Please find a list of frequently asked questions below. If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact us or call 864-608-4894.
Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
Who can attend the NICP’s CPTED Training? Is the NICP’s CPTED training only for law enforcement personnel?
The NICP encourages anyone that is interested in learning about CPTED to attend the training. This includes: law enforcement and crime prevention officers, security consultants, city, park, & urban planners, architects, residents, neighborhood & economic redevelopment groups, landscape architects, school personnel, engineers, code enforcement, public art personnel, lighting & utility personnel, and traffic engineers.
Does the NICP offer a CPTED certification?
The NICP offers a CPTED Professional Designation (CPD). When participants complete an NICP CPTED course they receive a certificate that indicates the number of training hours completed and if the course was a Basic or Advanced course.
Can I conduct CPTED assessments if I have only completed my Basic Course?
That is determined by your organization. As part of the Basic CPTED course you are required to conduct a graded CPTED assessment. The NICP recommends you earn the CPD prior to conducting an assessment but it is not a requirement.
Questions about the NICP vs. The US CPTED Association.
The NICP, Inc. and the US CPTED Association (USCA) are not the same entity and are not legally or financially connected. The USCA is a professional organization for supporting CPTED practitioners and is open to all CPTED professionals regardless of where they received their training. For more information visit USCPTED.com.
Does the NICP have any additional courses schedule in my state/region?
All open enrollment courses that the NICP has scheduled are posted on the Training Calendar. As additional classes are scheduled they will be posted to the training calendar.
Does the NICP require that participants take the Basic & Advanced CPTED courses in order? Are the pre-requisites for the CPTED courses?
The NICP does not require that attendees take the courses in order. The NICP recognizes that certain training dates and locations may be more advantageous for participant’s schedules, and this may necessitate taking the courses out of order. There is no review of basic CPTED principles in the Advanced CPTED course, so if taking the Advanced course first it is recommended to be familiar with the basic principles and terminology of CPTED. In all instances, attendees that took the Advanced CPTED course first where successful in completing the course and passing the exam.
Why does the cost of a CPTED course vary at different locations?
The NICP charges a set price for our 5 Day Basic CPTED ($595) and 3 Day Advanced CPTED ($395) courses. The organizations that sponsor an onsite CPTED course to bring CPTED to their region can offer seats in the class for people outside their organization to attend. The host organization sets the registration fee for these seats.
What are the requirements for the NICP's CPTED Professional Designation (CPD)?
The requirements for earning the NICP’s CPD are:
64 Hours of CPTED training conducted by the NICP
- 5 Day (40 Hour) Basic CPTED course includes a graded CPTED Field Assessment/Presentation & a graded exam
- 3 Day (24 Hour) Advanced CPTED course includes a graded exam
- The CPD is valid for a period of 4 years
- To renew/maintain the CPD does require attending an NICP 2 Day (16 Hour) CPTED course every 4 years.
How do I renew/maintain the NICP's CPTED Professional Designation (CPD)?
Attend an NICP 2 Day (16 Hour) CPTED course every four years to renew the CPD.
Is CPTED training from another CPTED training provider transferrable to the NICP to use toward earning the NICP's CPTED Professional Designation (CPD)?
No. The NICP has established the curriculum and requirements for the CPD based on accepted professional standards for CPTED training. The NICP’s CPTED training includes graded assessments/exams that must be administered by NICP personnel. The NICP maintains the records and scores for those that attend the courses. The NICP maintains a searchable international database of CPD holders to provide to organizations, agencies, or companies searching for CPTED professionals.
What time do the courses end on the last day of training?
The courses are scheduled until 5:00pm. On the last day of both the Basic & Advanced CPTED courses participants complete an exam and a graded presentation. Depending on the size of the class, the length of time participants need to complete the exam, and the length of the group presentations the NICP cannot predict if the class will finish earlier than 5:00pm. Remaining for all of the group presentations is a requirement for completing CPTED Training. The presentations include a variety of locations and issues that are presented and discussed as part of the curriculum.
The NICP CPTED Professional Designation (CPD) Certification FAQ
Why should I earn the NICP’s CPTED Professional Designation (CPD) certification?
