The e – Financial Planning Certificate Program is a live, instructor-led, Internet-delivered financial planning program designed to meet the education requirement for the CFP® Certification Examination in only nine months. This accelerated program is taught by experienced financial planning educators.
Unlike most distance learning options, the DePaul course is not an Internet self-study program. Rather, classes are conducted live over the Internet. From anywhere in the country, students with Internet access can attend "virtual classrooms" and interact with instructors and other students using a headset and voice-over-IP technology. The program also features at least five hours of archived lectures per course, intended to customize students' participation and test preparation by allowing them to spend as much or as little time as they need to on featured subjects.
View the online demonstration of this course
Click here to see an explanation of the e – Financial Planning Certificate Program and a short demonstration of one of our classes.
Overview
With more individuals and companies seeking expert help with financial planning, the financial industry is experiencing a tremendous increase in opportunities for both new and experienced professionals. According to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics 2005 Occupational Outlook Handbook, employment for financial planners is expected to grow 18 to 26 percent between now and 2014.
Why pursue the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification? The public's growing need for objective financial planning advice, coupled with the rigorous standards for certification, have made the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification an important distinction for financial planning professionals. Introduced in 1972, CFP® certification has become the most widely recognized financial planning credential among consumers.
How You Will Benefit
DePaul University's e – Financial Planning Certificate Program is registered with the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) as an educational provider for individuals preparing to sit for the CFP® Certification Examination. The program is designed to help trained professionals plan, assess and evaluate a client's financial future through the development of a comprehensive financial plan. Our courses are taught by experts in a variety of financial planning areas, including insurance planning, investment planning, income tax planning, retirement planning, employee benefits and estate planning.
Student Testimonials
"I am so glad I signed up for this course. I am using it in my business and I feel like already I am adding more value."
CT - UBS
"I also like the format. I am able to work right up to the point where I need to log in for the class. This saves a great deal of time I would have spent traveling to a classroom."
BKS - Wachovia Securities
"I am extremely happy with the class..."
JL - Merrill Lynch
"I've never taken an internet/e-learning course before and I really like it. I like the flexibility, the fact that I don't have to spend more time in a car. And it's very flexible with my schedule."
DO - Edward Jones
"I have also enjoyed all instructors. Even when a subject seems to go too fast...all of you have demonstrated your ability to be flexible and adapt. We appreciate that! The open feedback system really works!"
JB - UBS
Affiliations
Topics
As an Internet-delivered course participant, you will:
- Gain a thorough knowledge of financial planning through a rigorous curriculum designed not only for passing the CFP® Certification Examination, but also for successful real-world application.
- Learn from the best instructors in the country, including former members of the Certified Financial Planner Board of Examiners.
- Complete the education requirement for the CFP® Certification Examination in only nine months.
- Gain instant credibility and trust from prospective clients with a certificate in financial planning from DePaul University.
- Attend regularly scheduled live classes or listen to the archived version at a time that is more convenient for you.
- Take class from the convenience of your home or office, with no need to travel, fight traffic, worry about parking, or leave work early to attend class.
- Communicate with instructors and other students using a headset or just listen using your computer's speakers. Private and public text chatting also are available.
- Experience customized learning in the form of pre-study archived lectures so you can spend more or less time on a particular subject
Upon successful completion of the program, students will receive a certificate of completion from DePaul University and will be eligible to sit for the CFP® Certification Examination.
Who Should Attend
DePaul University's e – Financial Planning Certificate Program is designed for professionals in the brokerage, insurance, accounting, banking and related industries seeking to develop the skills and knowledge that help financial advisors meet the demands of today's complex business environment. The Internet delivered program can help both financial professionals and career changers succeed in this rapidly growing profession.
It is strongly recommended that students have a four-year degree before enrolling in the program. The CFP Board of Standards requires individuals to have obtained an undergraduate degree prior to using the Certified Financial Planner™ marks.
Faculty
Benefiting from DePaul University's unique partnership with Dalton Education, the e – Financial Planning Certificate Program claims an outstanding faculty. All faculty members in the program have either the CFP® certification or a relevant a professional designation or license. Many are former members of the CFP Board's Board of Examiners.
The e – Financial Planning Certificate Program features the following distinguished faculty members:
Michael Dalton, Ph.D., J.D., CPA, CFP®, CLU, ChFC
An associate professor of Accounting and Taxation at Loyola University in New Orleans, Dr. Dalton is the former chairman of the Certified Financial Planner Board of Examiners. Dr. Dalton is a current member of both the Financial Planning Association and the Journal of Financial Planning Editorial Review Board. He is also the author of a wide variety of other renowned professional financial planning texts, including the Dalton Review for the CFP® Certification Examination.
