Professional Designations

Developed for every stage of your career, professional designations from College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company equip you with the expertise to tackle complex financial issues, empower you to recommend solution-based strategies, strengthen your knowledge, and increase your confidence with clients. 

As you advance your career, the College recognizes the time and investment it takes to earn industry-recognized credentials. Our professional designations not only empower advisors for their current career stages but enable you to earn credit toward your next credential. Graduates of certain designation programs can earn credit toward the College's:

  • CFP® certification education program or
  • Master of Science Degree in Personal Financial Planning

Plus, completion of certain 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 continuing education (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.

Ahora disponible en español: Programa de designación Financial Paraplanner Qualified ProfessionalSM

Puede obtener la designación profesional FPQP® a través de nuestro plan de estudios disponible en español.

Más información e inscripción

Certificates

Certificate programs that can help you upskill and increase your knowledge to better serve clients. 

Career Entry Designations

Earn any of these professional designations to begin your financial planning career with confidence. Pair your designation program with a certificate program focused business-building skills.

Stackable Credit
Toward Future Credentials

Streamline cost and time to earn industry-recognized credentials with stackable credit across professional designations, CFP® certification education and a Master of Science degree in Personal Financial Planning.

Class Schedules for Professional Designation Programs

Begin a professional designation program at any time with OnDemand classes.  If you prefer instructor-led Live Online classes, classes start at certain times of the year.

Certificate Programs

Our online certificate programs can help you upskill and increase your financial advising knowledge to better serve clients. 

Find a Financial Advisor

Search for advisors with our professional designations in your area.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States, which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

The College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company does not certify individuals to use the CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM, and CFP (with plaque logo) 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 ethics, experience, and examination requirements. The College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company is an education and exam prep review provider for the CFP® Certification Examination administered by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. CFP Board does not endorse any education or review course or receive financial remuneration from education or review course providers.

*The Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) Training is a certificate program, whereby a certificate of completion is issued upon successful program completion. The program does not award a professional certification (i.e., a credential that demonstrates the holder's specialized knowledge, skills, and experience).

Fi360, a Broadridge Company, owns the certification mark AIF® which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete initial and ongoing designation requirements.

77% Reported Increased Confidence Speaking with Clients: This is one of the findings of a quantitative survey conducted by the College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company between June 27 and August 7, 2023. For this survey, a sample of 951 2022 and 2023 graduates of the College for Financial Planning was interviewed online in English. The sample includes 341 graduates whose most recent professional designation earned was a specialized financial designation (AAMS®, ABFP®, ADPA®, APMA®, AWMA®, CRPC®, CRPS®, CSRIC®, FPQP®, SE-AWMA®, WMS), are working in a financial planning role, and answered this question.

64% Have Career Satisfaction After Earning Their Specialized Designation: This is one of the findings of a quantitative survey conducted by the College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company between June 27 and August 7, 2023. For this survey, a sample of 951 2022 and 2023 graduates of the College for Financial Planning was interviewed online in English. The sample includes 483 graduates whose most recent professional designation earned was a specialized financial designation (AAMS®, ABFP®, ADPA®, APMA®, AWMA®, CRPC®, CRPS®, CSRIC®, FPQP®, SE-AWMA®, WMS℠) and who answered this question.

16% Earnings Increase: Earnings increases are dependent on numerous factors other than, or in addition to, completion of the specialized financial designation, including specific employment conditions and individual experience. The College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company does not guarantee any earnings increase resulting directly from such designation. Results are the findings of a quantitative survey conducted by the College for Financial Planning between June 27 and August 7, 2023. For this survey, a sample of 951 2022 and 2023 graduates of the College for Financial Planning was interviewed online in English. This earnings increase was based on 366 graduates with a specialized financial designation (AAMS®, ABFP®, ADPA®, APMA®, AWMA®, CRPC®, CRPS®, CSRIC®, FPQP®, SE-AWMA®, WMS) who were employed in a financial planning role both the year before and the year after receiving their most recent professional designation.