The Graduate Certificate in Personal Financial Planning Program
The Graduate Certificate in Personal Financial Planning Program is designed for accountants who desire the skills necessary to provide clients with personal financial planning services, in addition to accountancy and taxation based services. The program is geared toward individuals who already have undergraduate accounting degrees or the equivalent.
Specifically, the certificate program is designed to prepare students to perform comprehensive financial planning services to individuals in the area of investment, insurance, retirement plans, income taxes and estate taxes. The curriculum is modeled after the topic areas in which proficiency must be demonstrated in order to earn the P.F.S. add-on credential to a C.P.A. certificate.
Specifically, the AICPA currently offers an add-on credential entitled a P.F.S. (Personal Financial Specialist) for those holding C.P.A. certificates. Students completing this Graduate Certificate program should acquire the basic educational background accountants will need to qualify for this add-on credential. However, the P.F.S. credential is administered by the AICPA and C.P.A.s will need to apply directly to the AICPA and will need to meet all of the AICPA requirements (including a P.F.S. examination) before they can receive the add-on credential. For more information on this add-on credential see the AICPA web site at www.aicpa.org.
Program Requirements
Students in this Graduate Certificate program must complete the following 15-units of M.A.F.M. courses:
MACC 520 – Fundamentals of Personal Financial Planning (3)
MACC 521 – Insurance Planning (3)
MACC 522 – Investment Planning and Risk Management (3)
MACC 523 – Retirement Planning (3)
MACC 562 – Estate and Gift Taxation and Planning (3)
Students considering this certificate program should alternatively consider applying for the 30 unit M.A.F.M. degree program and completing the above 15-unit certificate requirements as part of the electives in that graduate degree program (See the Personal Financial Planning specialization track in the M.A.F.M. program description). Students in the M.A.F.M. degree program who complete the above 15-units as electives will automatically receive this Graduate Certificate in Personal Financial Planning.
Alternatively, students completing this Graduate Certificate program who subsequently decide to apply and enroll in the M.A.F.M. degree will be allowed to apply the units already completed in the certificate program to the M.A.F.M. degree. Enrollment in the M.A.F.M. program must, however, begin within two years of the completion of this graduate certificate.
Admission Process for the Graduate Certificate in Personal Financial Planning
Students must complete the following for admission to this certificate program:
1. Complete the application materials for the Graduate Certificate in Personal Financial Planning program.
Note that the above application will require students to submit transcripts of prior undergraduate and graduate work. A 3.0 accounting course GPA and 3.0 overall GPA is the normal cutoff for admission. However, applicants with lower prior GPAs will be considered with additional evidence of strong professional accounting or financial management credentials. The application will also require recommendation letters.