Thomas P. Langdon, J.D., LL.M., CFA, CFP®, CLU, CEBS
Mr. Langdon has held numerous leadership positions, having served on the Board of Examiners of the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, as academic advisor to the Society of Financial Service Professionals Business and Compensation Planning Section and as an education committee member for the Financial Analysts of Philadelphia. Mr. Langdon's articles have appeared in Financial and Estate Planning Quarterly and The American Bar Association Small Firm Digest, among other publications.
Mariette T. O'Malley, CPA, J.D., CFP®
Ms. O'Malley is a tax partner focused on individual tax and financial issues. She is a frequent lecturer on tax and financial matters to local business and civic groups. She is also a contributing speaker to the AICPA. Individual Income Tax Course and contributing author to CPE course on 401(k) plans designed for the Internet. Ms. O'Malley has taught review courses for CPA exam candidates and the CFP® Certification Examination. She is an instructor in both Rice and DePaul University's web-delivered CFP Board-Registered programs. Ms. O'Malley is a member of the American Association of Attorney-Certified Public Accountants, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and American Bar Association.
Vance Grange, Ph.D., CPA, CFP®
Dr. Grange is the Director of Tax and Personal Financial Planning Programs in the School of Accountancy at Utah State University. From 1997 through 1999, Dr. Grange served on the seven-member Board of Examiners of the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, where he helped create the CFP® Certification Examination. In 1999, he served as chair of the Board of Examiners and as a member of the CFP Board's Board of Governors.
Randall C. Martinez, MS, CPA, CFP®
Mr. Martinez is a practicing financial plannerspecializing in personal financial, individual income tax and estate planning. A former Senior Associate for KPMG and current member of the Louisiana Society of CPAs. Mr. Martinez teaches financial planning education programs throughout the country as well as review courses for the CFP® Certification Examination.
Joseph M. Gillice, MBA, CPA, CFP®
Mr. Gillice is the former Director of University Programs at BISYS Education Services and a member of the Financial Planning Association. Mr. Gillice is an adjunct faculty member at both Georgetown and Duke universities. He is also a technical reviewer of Understanding Your Financial Calculator and Fundamentals of Financial Planning: Theory and Practice. He received a Master of Business Administration from Georgia State University.
Frequently Asked Questions
Textbooks
- Fundamentals of Financial Planning and Insurance
Personal Financial Planning Theory and Practice, 4th Edition, (Kaplan Financial)
Understanding Your Financial Calculator, 4th Edition, James F. Dalton (BISYS)
- Investment Planning
Fundamentals of Investing, Gitman & Joehnk, Tenth Edition, Pearson Addison Wesley
- Income Tax Planning
West Federal Taxation, Individual Income Taxes, 2008 Edition, William Hoffman, James Smith and Eugene Willis (South-Western College Publishing)
- Retirement Planning
Retirement Planning and Employee Benefits for Financial Planners, 4th Edition, Michael A. Dalton (ME – Your Money Education Resource)
- Estate Planning
Estate Planning for Financial Planners, 4th Edition, Michael A. Dalton, Thomas P. Langdon (ME – Your Money Education Resource)
Textbooks are required for each course and will be available for purchase online at
www.mbsdirect.net. The textbooks are located in the distance learning section of the online store, under course number FIPL 106. For a direct link to the course listings, please click
here.
Students are issued a pass/fail based upon a weighted average of exams given during each course. Students must achieve a grade of 70% or higher to pass each course. If a student fails to achieve a 70% for a course, the student must repeat that course. DePaul will issue a letter grade at a student's request for reimbursement purposes.
Reimbursement
- Company Deferral – contact Dorothy Jagonase at 312-362-5321 or crobert9@depaul.edu for details.
- Sallie Mae – Loans from Sallie Mae may be available. Please call for additional information
Exams
Generally, two exams are given for each course. Students will take a mid-term and final exam for each course. The mid-term is 40% of the final grade and the final-exam is worth 60%. Students must achieve a 70% for each course in order to receive a passing grade.
System requirements
At a minimum, students should have speakers connected to their computer so they can hear the instructor. Ideally, students should purchase a headset or microphone, so they can ask questions of the instructor and use the voice-over-IP technology. A good quality headset or microphone can cost about $30-$50. Minimum and recommended system requirements are given below:
Minimum |
Recommended |
Windows 2000 (SP4), or XP (SP1)
Browser: Internet Explorer 5.x, 6.x,
Netscape 4.5x, 4.7xa, 7.x
CPU: P350 MHz
Memory: 128 MB
Disk: 40 MB free space
Network: 28.8 kbps
Monitor: 16 bit colors (high color) |
Internet Explorer 6.x
CPU: P500+ MHz
Memory: 256+ MB RAM
Disk: 200+ MB free (for content & recordings)
Network: 128+ kbps
Sound card, headset |
Syllabi
Syllabi for the courses comprising the e – Financial Planning Certificate Program can be directly downloaded from the following links:
Brochure
Downloadable Registration Form
DePaul University
Continuing and Professional Education
25 East Jackson Boulevard, Suite 1600
Chicago, Illinois 60604-2216
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