[2] CIE offered Diplomas and Certificates from a variety of electronics and computer technology programs.

The Institute was established in 1934 by Carl E. Smith under the name Smith Practical Radio Institute to provide correspondence learning courses in the field of Radio and Electronics, and has attracted an international student body since its inception.

[2] In 1956, Cleveland Institute of Electronics conceptualized and patented its "Auto-Programmed" method, a new approach to curriculum presentation.

[4] In the 1960s, Carl Smith commissioned Pickett & Eckel Company to manufacture a slide rule tailored toward the school's course modules.

CIE offered numerous certificates and diplomas in Electronics, Broadcast Engineering Technology (Leading to CBT designation by the Society of Broadcast Engineers), and Computing fields.