Policies

Policies:
Management and Strategy Institute (MSI)

Terms of Service:
By using this website or website subdomains you agree to the following terms of service:

Scope of Agreement.  This Terms-of-Use Agreement (“Agreement”) by and between Management and Strategy Institute (“we”, “us”, “our” or “MSI”) and you (“you” , “your” or “User”) governs your use of the www.MSIcertified.com and www.MSIcertified.org and lms.msicertified.com web site (“Site”) together with all information, content, products, materials and services made available to you through the same by us and/or third parties (which together with the Site shall be collectively referred to as the “Services”). By using or otherwise accessing the Services, or any component thereof, in any manner whatsoever, you agree to be bound by and comply with the terms and conditions of this Agreement. If you do not agree to this Agreement, do not access or use the Services in any manner.

Indemnification. You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Management and Strategy Institute, its affiliates, and their respective directors, officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims, actions, suits or proceedings, as well as any and all losses, liabilities, damages, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys fees) arising out of or accruing from (i) any material posted or otherwise provided by you that infringes any copyright, trademark, trade secret. trade dress, patent or other intellectual property right of any person or defames any person or violates their rights of publicity or privacy; (ii) any misrepresentation made by you in connection with your use of the Website; (iii) any noncompliance by you with the terms of this Agreement; and (iv) any claims brought by persons or entities other than you or Management and Strategy Institute arising from or related to your access and use of the Website, including the information obtained through the Website; (v) your use of services; (vi) your breach of the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

Limitation of Liability. IN NO EVENT WILL MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGY INSTITUTE BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION DIRECT OR INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES, LOSSES, OR EXPENSES ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OF THIS WEBSITE OR ANY FAILURE OF PERFORMANCE, ERROR, OMISSION, INTERRUPTION, DELETION, DEFECT, DELAY IN OPERATION OR TRANSMISSION, COMPUTER VIRUS OR LINE OR SYSTEM FAILURE, EVEN IF MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGY INSTITUTE OR REPRESENTATIVES THEREOF ARE ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, LOSSES, OR EXPENSES. MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGY INSTITUTE SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR RELIANCE ON ANY ADVICE, OPINIONS, STATEMENTS, OR RECOMMENDATIONS THAT APPEAR ON OR ARE DISSEMINATED THROUGH THIS WEBSITE. ANY SUCH RELIANCE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGY INSTITUTE SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DEFAMATORY, OFFENSIVE OR ILLEGAL CONDUCT OF ANY USER OF THE WEBSITE.   CERTIFICATION BY MSI IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OR GUARANTEE OF THE CERTIFIED ENTITIES BY THE ASSOCIATION.  YOU AGREE TO ABSOLVE THE ASSOCIATION FROM LIABILITY TO THOSE WHO ARE CERTIFIED, AND TO HOLD THE ASSOCIATION HARMLESS BY THOSE INJURED BY THE ACTS OR OMISSIONS OF CERTIFIED ENTITIES.  SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE DISCLAIMER OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE DISCLAIMERS AND LIMITATIONS SET FORTH IN THIS SECTION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG IMPLIED WARRANTIES MAY LAST, SO THE LIMITATIONS SET FORTH IN THIS SECTION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

No Warranties. THE INFORMATION AND MATERIALS CONTAINED IN THIS WEBSITE, INCLUDING TEXT, GRAPHICS, LINKS, AND OTHER ITEMS ARE PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” BASIS. MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGY INSTITUTE DOES NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY, ADEQUACY, OR COMPLETENESS OF THE INFORMATION AND MATERIALS AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS LIABILITY FOR ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THE INFORMATION AND MATERIALS. NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS, TITLE, MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR FREEDOM FROM COMPUTER VIRUS, IS GIVEN IN CONNECTION WITH THE INFORMATION AND MATERIALS.

