Logging In

Gain access to IFA Academy through the login portal: https://learning.franchise.org. A link to this portal can be found under the main menu dropdown on franchise.org and on your member.franchise.org Personal Snapshot page.  

IFA Academy has the convenience of Single Sign On (SSO) so that your login credentials are the same across all IFA platforms.  

• If you have an existing account on franchise.org, use your same login credentials (email and password) to access the LMS. If you’re already logged into your IFA account, IFA Academy will automatically open when you click the login portal.
• If you do not have an existing account, we welcome you to create one by clicking the "Don't Have an Account?" button on the login page.

 
Note: To avoid technical issues, please do not create duplicate accounts using multiple email addresses.

Below are the key areas of IFA Academy’s homepage.

Menu Icon
The three horizontal lines in the top left corner form the menu icon. Click here to quickly navigate to other areas of the LMS or redirect yourself back to the homepage. Clicking the IFA Academy logo will also bring you back to the homepage.

Profile Icon
The circle in the top right corner is the profile icon. Click here to edit your profile and adjust your account settings as needed. The profile icon is also where the sign out button is located.

Welcome Carousel
The rotating slide set in the center of the homepage is the welcome carousel. Click the arrows on either end to view the information highlighted on each slide.

The catalog lists all the courses available to learners for enrollment. To navigate to the catalog, click the green ‘Browse Catalog’ action widget on the homepage or use the catalog search bar within the Learning Center.

To enroll into a course, click on the blue “Purchase” button next to the course’s title in the catalog. This will take you to a checkout screen that is seamlessly linked to your franchise.org member account. Once your order is complete, click the "IFA Academy Access" button across the top of the screen to return to the learning platform. Your enrolled courses will appear in the Learning Center.

IFA Academy User Guide

Welcome to the user guide for IFA Academy, the International Franchise Association’s online Learning Management System (LMS). Our coursework offers a wide array of content designed to meet the needs of all learners, from newcomers exploring the world of franchising to seasoned executives honing their knowledge. The sections below lay out key information to guide users through the IFA Academy LMS platform.

Exploring the Homepage

Action Widgets

The square buttons beneath the welcome carousel are action widgets that allow for quick navigation.

Primary Action Widget The dark blue Primary Action widget intuitively suggests an action for learners. It will allow you to easily launch a newly enrolled course or resume a recent course.

 
Learning Center Widget The teal widget takes you directly to the Learning Center where you can see your current and completed courses. If you are in the CFE Certification Program, you can view your progress under the certifications tab. Jump to the catalog and find courses by using the catalog search bar along the right-hand side.

 
Browse Catalog Widget The green widget brings you directly to the catalog where you can search for courses and enroll.

Featured Learning
This area showcases courses that the IFA aims to highlight. The first course that will always appear is the Learner Guide course. We encourage you to enroll in this free course to gain access to helpful information and resources about using the IFA Academy LMS platform.

Featured News
This area showcases news, updates, and articles from our partners and sponsors.

Messages
Navigate here to view your recent inbox messages such as enrollment confirmations, completion notifications, or notices of course expiration.

Certification Program Progress
Participants of the CFE Certification Program will be able to view a brief snapshot of their progress in this area. Full progress can be viewed within the Learning Center.

Searching the Catalog

Use the search bar to type in topics, titles, keywords, or speaker names to find relevant courses. You can also browse using the categories and filters listed along the left-hand side to find common topics or courses geared toward specific audiences.

Click the title of each listing to show details such as the description of the course, the estimated completion time, and the number of credits awarded.

Course Types:

• Online Learning Course – a self-paced, asynchronous online course.
• Live Virtual Learning Event – a live event, such as a webinar, held in a virtual meeting space.

Get started with a course by going to the Learning Center — the hub for viewing enrollments and launching courses. Navigate to the Learning Center by clicking the teal action widget on the homepage or clicking ‘Learning Center’ within the menu side bar.

Completing a Course

Enrolling into a Course

Many courses within IFA Academy are designed to open in a separate window. To ensure a seamless learning experience, please disable your browser’s pop-up blockers by following the steps below.