Recognition, Credibility, Opportunity – Earning the NICP CPTED Professional Designation Certification is confirmation that you have developed expertise in Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design principles, skills, and applications essential for creating safer, healthier, and more sustainable human environments. It demonstrates your commitment to professional development, better design, and participating in a network of professional that include community engagement and safety as part of their vision.
What Are the Requirements for Earning the NICP's CPTED Professional Designation (CPD) certification?
The requirements for earning the NICP’s CPD are:
- Completion of the NICP’s 5 Day (40 Hour) Basic CPTED course
- Completion of the NICP’s 3 Day (24 Hour) Advanced CPTED course
- Completing the Basic & Advanced CPTED courses within a 2-year period
- The CPD is valid for a period of 4 years.
- CPD Renewal does require completing an NICP 2 Day (16 Hour) CPTED renewal course prior to the CPD expiration date.
How Do I Renew the NICP's CPTED Professional Designation (CPD) certification?
By completing an NICP 2 Day (16 Hour) CPTED renewal course prior to the CPD expiration date. The courses for CPD renewal are available online or in person.
Can I transfer credits from another CPTED training provider to use towards the NICP CPTED Professional Designation (CPD) certification?
No. The NICP has established the curriculum and requirements for the CPD based on accepted professional standards for CPTED training. The NICP’s CPTED training includes graded assessments/exams that must be administered by NICP personnel. The NICP maintains the records and scores for those that attend the courses. The NICP maintains a searchable international database of CPD holders to provide to organizations, agencies, or companies searching for CPTED professionals.
What is the NICP CPTED Professional Directory?
The NICP provides a publicly accessible directory for CPTED Practitioners that earn and maintain the CPD credential. The NICP does not automatically add all CPD holders to the directory for privacy reasons.
How can I create my CPTED Professional Directory Entry?
If you have earned the CPD, when you log into your NICP dashboard, on TheNICP.com, you will see a menu item “Edit Directory Profile.” When selected this will allow you to set up your directory entry. If you choose to create an entry, you can determine what information you want visible. Any information you don’t want to display publicly, leave it blank. The directory entry does allow for including a company logo, a photo, and a short biography. Once you have created your entry you can view it in the directory and make edits as needed.
Does the CPD require a membership or annual fee to maintain the CPD certification?
No, there are no membership or yearly fees required to maintain the NICP CPD.
What is required for the graded CPTED. Field Assessment and Presentation?
You will need to locate a site within your community and have it approved by the NICP. Once approved, you will visit the site and utilizing a CPTED Field Assessment form you will conduct a CPTED site assessment. You will then put together a presentation of your findings following the presentation rubric provided. You will submit both your field form, and presentation for a grade. While visiting the site you will need to take pictures, conduct user interviews, and talk with a property stakeholder about issues being experienced at the site. You will also be required to collect demographics and crime data for the site.
How is the course curriculum presented?
The course information is presented in a presentation format with audio to provide greater detail. There are some short videos that illustrate the material presented in each module. Throughout the modules there will be short 5 questions quizzes after each topic is completed. There are three graded projects included in the course. At the conclusion of the course there is a 50 question final exam.
I already renewed my CPD certification, but received an email that my CPD has expired?
If you have already renewed your CPD and have received your CPD Renewal Certificate & Badge, please disregard this message. The Accredible platform doesn’t currently allow the NICP a way to link the previous CPD certificate with the renewal certificate and continues to send out expiration notices.
Online CPTED Training FAQ
What is the format for the online CPTED courses?
The courses are on-demand, self-paced, and access to the course material never expires.
The course information is presented in a presentation format with audio to provide greater detail. There are some short videos that illustrate the material presented in each module. Throughout the modules there will be short 5 questions quizzes after each topic is completed. There are three graded projects included in the course. At the conclusion of the course there is a 50 question final exam.
How is the graded field assessment assignment managed from a distance?
You will locate a site within your community and have it approved by the NICP. Once the site has been approved, you will visit the site and conduct a CPTED Field Assessment. You are provided with a CPTED Field Assessment form for conducting the CPTED site assessment. Next, you will put together a presentation of your findings and recommendations following the presentation rubric provided. While visiting the site you will need to take pictures, conduct user interviews, and talk with a property stakeholder about issues being experienced at the site. You will also be required to collect demographics and crime data for the site.