3rd Party Disclosure & Cookies:  Your privacy is extremely important to us!  We do not sell or rent your information to anyone. All information provided to us by you is used strictly for the processing of your training and certification tests (if relevant), for 3rd party certification verification, and for company advertising purposes. We use certain outside vendors to deliver our training and certification test. When you take a test or training course, you will need to set up a basic account on their website. This is included in the cost of the course you sign up for.  These are 3rd party websites which may have a different privacy policy.  You are encouraged to read 3rd party privacy policies before registering.  We use the company Learnupon to provide our training platform and testing.  MSI may provide information to others for record verification requests.  Please see our Record Verification Requests notice below.  We use 3rd party tracking to collect conversion tracking data.  This “cookie” tracking may include tracking from Google, Bing (Microsoft), Yahoo, Twitter, Facebook or other websites where we advertise.  Information you provide may be used to help MSI target advertising regarding the institute, this information includes but is not limited to State (location), Email, and Courses you’ve registered for.  This information may be used by MSI and approved MSI vendors / advertising agencies.  For conversion tracking on websites, users may opt out of interest-based advertising through the Do Not Track functionality in your web browser.  You may also use browsers that have a “private browsing” setting.  The Management and Strategy Institute uses Trustpilot to collect reviews.  Trustpilot emails MSI customers on our behalf to request reviews from customers.  To provide this service MSI provides Trustpilot with basic customer information to include name, email, purchase ID#.  You may unsubscribe from the Trustpilot service at any time by using the unsubscribe link in the review-request email.  The Management and Strategy Institute sells ad space in our newsletters and website properties.  Our services are limited to people of age 18 and above.

Email Usage:  You will only receive emails from us if:
1) It is directly related to the training course you purchase or have questions about.
2) You sign up for our email list.
3) You sign up for a yearly membership.
4)  You create a basic account with MSI with or without registering for a course.
5)  You take one of our free courses.
You may unsubscribe from our email newsletters at any time by clicking on Unsubscribe at the bottom of any promotional email, or contacting us at service@msicertified.com.  When you complete an MSI certification program you may receive an email from Trustpilot asking for a review (see 3rd Party Disclosure above).
Promotional emails sent by MSI are sent via Constant Contact and/or Replyify, professional email list management companies.  All promotional emails are from:
Management and Strategy Institute
3947 W Lincoln Hwy #312
Downingtown, PA 19335
https://www.MSIcertified.com
service@msicertified.com
484-402-7984

Note regarding work email addresses – Using a work-related email address to register for an MSI account may provide your employer with access to your records.

Private Information Security:  The Management and Strategy Institute uses your information to process and verify the certification courses you have taken.  Your certification information will be made available on our verification website for employers whom you give your certification verification code.  We use the company Learnupon to provide our training platform and testing.  All credit card transactions are secured using 128bit SSL technology.

Record Retention:  The Management and Strategy Institute retains a permanent record of our members basic account details provided during registration.  The member’s course information, including dates and scores, are also retained.  Your student ID# as well as basic verification data is stored on the MSIcertified.org database for verification purposes.  MSI does not store credit card data at any time.
Right to Erasure – You may request that your data be removed from the certification verification system or the LMS at any time.  Removal of information may limit MSI data verification abilities for certifications.  To request erasure, contact us via our contact form
Subject Data – You may download a copy of your records from within your account dashboard.

Record Verification Requests:  MSI regularly receives certification verification requests by phone, email, and via our verification website at MSIcertified.org.  MSI reserves the right to provide basic verification services.  Your certification ID# will be entered into our verification database on MSIcertified.org, along with basic information such as your First/Last name and certification obtained and dates.  Information that we provide for verification include, but are not limited to, First/Last name, Date certified, Current status, certification obtained.  If your certification was paid for by your employer or another organization, additional information such as grades and course times can also be supplied.  I understand my information may be released orally or in the form of copies of written records, as preferred by the requester.  I understand I may revoke this consent upon providing written notice to Management and Strategy Institute. I further understand that until this revocation is made, and confirmed by Management and Strategy Institute, this consent shall remain in effect and my educational records will continue to be provided to requesters.