Disabling Pop-Up Blockers

For assistance with the IFA Academy platform, learners can email the LMS Administrator at learning@franchise.org.

For assistance with the CFE program, learners can email
cfe@franchise.org.

Help Contacts

Frequently Asked Questions

Note: We encourage you to enroll in the free Learner Guide course to gain access to helpful information about using the IFA Academy LMS platform. The same checkout process applies for free courses.

CURRENT TAB: Any active course enrollments will appear under the ‘Current’ tab.

Online Learning Courses 
Online Learning Courses are self-paced and asynchronous. Click the blue ‘Launch’ or ‘Resume’ button to directly open the course content. Alternatively, click the course title to go to the main course page and view general details before opening the course content.

Learners must complete their course within the access window listed in the catalog and designated upon enrollment. This access window is noted under the Current Tab and is also sent via notification email upon enrollment.

Important Note: Course content may open in a new window. Please make sure your browser settings allow pop-ups for IFA Academy so that courses open properly. You can ensure this by adding the URL learning.franchise.org to the ‘Allowed’ list under your browser’s pop-up settings. For assistance, refer to this Disabling Pop-Up Blockers guide at the bottom of this document.

Live Virtual Learning Events 
Live Virtual Learning Events are live activities scheduled for a particular date and time, such as webinars. Click the blue ‘Attend’ button to directly open the designated virtual meeting space. Alternatively, click the course title to go to the main course page and view general details before opening the virtual meeting space.

COMPLETED TAB: Any finished courses will automatically transfer to the ‘Completed’ tab.

• Click the hyperlinked ‘View Course’ link if you want to review the course content again before the designated expiration date.
• Click the blue ‘View credits awarded’ button to view earned credits.
• Important Note: Be sure to complete all course requirements, including the PostWork Course Evaluation, for a course to be marked as completed. Once course requirements are done you can find the survey link by navigating to the course homepage or by clicking 'Launch Post Work' next to the course title within the Learning Center.

CERTIFICATION TAB: If you are in the CFE Certification Program, you can view your program progress in the Learning Center under the ‘Certifications’ tab. Any courses completed within IFA Academy will automatically appear in your certification progress. Click the blue ‘Continue’ button for a full snapshot of your progress.

Please refer to
www.franchise.org/certification or contact cfe@franchise.org for further information about the CFE program and credit requirements.

GOOGLE CHROME

Using the Chrome browser, go to chrome://settings/content/popups?search=Pop-up
Then add https://learning.franchise.org to the “Allowed” list.

MICROSOFT EDGE

Using the Microsoft Edge browser, go to edge://settings/content/popups
Then add https://learning.franchise.org to the “Allowed” list.

FIREFOX

Using the Firefox browser, go to about:preferences#privacy
Under the “Permissions” section toward the bottom of the page, click the “Exceptions” button next to “Block pop-up windows”
Then add https://learning.franchise.org to the list of allowed websites. Click “Save.”

FAQ

Logging In

The login portal for IFA Academy can be found under the main menu dropdown on franchise.org and on your member.franchise.org Personal Snapshot page. The direct URL for the platform is https://learning.franchise.org Use your existing IFA account email and password to login. If you’re new to IFA platforms, we welcome you to create an account at the same login portal noted above. Please avoid creating duplicate accounts under multiple email addresses.

Yes. IFA Academy takes advantage of Single Sign-On technology so you can use your existing IFA account email and password to login. If you’re new to IFA platforms, create an account at the same login portal noted above. Please avoid creating duplicate accounts using multiple email addresses.

You can reset your password by clicking the “Forgot your password?” link on the login page. Reset instructions will be sent to the email address associated with your account.

Enrollment and Course Completion

Use the catalog to search for a course. To navigate to the catalog, click the green ‘Browse Catalog’ action widget on the homepage or use the catalog search bar within the Learning Center. Within the catalog, you can use the search bar to type in titles, topics, or speakers of interest. You can also search using the categories along the left-hand side of the catalog.

