The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising certificate, of which the search module is a part, is a 10 month online learning programme and qualification for individuals of all disciplines to gain an in-depth understanding of communications planning and implementation.
Patrick Mills, IPA director of professional development, said: "As search is now such a significant part of the media landscape it was essential to include a module dedicated to it in the IPA Advanced Certificate.
"As The Search Works has played a particularly active role in the IPA Search Group we felt that the agency would be very well placed to provide the vital information about search engine marketing necessary for this module."
Inclusion of the search module reflects the increased importance of the search sector.
The latest Bellwether Report revealed search engine marketing was the only sector to register an increase to its marketing spend.
Search is also becoming a more integral part of the marketing communications mix as brands use it to complement their existing digital or traditional media strategy to gain market share.
The advanced certificate aims to provide a bridge from trainee to those more experienced.
It will provide an opportunity for participants to gain crucial knowledge about the increasingly complex media world through practical and up to date case studies.
Stephanie Carr, managing director of the Search Works, said: "As search continues to grow as a discipline, education is key to driving best practice across the industry.
"In this endeavour, we are delighted to be in partnership with the IPA."