California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
1) You acknowledge and agree that Personal Information that you disclose to Management and Strategy Institute is provided to Management and Strategy Institute for the parties’ business purposes.  We may receive Personal Information for the purpose of performing the Service described on this website and in these Terms. We agree that we will process such Personal Information on your behalf and will not sell the Personal Information.  MSI does retain the right to transfer your consumer data to a new owner should there be a sale of Management and Strategy Institute to a buyer, in whole or in part.
2) You may access your data at MSIcertified.com 24/7.  MSI collects the minimum amount of data needed to process your certifications.  Your data can be viewed under your “Account” tab, as well as the “Download Training History” tab.  You can also make a request via service[at]msicertified.com
3) You may request that your data be removed from the certification verification system or the LMS at any time.  Removal of information may limit MSI data verification abilities for certifications.  To request erasure, contact us via our contact form.
4) MSI does not sell personal data.  Please see the section titled ‘3rd Party Disclosure & Cookies‘ regarding our advertising and 3rd party disclosure statement.  Please see section titled ‘Record Verification Requests’ regarding the release of records for verification of certifications to 3rd parties.  You may unsubscribe from our email newsletter at any time.
5) Right of Non-Discrimination – You have the right to not be discriminated against if you exercise these privacy rights. We will not discriminate against you, charge different prices for, or provide a different quality of goods or services if you choose to exercise these rights.
6) How we secure your information – We take reasonable measures, including administrative, technical, and physical safeguards, to protect your information from loss, theft, and misuse, and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. Nevertheless, the internet is not a 100% secure environment, and we cannot guarantee absolute security of the transmission or storage of your information. We hold information about you both at our own premises and with the assistance of third-party service providers.
7) Location Information – Management and Strategy Institute may request access to location information, including geolocation information (DNS information) collected from your device for fraud detection and certification verification.  If you do not consent to this, you should not use our services.
8) Storage and processing – we may use third-party service providers to process and store your information in the United States, Canada, and countries outside North America.
9) The Management and Strategy Institute retains a permanent record of our members basic account details provided during registration.  The members course information, including dates and scores are also retained.  Your student ID# as well as basic verification data is stored on the MSIcertified.org database for verification purposes.  MSI does not store credit card data at any time.

Ethics Policy:  The Management and Strategy Institute ethics policy reflects the high standard of business conduct we demand within our organization. Our Ethics Policy helps define our commitment to trust and integrity in all we do.  We are committed to conducting all of the Institute’s affairs and activities with the highest standards of ethical conduct. All of us have an obligation to adhere to this policy and encourage others to do the same.  We are passionate about our customers, the e-learning community and education.  Our #1 priority is always the customer and the business community.  By registering for an MSI account you are agreeing to the MSI Academic Honesty Policy.

Trademarks & Copyrights:  View Management and Strategy Institute Trademarks and Copyrights.

General Disclaimer:  By using this website or website subdomains and/or purchasing items from our website, or by using this website to gather information, you agree to the terms listed below.

You understand that the Management and Strategy Institute is not guaranteeing that you will get a promotion or job simply because you have taken one of our certification programs or received a certification.  Generally, certifications on a resume can highlight an individuals skills, however not all hiring managers / companies view education or certifications the same way.  You could make MORE or LESS than what is described throughout our website.  Your certification MAY or MAY NOT be recognized by current or future employers, partners, business associates.  You are NOT required to purchase a membership to do business with us or take a training course. We do NOT provide any assistance or advice for operating any type of business, getting a promotion or job. We are strictly a professional development certification provider who provides certification tests in exchange for payment.  The level to which an employer accepts a certification from any institution is always at their sole discretion.