What is the difference between the online and in-person courses?
The online courses are based on the NICP in-person 5 Day (40 Hour) Basic CPTED course and 3 Day (24 Hour) Advanced CPTED course. The online courses follow the same agenda, curriculum, include three graded assignments/course and a final exam just like the in-person courses.
Online courses in a group vs. individually?
The online courses are designed to be done individually, the assignments are to be done independently, and the work submitted should be unique for each student.
What to expect once you submit an online assignment?
Assignments are graded by NICP instructors, M-F, during regular business hours. We have instructors based on the East and West Coasts. Depending on which instructors are grading assignments each day and their location, the grading windows can vary. When a student submits an assignment on the online platform it is put in the grading queue and the assignments are graded in order of submission. Depending what time of day, the assignment is submitted it will either be graded that day or the next day.
Why can’t I move forward in the online course after submitting an assignment?
Once a student submits an assignment they can’t proceed to the next lesson until the assignment is graded and approved. If the assignment is approved, the student will receive a notification from the instructor which will include feedback on their submission. If the assignment is rejected, the student will receive a personalized email from the instructor letting them know what needs to be corrected before the assignment is resubmitted.
Why can’t I move forward in the online course after submitting an assignment?
Once a student submits an assignment they can’t proceed to the next lesson until the assignment is graded and approved. If the assignment is approved, the student will receive a notification from the instructor which will include feedback on their submission. If the assignment is rejected, the student will receive a personalized email from the instructor letting them know what needs to be corrected before the assignment is resubmitted.
Can the online Basic or Advanced CPTED courses be completed in the same 5- or 3-day time as the in-person classes?
In the online format it would not be possible for a student to complete the courses in the same 5 day and 3-day time periods done in the in-person classes. The advantage of the online courses is the flexibility to go at your own pace, while one of the advantages for in-person classes is the dedicated time for completing the courses.
How are certificates issued?
All NICP CPTED course certificates are issued through the digital certificate platform, Accredible. Once you have completed an NICP CPTED course you will receive an email with a link to your certificate dashboard. The NICP uses the email provided to register for your online courses or provided when you registered in person using the QR code. If the email isn’t in your inbox, please check your spam folder. If you still can’t locate the email, it may have been blocked by your organization’s firewall. In this case, we will need to send the email link to your personal email address.
Custom On-Site CPTED Training FAQ
What is the 5 Day (40 Hour) Basic CPTED Course?
Course covers an Introduction to CPTED, CPTED Strategies and Concepts, Lighting, Fencing, Landscaping, Planning & Zoning, Overlay Districts, and Site Plan Review & Report Writing. Practical exercises include a Neighborhood Design Charrette, Site Plan Review, and a CPTED Field Assessment with a team Presentation. At the end of the course the participants take the first of two exams required for earning the CPD. The cost of the 40-hour course is for up to 30 participants. The hosting agency provides the sites for the students to conduct the assessments. This course is the initial class needed to earn the NICP’s CPTED Professional Designation (CPD). Here is the link to our web page that provides more information about the CPD.
What is the 3 Day (24 Hour) Advanced CPTED Course?
Course which includes specialized topics such as CPTED and Schools, Terrorism, Traffic Calming, Public Art, Color and Human Behavior, and Parks. The cost is for up to 30 participants. At the end of the course the participants take the second of two exams required for earning the CPD. This is the second course required to earn the CPD.
What is the 2 Day (16 Hour) Specialized Topics Course?
Course which cover focused topics within CPTED for those that want to add to their CPTED knowledge. These courses can also be used to renew the NICP’s CPTED Professional Designation which is required every four years. The cost is for up to 30 participants. The specialized topic courses are:
- CPTED and Placemaking
- CPTED and Parks
- CPTED and Houses of Worship
- CPTED for Schools
- CPTED Communities
- CPTED and Physical Security (Conducting a CPTED Security Survey)
- CPTED and Cannabis Facilities
