Financial Planning Certificate Program

Our Financial Planning Certificate Program is designed for financial professionals who currently or are planning to provide counseling about personal financial management.

By attending our series of comprehensive professional development modules, participants receive well-crafted instruction enabling them to:

• attain excellence as a financial planning practitioners, and;

• aid in preparing them for the CFP® certification examination.

Our Financial Planning Certificate Program is licensed by the Certified Financial Planner® Board of Standards. Satisfactory completion of this program enables participants to meet the educational requirement of the CFP® Board to apply for the CFP® licensing examination

Our instructors are members of the VCU School of Business faculty or highly qualified financial professionals who are CFP® licensees. Courses are taught at the equivalency of the undergraduate junior and senior level of study.

The School of Business provides a non-credit Certificate in Financial Planning to participants who successfully complete all six modules contained in the Program.  Participants who desire to receive this Certificate must maintain a "C" average or better for the entire Program.

The Six Learning Modules  Of Our  Financial Planning Certificate Program

 This is a suggested order of completion of the six modules.^*

1. General Principles of Financial Planning (With HP-12c/Time Value of Money segment)

2. Insurance, Employee Benefits Planning

3. Investment Planning

4. Income Tax Planning

5. Retirement Planning

6. Estate Planning

All modules are taught once a week in three-hour classes.  The curriculum requires participants to spend between four and six hours of independent study and reading per week.  Quizzes and exams are used in each module.

In order to receive the Certificate of Completion from the VCU School of Business you must complete all six modules detailed above.

Textbooks selected for each module are chosen with the intention of being the best reference sources for exam preparation and as future reference sources for participants practicing as professionals.

*Those completing the program in Richmond must complete General Principles prior to taking Investment Planning.

General Program Information

Program Schedules

The School of Business at Virginia Commonwealth University generally offers this program twice an academic year; usually in the fall and again in early winter. Programs always begin with the General Responsibilities for Financial Planning module. The five subsequent modules are offered in a consecutive schedule. Participants normally can complete all six modules in a period of 18 to 22 months.  Please see the current course schedule for current dates.

The School is also capable of providing this Program as an in-house offering for corporations. Curriculum can be customized to corporate goals and training & development policies.  Please contact the office for further information on how to bring the program to you.

Registration Qualifications:

Our program is open to any individual currently practicing as a financial planning professional or aspiring to do so.  Having a four-year undergraduate degree is now required as our modules are taught equivalent to senior undergraduate-level curriculums and CFP Board is requiring all CFP certificants to have a four year degree beginning 2008.  You should have ability to work with moderately complex financial and mathematical problems.  Our program also requires extensive readings covering theoretical and technical material.  Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution providing access to education without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation, veteran's status, political affiliation or disability.  

Program Grading:

Although a non-credit program, the School requires participants to have a grade of  "C" or better upon completion of each module. Each module's curriculum will contain quizzes, and/or interim and final exams where study on one's own time is essential. Grades will be assigned at the discretion of each module's instructor.

Registration Acceptance: 

This program is limited to 30 students.  Program placement will be reserved in the order in which we receive registrations.  Official acceptance in the Program will be made to the candidate upon receipt of both this registration form and subsequent payment of our registration invoice; VCU is an equal opportunity institution. 

Special Accommodations and/or Requirements:

VCU is an equal opportunity institution.  Should you require special assistance regarding your participation, please discuss these personally with the Director of Corporate Education prior to the beginning of the course.

Fees:

Each module costs $850.00.  Fees must be paid in advance of each modules first class.  The Center accepts MasterCard, VISA, American Express and checks made out to VCU SCHOOL OF BUSINESS FOUNDATION*.  Fees do not include the books which average $150.00 per module.  Participants are also required to have an HP-12C financial calculator.  Participants may register and pay online via our Online registration website.

CFP Transfer of Credit and Course Challenge Policy

Alternative professional designations or work experience will not be accepted in lieu of formal coursework. 

Courses may be "challenged" by:

            a)   Petitioning and submitting evidence of adequate preparation acceptable to the Academic Advisor and paying a nonrefundable $100 fee. 

            b)   Where the challenge is accepted, the petitioner will be required to pay a second nonrefundable $400 fee and take an examination on the material of the challenged course. 

            c)   Where a grade of "B" or better on the examination is achieved, the course will be waived and the examination grade will be assigned as the course grade.

            d)   Only one course may be "challenged."

Course work from a non - VCU CFP Board approved program may be submitted to the Academic Director for transfer of credit for equivalent VCU courses:

            a)   Only courses in which the student received a "B" or better may be submitted for consideration for transfer of credit for equivalent VCU courses.

            b)   The submitted course(s) must have been completed within the last three years. 

            c)   Consideration for transfer requires payment of a nonrefundable $100. 

            d)   Where approved by the Academic Director, the grade from the original course will be assigned as the VCU course grade.

 No more than a total of three courses may be challenged or transferred.

Cancellations

All cancellations must be made in writing. Refunds: 80% after the registration deadline, 50% after first class, no refunds thereafter (after second class). Tuition in lieu of refund may be applied to another future module as a one-time option during the Program as a result of your need to withdraw or failure to meet grading or attendance requirements.

Program Completion

The School's Certificate satisfies the educational requirement of the CFP® Board of Standards and enables you to qualify to apply to take the CFP® certification examination. Receiving your Certificate from the School does not automatically qualify you to take the exam or receive your CFP® designation. Many participants attend our Program to gain knowledge of the financial planning profession and do not elect to take the CFP® certification examination.

Program Location(s) 

• Richmond, VA  - Classes are held in the VCU School of Business, Snead Hall, 301 West Main Street. Richmond VA 23284-4000

• Northern Virginia   - Classes are held at Ameriprise Financial, 8045 Leesburg Pike, Suite 500 Vienna VA.

How to Register

To register contact the Center for Corporate Education at the VCU School of Business to obtain a registration form for this program.  To download the registration form click Here.  Telephone: 804/828-3165, FAX 804/828-6615, E-mail: CORP-ED@VCU.EDU, mailing address: Snead Hall, School of Business
301 W. Main Street, Richmond, VA 23284-4000.

*The VCU School of Business Foundation is a nonprofit organization devoted entirely to the welfare of Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Business - FIN 20-2661802. Virginia Commonwealth University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action University.