Professional Development:  All training programs and certifications provided by the Management and Strategy Institute are for Individual/Personal Development only.  To learn more about what this means, Read “Understanding MSI Training and Certification“.

MSI Certification Definition:  The passing of a timed skill assessment exam to determine competency of a specific subject.  Certification knowledge level for exams is demonstrated to the Bloom’s Taxonomy level of Apply, unless otherwise noted in the Six Sigma Quality Standards (SSQS) or Process Improvement Credentialing Standards (PICS) requirement for specific skills regarding that credential.  Upon passing of the MSI exam, the credential is issued as a certification for a period of 3-years.  After 3-years, the certification holder must either: A) Renew the certification by completing our renewal process here.  B) Request a free renewal packet using our contact form here. C) If credential is not renewed, the certification becomes a lifetime certificate.  At that point, the credential holder may no longer use the associated post-nominals after their name.  Certifications can be renewed at any time after they have expired by completing the required renewal packet.    Six Sigma Quality Standards (SSQS) and Process Improvement Credentialing Standards (PICS) require certification providers to offer a free certification renewal path.  Use option B above for free renewal.  Free renewal does not include updated certification paperwork.

Training Material License / Exams:  When purchasing our certification exams, we include access to training material which you may use to prepare for the exam.  Your purchase grants you one (1) user license, which you may use for personal use.  Under no circumstance may you redistribute the material in printed or digital form.  Under no circumstance may you redistribute the exam, exam questions, or exam data.  Use of training material for group training is not permitted unless multiple licenses are purchased through the Management and Strategy Institute.  All training material & exams are copyright of Management and Strategy Institute and/or MSI vendors.  You are granted access to the online study material for one year.  You may keep a single, personal PDF copy permanently.  This copy must be stored in a way that is accessible only to you, and not the public.

Professional Competency Unit (PCU):  The Management and Strategy Institute issues Professional Competency Units for all exams taken through MSIcertified.com.  PCUs may or may not be accepted by employers or educational institutions.  View the details of our PCU’s here.

Management and Strategy Institute Marks / Digital Badge / Certificate Use Policy: The Management and Strategy Institute Marks may be used only as described in this Policy. When properly used they represent standards of excellence as established by Management and Strategy Institute and as earned by MSI certified parties in compliance with the Management and Strategy Institute certification Program.

Logos in the form of Badges, Seals, and Certificates (“Logos”). Upon an individual or entity’s achievement of a Designation, the appropriate Logo may be used on business cards, stationary, promotional material, and websites. Logos must be used in the exact configuration and colorization as issued.

Since there are a number of potential uses of the Logos, Management and Strategy Institute cannot precisely define each appropriate use. Management and Strategy Institute asks that you use your professional judgment in the intent of Management and Strategy Institute Marks Usage Policy and utilize the Logos you have earned in a professional manner properly representing Management and Strategy Institute and yourself.

Management and Strategy Institute reserves the right to deny any use of the Logos it determines to be inconsistent with Management and Strategy Institute objectives at its sole discretion.

Coaching Disclaimer:  There is no formal governing body for life coaches, mentors, trainers, or general coaching methods. It is an unregulated industry. There are no formal education requirements needed to become a life coach. Any person who wants to be a life coach can become a life coach, regardless of educational background or experience. Coaching is the process of helping people identify and achieve personal goals through developing skills and attitudes that lead to self-empowerment. A life coach does not act as a therapist, counselor, or health care provider, and psychological intervention lies outside the scope of life coaching. MSI does not regulate, oversee, or have a partnership with MSI certified coaches. MSI certification signifies coaches have fulfilled the basic requirements of the MSI courses. MSI does not endorse, approve, or accredit individual coaches or coaching organizations.  Getting a certification does not provide you with legal protection. A certification simply shows that you’ve completed and passed a training exam. It does not provide a legal framework for starting or operating a business.

