Accelerate Your Board Candidacy

Build Your Board Readiness with NACD Accelerate^TM

Prepare to Land Your First Board Position

Ready to take your executive experience to the boardroom? Our Accelerate^™ program equips aspiring directors with credentials and connections to improve your board candidacy and the knowledge to succeed when you get there. Designed for executives preparing for their first board role, this program gives you everything you need to kick-start your directorship career—including access to NACD Directorship Certification^®.

Connect with NACD to learn more about our Accelerate^TM and Certification programs.

Program Benefits

Comprehensive Package

Receive 2 years of NACD Membership, the Virtual Director Professionalism^® course, and access to our NACD Directorship Certification^® exam—all in one streamlined enrollment.

Leadership Distinction

Demonstrate you are board-ready by earning the most prestigious credential in directorship training.

Exclusive Savings

Join as an executive team and receive special group pricing.

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Accelerate^™: What’s Included

Certification

• Study materials
• Virtual Director Professionalism™ course
• NACD Directorship Certification® exam

Networking & Events

• Connection to 24,000+ directors and peers
• Accelerate™-exclusive events and programming
• Access to NACD's chapter network
• Targeted networking opportunities

Education & Resources

• Custom-designed curriculum
• One-on-one advisory support
• Board readiness assessment
• Governance resources and tools

Program Pricing

Two-Year Investment: $6,500

Includes access to the NACD Directorship Certification® program, valued at $4,900.

Purchasing Accelerate™ for an aspiring director on your team? If you’re already a corporate NACD member, enjoy our special Corporate Board rate of $3,750.

Enroll Now

Start Your Certification Journey

Earning the NACD.DC^® designation positions you as a qualified candidate ready to contribute to boardroom discussions and governance practices

Signal Your Board Readiness

Aspiring directors who hold NACD Certification demonstrate familiarity with the most critical oversight issues facing boards today, from cybersecurity to government policy—essential knowledge for landing your first board seat.

Differentiate Your Candidacy

Join a distinguished group of executives who have proven their dedication to board readiness through rigorous preparation and a commitment to continuous learning.

Build Stakeholder Confidence

Certified director candidates inspire greater trust during board recruitment and before nominating committees through demonstrated governance knowledge and preparedness.

What Accelerate^™ Graduates & NACD Members Are Saying

The tools that I gained in the course of my NACD Accelerate^™ participation have been invaluable. The topics were an excellent complement to what I had learned already in the course of my career and prepared me very well to bring value to the boardroom.

Joanna Burkey

NACD Directorship Certification^® is essential for first-time board members. The program provides an all-encompassing view of what it means to be a director and how to effectively contribute to the boardroom.

Anna Fieler

Board Member of Shake Shack

Ready to Improve Your Board Candidacy?

Here’s how you can get started:

Not a member? Create an account.
Add Accelerate™ to your cart.
Review and sign the NACD Attestation and Nondisclosure Agreement.
Select a payment method and complete your purchase.

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FAQs

Still have questions?

Still have questions? Get in touch with an NACD advisor.