APMA® Designation
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Accredited Portfolio Management AdvisorSM - APMA®

APMA

The Accredited Portfolio Management AdvisorSM, or APMA® program, is a designation program for financial professionals. This advanced graduate-level program covers the finer points of portfolio creation, augmentation, and maintenance. Topics covered include client assessment and suitability, risk/return, investment objectives, bond and equity portfolios, modern portfolio theory, investor psychology, and other topics germane to building appropriate client portfolios. Students will also learn about investment policy statements, portfolio construction, and asset allocation.

Choose your learning modality and complete your APMA® designation program.

  • Blending learning program (OnDemand classes + personalized guidance) - Our blended learning program combines the convenience of ondemand classes complemented with personalized guidance. Enjoy the flexibility to learn at your own pace with pre-recorded classes, while benefiting from live online guidance from your instructor during a mid-program check-in  and comprehensive course review sessions (at the end of the course). This combination ensures you master key concepts, stay on track for the course, and are fully prepared for the final exam to earn your designation.
  • OnDemand classes (100% self-study) - Students have access to OnDemand classes which provide the flexibility to complete a professional designation program at their own pace based on their busy schedule. Your online learning platform will guide you through all your course-related activities, from reading assignments, recorded video lectures and module quizzes to your final exam.

The APMA® designation streamlines the cost and time toward your next credential.
As you advance your career, the College recognizes the time and investment it takes to earn industry-recognized credentials. Upon completion of the APMA® program, graduates earn direct credit for:

  • Course FP513 Investment Planning in the College's CFP® certification education program or
  • One elective course in the College’s Master of Science Degree in Personal Financial Planning.
Plus, completion of professional designations programs can also help you fulfill continuing education (CE) requirements:
  • If you are a CFP® professional, successful completion of the College’s professional designation programs can qualify for CE hours for CFP® certification renewal as follows:
    • ADPA® program: 28 hours (live online program); 22.5 hours (ondemand program)
    • SE-AWMA® program: 28 hours (live online program); 24 hours (ondemand program)
    • All other designation programs (except the FPQP® and WMSSM programs): 28 hours (either live online or ondemand program)
  • If you currently hold a professional designation from the College, completion of a new professional designation fulfills CE hours as part of the renewal of your current designation.
 

The APMA® designation package includes: 

Students have access to OnDemand classes which provide the flexibility to complete a professional designation program at their own pace based on their busy schedule. Your online learning platform will guide you through all your course-related activities, from reading assignments, recorded video lectures and module quizzes to your final exam.

 

Because this option is self-paced, you can begin the program at any time.  


 


 




 


  • Investment Risk and Return Analysis
  • Modern Portfolio Theory and Performance Evaluation of Equities
  • Debt and Fixed-Income Features
  • Debt and Fixed Income Valuation and Analysis
  • Mutual Funds and Other Pooled Investments
  • Investing in Real Assets
  • Derivatives and Structured Products
  • Taxation of Investments and the Regulatory Environment
  • Ethical Considerations, Investment Strategies and Retirement Needs Analysis
  • Behavioral Finance, Client Suitability and Constructing Portfolios


 

Electronic textbooks are your primary resource for course content. You will receive an electronic VitalSource eBook as part of the package price. eBooks in the ePub format that are compatible with Apple iPad and MOBI/Kindle will also be available on your student dashboard. 
 
Printed textbooks are available as an add-on to your package for $159 plus tax and shipping. 

 


Module Quizzes, located at the end of each unit in your program, are designed to gauge your comprehension of the material. Students must complete the 30-question quiz for each module (or 20-question quiz if you are pursuing the ADPA® program) before moving to the next module. For questions answered incorrectly, correct answers with detailed rationale are provided to help improve your comprehension.

The Practice Exam is designed to closely replicate the Final Exam experience in terms of the degree of difficulty, timing, format, and topical coverage. This exam can be taken twice and provides unique practice questions that you haven’t seen at this point in your studies. The Practice Exam is a sound indicator of how you will perform on your Final Exam. It allows you to see areas of strength and weakness on your Performance Tracker. 