Mailing Certificates:
MSI mails certificates and transcripts to the address you provide when you complete the certification.  This applies to US addresses only.
Exceptions:  If you purchased your training access via another website or used a voucher to register, additional costs may apply to have a certificate shipped to you.
International Members:  We are unable to ship physical certificates internationally.  If you’d like to receive your physical certificate & transcripts, MSI recommends using a freight forwarding service.  Services such as this can receive your package, using a US address, then forward it to your country.  Please note these companies charge a fee for their service.  MSI makes no guarantee of delivery if using a mail-forwarding service.

Refund Policy / Program Cancellation Policy:
Individuals:  We provide a Full 100% 30-day refund policy if you are unhappy with the program.  All refunds or cancellation requests can be made via email at service[at]msicertified.com or by texting 484-402-7984. An email will be sent to your account email on-file when your refund has been processed.

  • NOTE 1:  We are unable to issue refunds once a certification exam has been passed.  Any refund request must be made prior to taking the certification exam.
  • NOTE 2: If you registered for one of our courses using a voucher you purchased from another website, you will need to contact that website to request a refund. That company may have a different refund policy. Unfortunately we can not assist with refunds for vouchers.

Corporate, Bulk, Group Purchases:  All group or multi-student purchases are final.  No refunds are issued.  Please speak with your corporate sales representative regarding options for employees who have left your organization or are unable to take a program purchased for them.

Testing Accommodation:
MSI strongly believes in providing accommodations for those who may require them.  The contact form on our website should be used to make an accommodation request at any time prior to the exam.  Accommodations vary by need.

Accessibility:
An abridged audio version and plan text PDF version of this website is available here:  Accessibility

Coupons:
Only one coupon can be used to make a purchase.  Multiple coupons or coupon stacking are not permitted.  This applies to all purchase types.

VA Benefits:
The Six Sigma Black Belt Professional (SSBBP) certification qualified for VA benefit reimbursement for qualified Veterans.  This is the only certification that qualifies for reimbursement at MSI.  Students pay for the program upfront and are then reimbursed for the full amount of the program (up to $299.95) by the VA upon successful passing of the certification exam.  MSI will provide you with the appropriate forms to submit to the VA upon completion of the certification.  NOTE:  It is the student’s responsibility to verify that they qualify for VA benefits before enrolling in the program.  To find out if you are eligible to receive VA benefits, please contact the VA at benefits.va.gov/gibill/
You can read about the program here:  VA Benefits

Tax:
The Management and Strategy Institute (MSI) is not a post-secondary educational provider and MSI does not accept tuition, tuition-assistance funds, student loans, or federal/state financial aid.  MSI does not issue 1098-T tax forms.  MSI does not provide tax advice.  Training costs MAY or MAY NOT be used as a tax deduction depending on your unique, individual situation.  This posting does not constitute tax advice, and any questions regarding taxes should be taken to a qualified tax professional.

Sales Tax:
Pennsylvania Residents:  Sales tax is charged for Pennsylvania residents only.

Account Termination:
The Management and Strategy Institute reserves the right to cancel any account, at any point, for any reason, at its discretion.  This policy helps to prevent fraud and abuse of MSI, its content, trademarks, and intellectual property.  In most situations, if MSI cancels a user account the user will be issued a full refund.  The exception would be if there is financial fraud or financial lose detected.  Reasons an account may be terminated include, but are not limited to:  Copy/distribution of copyrighted material, exam compromise, exam cheating, exam copying, financial fraud, refund fraud, chargeback fraud, refund request after exam.

Course Update Policy:
Affordable quality programs are at the heart of the Management and Strategy Institute.  Our programs are updated with additional resources and “policy updates” as needed, when industry updates, laws, or policies arise.  MSI reserves the right to make updates to our certification exams and the included study material, as needed, without prior notification, at any time.

Acknowledgments:
MSI would like to thank the following contributors: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Policy Updates:
We reserve the right to make updates to these policies at any time without notice.