To enroll into a course, click on the dark blue “Purchase” button next to the course’s title in the catalog. This action will take you to a checkout screen that is seamlessly linked to your franchise.org member account. Once your order is complete, click the "IFA Academy Access" button across the top of the screen to return to the learning platform. Your enrolled courses will appear in the Learning Center.

Access a course through the Learning Center by clicking the teal ‘Learning Center’ action widget on the homepage. You can also click ‘Learning Center’ within the side navigation menu. Once you located a course, click the blue ‘Launch’ or ‘Resume’ button to directly open the course content. For live virtual learning events, click the ‘Attend’ button to enter the virtual meeting space. Use the navigation bar to proceed through a course. Be sure to complete your course before the designated access window expires.

If a recently purchased course does not appear in your Learning Center right away, you will likely see a blue 'Sync Latest Data' button appear at the top of the Current tab. Click this button for your recently purchased course to appear.

Errors with opening course content are likely related to pop-up blockers. IFA Academy course content often opens in a new window. Please make sure your browser settings allow pop-ups for our site so that courses open properly. You can ensure this by adding the URL learning.franchise.org to the ‘Allowed’ list under your browser’s pop-up settings. For assistance, refer to the Disabling Pop-Up Blockers shown above. If you still experience errors, make sure you’re using the most updated version of Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, or Safari browsers. Check your internet connection as well.

IFA Academy course content often opens in a new window. If you see the screen saying “Content Is Running” then the course has opened properly – check for a newly opened browser tab or window where the content has opened. If a new tab doesn’t open, please make sure your browser settings allow pop-ups for our site so that courses open properly. You can ensure this by adding the URL learning.franchise.org to the ‘Allowed’ list under your browser’s pop-up settings. For assistance, refer to this Disabling Pop-Up Blockers guide on this page.

Yes. If you start a course and would like to resume later, please be sure to close the lesson window that opens in a separate tab and return to the main IFA Academy course page. This will ensure that your progress is saved and you can pick up where you left off. Important note: If a lesson is opened in a new tab and left inactive for an extended period of time, the page may time out and your progress will not be saved.

In order for a course to be marked as complete and issue CFE credit, all course modules must be completed. Be sure to fulfill all course requirements so that each module will trigger as complete. Course requirements may include fully viewing all videos, answering knowledge checks, and passing quizzes. Important note: If a lesson is opened in a new tab and left inactive for an extended period of time, the page may time out and your progress will not be saved. Please be sure to close the lesson window that opens in a separate tab and return to the main IFA Academy course page. This will ensure that your progress is saved and marked as complete at the end. In addition to all course requirements, learners must take the Postwork Course Evaluation in order for a course to be marked as completed. Once course requirements are done, you can find the survey link by navigating to the course homepage or by clicking 'Launch Post Work' next to the course title within the Learning Center.

Learners must complete their course within the access window listed in the catalog and designated upon enrollment. This access window is noted under the Current Tab and is also sent via notification email upon enrollment.

For IFA Academy courses, a full refund (minus $25 administrative fee) or "course credit" in the amount of the original purchase will be granted if cancellation is received in writing within 3 days of course purchase. Courses may not be "started," "in progress," or "completed" at the time of refund request. All written cancellations must be sent to cfe@franchise.org and include the original order confirmation email.

Credits and Certification

Please refer to www.franchise.org/certification or contact cfe@franchise.org for further information about the CFE program and credit requirements.

No – any learner can enroll into any course. While some courses are required for CFE candidates and geared toward the CFE program overall, IFA Academy courses are available to all learners.

View your earned credits within the ‘Completed’ tab of the Learning Center by clicking the blue ‘View credits awarded’ link under a course title. If you are in the CFE Certification Program, you can view earned credits tied to your program progress within the ‘Certifications’ tab of the Learning Center.

You can view your CFE program progress in the Learning Center under the ‘Certifications’ tab. Click the blue ‘Continue’ button for a full snapshot of your progress.

Yes – any courses completed within IFA Academy will automatically appear in your certification process. You can view your CFE program progress in the Learning Center under the ‘Certifications’ tab.

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International Franchise Association
1900 K Street, NW Suite 700, Washington, DC 20006