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Colleges and Universities: Register a Financial Planning Education Program with CFP Board

What are CFP Board-Registered Programs?

CFP Board-Registered Programs are financial planning education programs at the college or university level that meet specific criteria for educating individuals who wish to fulfill the education component for obtaining CFP® certification. Individuals who meet CFP Board's education requirement are eligible to sit for the CFP® Certification Examination. Successful completion of the education and examination components completes two of the core prerequisites to obtain CFP® certification. A program may be an undergraduate, graduate, doctoral or non-credit certificate program, but all programs must meet several core requirements. For example, the institution must be a regionally-accredited institution of higher education and the program's courses must cover specific financial planning topics that have been identified by practicing CFP® certificants during periodic job analysis studies as important for a financial planning practitioner to master. (To view the current topic list, see CFP Board's Guide to CFP® Certification.)

Beyond these core requirements, however, there is much room for flexibility. For example, in addition to the option of offering the program at the undergraduate, graduate or certificate level, the program could be offered through a school of business or consumer sciences, or a continuing education department. Programs can be classroom-based or provide distance-learning options. Learn more about the requirements for registering a financial planning curriculum with CFP Board.

How can my institution benefit from offering a CFP Board-Registered Program?

Personal financial planning was rated as the number one profession in America by Jobs Rated Almanac in 2000 and continues to attract a growing number of college students and career changers. CFP® certification is the most widely recognized professional certification in the field of personal financial planning, with more than 56,000 individuals in the United States currently holding CFP® certification and record numbers of other individuals working to obtain the certification. The growing demand for CFP® certification translates into an opportunity for your school to take advantage of the potential to attract students to a CFP Board-Registered Program. Students often contact CFP Board directly to find institutions with a CFP Board-Registered Program in their area and make their school choice based on this information. View a list of current CFP Board-Registered Programs.

Along with the capability of attracting more students to your school, having a CFP Board-Registered Program at your institution offers a potential benefit to other students on campus. Financial planning students in CFP Board-Registered Programs often participate in student-run peer-counseling programs to gain real-life experience in financial planning. This in turn helps to educate other students about the benefits of proper money management and works to combat the common lack of financial literacy on many campuses today.

How can my institution register a financial planning curriculum with CFP Board?

To start the registration process you'll need to complete the CFP Board-Registered Program Application. Once CFP Board receives your application, staff will review it and may seek additional information or clarification from you during the review period.

Basic requirements for registering a program

CFP Board registers undergraduate and graduate degree programs, as well as non-degree (certificate) programs, offered by regionally accredited U.S. colleges and universities. Programs are registered for an initial period of 12 months, renewable for additional 18-month periods, subject to meeting the criteria then in place. Following are basic criteria for registering a program (please consult the Criteria for Registering a Financial Planning Curriculum with CFP Board for more details):

All courses must be at the upper division baccalaureate level or higher, and the curriculum must be at least 15 semester credit hours in length, or the equivalent.
All lead faculty must hold either appropriate graduate degrees or the CFP® certification plus a bachelor’s degree.
At a minimum, the program must cover, generally at the highest cognitive levels, CFP Board’s Financial Planning Topic List, which outlines the knowledge needed for competence in the tasks performed by a CFP® certificant.
For degree programs, CFP Board will accept the level and credit hour determinations of the institution. For certificate programs, American Council on Education (ACE) recommendations will be accepted, or the institution may substantiate the length and level requirements in the application.

Suggestions and Tips for a Successful Registered Program

Registered Programs find that working with an active local advisory council that includes CFP® certificants can prove invaluable, both for curriculum design and for making the program known in the community.
Consider using qualified CFP® certificants as faculty or as guest instructors; this can help ensure that students are exposed to current issues in personal financial planning.
Becoming involved with financial planning organizations, such as the Financial Planning Association (FPA), can provide faculty and students with a connection to resources in financial planning, including internships and student membership opportunities.
Participating in academic organizations concerned with personal financial planning, such as the Academy of Financial Services (AFS), can provide valuable contacts and serve as a research outlet.
When building your curriculum, you may use the model financial planning curriculum developed by CFP Board and the AFS either “as is” or with enhancements specific to your institution.
Attending CFP Board’s annual Program Directors Conference is a great way to network with your peers to gain practical advice, hear success stories and get important updates and marketing tips from CFP Board.

Tools & Resources

We look forward to working with you and are available to address any questions or concerns you may have. Please feel free to contact us at 800-487-1497 or education@CFPBoard.org.

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