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Certificate in Financial Planning

Declare Candidacy

Obtain training for the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Board education requirements in the nine personal financial planning areas. Gain the skills, knowledge, and understanding that relate to all 72 domains, and prepare to sit for the Certified Financial Planner Certification Examination.

The Certificate in Financial Planning is designed to fulfill the educational requirements necessary to sit for the Certified Financial Planner Certification Examination. The program covers all 72 financial planning topics required by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc., and additional relevant topics. The financial planning certificate is available in three program formats to accommodate students’ specific needs and schedules: the in-person Certificate in Financial Planning, the Web-Delivered Certificate in Financial Planning (Live Online, Instructor-Led), and the Web-Delivered Certificate in Financial Planning (Self-Paced).

This financial planning certificate provides traditional classroom learning and flexibility presented in seven modules covering the fundamentals of financial planning, including the financial planning process and insurance, investment planning, income tax planning, retirement planning and employee benefits, and estate planning. Candidates have up to three years to complete the Certificate in Financial Planning. A calculator proficiency exam is required. Tuition fees do not include the cost of required study guides and online exam fees in the financial planning certificate courses FP 2 through FP 6, which must be purchased by each individual student in order to qualify for access to the online final exam.

Who Should Enroll

  • Professionals and college graduates who want a career in financial planning.
  • Those who work with financial planners, such as, accountants, attorneys, real estate agents, stockbrokers, or insurance agents.
  • Individuals interested in learning about long-term life-cycle financing.

The Certificate in Financial Planning is designed for students who want to complete the educational requirements for the CFP® examination. In order to sit for the CFP Exam, students must have a bachelor’s degree in any subject. For more information, please email the  CFP Board directly.

Course Materials

Course materials and online exams for FP 2 through FP 6 are required to be purchased from Dalton Education. The textbooks can be purchased from Dalton Education, or they can be purchased elsewhere. There is no textbook for FP 1.

For more information, visit the NYU SPS CFP Webpage or email sps.finance@nyu.edu.

Note: CFP Board owns the marks CFP, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and CFP (with flame logo)®, which it awards to individuals who successfully complete initial and ongoing certification requirements.

Obtain training for the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Board education requirements in the nine personal financial planning areas. Gain the skills, knowledge, and understanding that relate to all 72 domains, and prepare to sit for the Certified Financial Planner Certification Examination.

Format

Hybrid

Requirements

7 Courses

Price

$7,125*

*Estimate based on current course prices; subject to change.

Two people at a table smile as they discuss the Certificate in Financial Planning program at NYU SPS.

Why This Certificate?

Fulfill CFP Board Educational Requirements

Completion of the CFP Board educational requirements in the major personal financial planning areas necessary to sit for the Certified Financial Planner Certification Examination.

Understand Principal Knowledge Topics

Gain knowledge and understanding of all 70 principal knowledge topics mandated by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. to attain CFP certification.

Heighten Your Understanding of Practice Standards

Gain the necessary understanding of professional practice standards and the ability to apply the CFP Board Financial Planning Practice Standards to the financial planning process.

Learn Financial Planning Techniques

Learn to communicate complex financial planning techniques and to provide recommendations in a clear, fair, and relevant manner.

Apply Financial Planning Information

Acquire the ability to apply and integrate the financial planning information to formulate a financial plan, and the skills to successfully communicate the financial plan results both orally and in writing.

Efficiently Use Financial Tools

Become proficient in using a financial calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Certificate Specifics

On average, students complete the certificate in two years. However, students are able to enroll in courses at their own pace and have up to three years to complete the certificate.

Yes, our program is approved by the Certified Financial Planning Board. The CFP Board reviews the curriculum annually ensuring compliance with the CFP Board curriculum requirements.

Once students complete the Certificate in Financial Planning, they will meet the education requirement needed to sit for the CFP exam.

There is no formal application for the Certificate in Financial Planning. We ask that you complete the Declaration of Candidacy form and you can enroll in available courses either online or by calling the Student Services Department at 212-998-7150.

Students are encouraged to enroll as soon as course registration opens on the website but must register no later than two weeks before the course start date.

No. The certificate in Financial Planning does not require any prerequisites. Please note that although not a prerequisite,  FP 1: Fundamentals of Financial Planning must be completed first in the sequence, and FP 7: Capstone must be completed last in the sequence.  All other courses required in the Financial Planning Certificate can be taken in any sequence.

No, students pay for each course at the time of registration. Each course is paid individually as you enroll in each course.

If you have additional questions regarding this certificate, contact sps.finance@nyu.edu.

General Certificate FAQ

It’s preferable if you do, but you can still declare candidacy even after taking a course. Declaring candidacy does not commit you to completing it, but you will receive a 10% discount on future NYU SPS continuing education courses.

 

Assuming the course is part of the certificate, yes, but only if the course was taken within an acceptable time frame. The academic department gives students a specific amount of time to complete a certificate. The start date would be adjusted to the first class to which we applied the discount.  

 

Yes, if a student declares candidacy for a certificate and achieves an average overall grade of B or higher in courses counting toward the certificate, they will be awarded a certificate badge upon completion, which will be shareable on their resume and LinkedIn profile.

 

No, continuing education courses and certificates do not qualify for financial aid. 

 

Most continuing education programs do not count as credit toward a degree.

 

Please contact sps.info@nyu.edu.