentials you already hold, not just a certification from us.
Many candidates use employer professional development or tuition reimbursement budgets. We can provide an itemized invoice and group enrollment for teams, contact us for details.
Bundle two tracks for $4,125 or all four for $7,195. Pay-later plans (monthly or quarterly) are available on every option, and all bundles include lifetime access, with renewals available.
ACoBS offers separate designations in medical, pharmacy, retirement, and voluntary benefits. Each program focuses on one area so professionals can build practical knowledge that is directly relevant to their role.
The coursework covers responsibilities such as reviewing plan design, reading contracts, overseeing vendors, managing costs, and making informed benefits decisions.
This focused approach is intended for professionals who need practical depth in one area of employee benefits and want to apply the coursework directly to their current responsibilities.
Brokers, consultants, TPAs, HR and benefits leaders, plan fiduciaries, and aspiring benefits professionals, anyone who advises on, manages, or oversees employee benefits and wants university-accredited expertise.
Candidates must achieve a minimum score of 85% to earn certification. Two examination attempts are included with initial enrollment and the highest score earned is recorded. Candidates who do not achieve a passing score after the two included attempts may enroll in any subsequent cohort for a $200 examination fee. Enrollment provides access to the full program, including all course materials and instruction, through the cohort’s final examination. The examination fee includes up to two exam attempts for that cohort. Candidates may continue to enroll in future cohorts until they achieve a passing score.
Become the expert
in the room.
Summer 2026 cohorts are open across all four designations. Review the syllabus, pick your track, and enroll, with pay later plans on every option.
Every enrollment includes
- CE credit for your existing licenses
- Lifetime access to materials & updates
- Certification renewals available
- Pay later, monthly or quarterly