Certificate in Financial Planning - CFP(R)
Financial planning is considered the top-rated profession according to the Jobs Rated Almanac 2005, and the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification has become the national standard of professionalism within the industry. Merrimack College's Certificate Program in Financial Planning is designed to meet the needs of all professionals and practitioners who want to expand their personal knowledge of financial planning, enhance their careers, and develop the skills and expertise necessary to serve their clients.
Why Attend This Program?
The Certificate Program in Financial Planning is registered with Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. Our program offers six comprehensive courses in all financial planning subject areas, and two additional courses designed to prepare participants for the rigorous CFP® Certification Examination. Merrimack College awards a "Certificate of Advanced Study in Financial Planning" upon the completion of all seven required courses.
At Merrimack College you'll find:
- Expert faculty
- Courses designed to cover all topics tested by CFP Board
- Quality materials and relevant case studies
- Plenty of easy (and free) parking
- Convenient suburban location near intersection of Routes 93 and 495
- Lowest cost/best value of any New England CFP Board registered program
Our Personal Approach provides:
- Small classes and interactive discussions
- Flexibility in scheduling courses
- Networking opportunities with other business professionals
- Career counseling services
- Continuing education credit
Course Offerings
The program consists of six required ten-week courses, and a required eight-week Case Analysis exam preparation course. Courses are offered four times a year and meet one night a week from 6-9 pm. The Case Analysis course and the optional six day Comprehensive Review course are scheduled to coincide with the CFP® Certificate Examination, offered three times a year.
Tuition Policy
Tuition for all required courses is $745 per course. Textbooks are additional and can be seen on the CFP Book List. All students pay a one-time matriculation fee of $35. Payment for courses must be made in full prior to the first class meeting.
Transfer Credits
It is possible to transfer course work from other CFP Board Registered programs. Make the request in writing to the Director of Financial Planning Programs and provide an official transcript, or grade reports, including course descriptions. The Director will make the final decision. To qualify for a Certificate from Merrimack, at least fifty percent of the course work must be completed in the Merrimack program (including the capstone course - Case Analysis). This is subject to review in certain circumstances.
Certification
Merrimack College does not certify individuals to use the CFP®, Certified Financial Planner™, and the CFP® certification marks. CFP certification is granted only by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards INC. to those persons who, in addition to completing an educational requirement such as this CFP Board-Registered Program have met its examination, experience and ethics requirements.
The CFP Board requires candidates for CFP(r) certification to earn a bachelor's degree before they can hold the CFP mark. Refer to the CFP Board's website at www.CFP.net for more information.
Call 978-837-5426 for more information
Norm Langlois, CFP(R)
Director, Financial Planning Programs
Normand.Langlois@merrimack.edu