Single Sign-On (SSO) for Subscriber Organizations
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Single Sign-On (SSO)
Single Sign-On (SSO) allows your organization’s learners to access the CITI Program training website using their existing organizational login credentials instead of creating a separate CITI Program username and password.
After signing in through your organization’s system, learners are automatically directed to CITI Program without needing to log in again.
Table of Contents
- What is Single Sign-On?
- Who should use SSO?
- Advantages for Learners
- Advantages for Organizations
- Automatic Course Enrollment
- Is SSO Secure?
- What Does It Cost?
- Integrations
- Technical Information
- Contact Information
What is Single Sign-On (SSO)?
Single Sign-On (SSO) is an authentication method that allows your organization’s learners to access the CITI Program training website using their existing organizational login credentials instead of creating a separate CITI Program username and password.
After signing in through your organization’s system, learners are automatically directed to CITI Program without needing to log in again.
Who should use SSO?
SSO is a good option for organizations that:
- Have an established identity management system (such as Microsoft Entra or Okta)
- Want to simplify the login process for learners
- Need more accurate tracking and reporting of learner activity
- Prefer centralized control over user access (account creation, updates, and deactivation)
SSO is especially beneficial for institutions with a large number of learners or those requiring frequent training compliance.
Recommended Option by Organization Type
The best authentication method depends on your organization’s size, technical infrastructure, and training needs. The following guidance can help determine whether Single Sign-On (SSO) or standard CITI Program login is the better fit.
| Organization Type | Recommended Option | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Large universities or research institutions | SSO | Typically have established identity management systems and benefit from centralized access and accurate reporting. |
| Healthcare systems and hospitals | SSO | Supports secure access control and aligns with existing IT infrastructure and compliance requirements. |
| Organizations with Microsoft Entra (Azure) or Okta | SSO | Can leverage existing authentication systems for a seamless user experience. |
| Mid-sized organizations with IT support | SSO (if available) | Improves user experience and reduces password-related issues, provided technical resources are available. |
| Small organizations or independent learners | CITI Program Username & Password | Does not require setup or integration and is easier to implement without dedicated IT resources. |
| Organizations without an identity provider | CITI Program Username & Password | SSO requires an existing authentication system, which may not be available. |
What are the advantages for learners?
Learners already use their organizational credentials regularly, making them easier to remember. In contrast, a CITI Program username and password—used only occasionally—may be forgotten.
While CITI Program offers tools to recover login credentials, using SSO eliminates the need for that extra step.
What are the advantages for organizations?
SSO helps ensure that learners are accurately identified in training reports, as their activity is directly linked to their organizational credentials.
It also allows your organization to maintain full control over user access through its identity management system, including account creation, updates, and deactivation.
Additionally, SSO improves the user experience by simplifying access to training, which can support higher training completion and compliance rates.
Automatic Course Enrollment
Our SSO also offers the additional feature of automatic course enrollment. Unique SSO-enabled links can be created to enroll learners into a course or set of courses.
Is the SSO process secure?
CITI Program’s SSO implementation uses widely adopted, industry-standard security protocols that are recognized as secure by organizations and governing bodies worldwide.
What does it cost?
For organizations that are members of InCommon, or by extension eduGAIN—and that require no additional data cleanup or development work—SSO implementation includes:
- A one-time setup fee of $500
- An annual maintenance fee of $150
Other standard SSO integrations begin at $1,000 for implementation, plus the same annual fee.
Organizations that have been using CITI Program before their implementation of SSO often find it useful to go through a one-time process of data cleanup, to match learners' organization IDs to CITI identities that have been previously created. We will provide free estimates for that additional effort based on your requirements.
For non-InCommon or other non-standard SSO requests, we will evaluate the feasibility of support and provide a free estimate.
Do you have any integrations?
Yes. CITI Program supports integrations with:
Additional Services
For an additional fee, we offer a Member Matching and Data Cleanup service to aid in matching existing records to SSO credentials.
How can I get more technical information?
See the technical specifications for our standard implementation and alternatives.
Who can I contact to get started?
To request an estimate or begin the implementation process, please contact the CITI Program Sales Department.
Need additional help?
Contact our support team for assistance.