For the AAMS®, APMA®, AWMA® ,CRPC® , CSRIC®, FPQP®  and SE-AWMA® designations:
To pass the designation program, you must achieve a score of 70% or higher on the Final Exam. Students have an allotted time of 3 hours to take the Final Exam and a maximum of two attempts to pass the Final Exam. 

If you are pursuing the Sports & Entertainment (SE) Supplemental Education for AWMA® Program to earn your SE-AWMA® designation, you must achieve a score of 70% or higher on the Final Exam. These students have an allotted time of 1 hour to take the Final Exam and a maximum of two attempts to pass the Final Exam. 

The grade earned on the Final Exam reflects your overall grade for the designation program.


For the ABFP®, ADPA® and WMSSM  designations:
To pass the designation program, you must achieve a score of 70% or higher on the Final Exam. Students have an allotted time of 2 hours to take the Final Exam and a maximum of two attempts to pass the Final Exam. 

The grade earned on the Final Exam reflects your overall grade for the designation program.

Course Sessions

With OnDemand classes, you can enroll and begin pre-recorded class lectures at any time. If you choose our blending learning program (OnDemand Classes + Personalized Guidance), your ondemand classes is complemented with the following live online check-ins and review sessions with your instructor to help you earn your designation.

Schedule
Location
Instructor
Public - Blended, APMA (May 28 - June 26, 2025) (Version 13) (MT)
Schedule
May 28 - June 26, 2025
Location
Location:
Online
Instructor
Instructor:
Barclay Roper

Have Questions? Make an Appointment

Our enrollment team is here to help you choose the program that's right for you. We'll explain your options and support you through the enrollment process.

Schedule an Appointment

Frequently Asked Questions about the APMA® Designation

The APMA® designation program is ideal for advanced financial advisors and planners who wish to delve deeper into the finer points of portfolio creation, augmentation, and maintenance. 
 
  • Advanced advisors who desire financial planning credentials to advance their career
  • Advisors with a broad financial knowledge who wish specialize in the discipline of portfolio management
  • Advisors who wish to pursue the CFP® certification or a master of science degree at a later date

For all designation programs except the Sports & Entertainment (SE) Supplemental Education for the AWMA® program
Students in all professional designation programs except the Sports & Entertainment (SE) Supplemental Education for the AWMA® Program have 120 days from the date they are provided online access to complete a designation program (including testing and passing the Final Exam). 
  • Students who enroll in Live Online classes will receive online access 20 days prior to the first class date.
  • Students who enroll in OnDemand classes will receive online access immediately after they enroll.

If you need to extend your program, extensions of up to 60 days are available at a fee.  Extensions requests must be received on or before the fourteenth day following the course end date. Fees are non-refundable.

Sports & Entertainment (SE) Supplemental Education for the AWMA® program

Students have 30 days from the date they are provided online access to complete the program (including testing and passing the Final Exam). 

If you need to extend your program, extensions of up to 60 days are available at a fee.  Extensions requests must be received on or before the fourteenth day following the course end date. Fees are non-refundable.

 

 

 

The Final Exam for the APMA® program contains 90 questions. 

Students have an allotted time of 3 hours to take the Final Exam and a maximum of two attempts to pass the Final Exam.

A passing score on the Final Exam is a score of 70% or higher. The grade earned on the Final Exam reflects your overall grade for the designation program.

A score of 70% or better is required to pass all professional designation final exams. Students who do not earn a minimum of 70% after the allotted number of final exam attempts will be required to re-enroll in the professional designation course, pursuant to the Professional Designation Re-Enrollment Policy.


After a student successfully completes the academic requirements of the professional designation program, students are notified via email (typically within 48 hours of course completion) to apply for authorization to use the applicable certification marks in accordance with the designation requirements. You can also apply for authorization through home.kaplanlearn.com. Continued use of certification marks is subject to compliance with ongoing renewal requirements.










All APMA® designation holders are responsible for completing 16 hours of Continuing Education credits every two years.

A $100 renewal fee is also required every two years. Learn more about your renewal options at the link below:

Renew Your Professional Designation

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