Financial Planning Graduate Certificate

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Program Information

The graduate financial planning certificate requires the completion of seven courses (21 semester units), plus any necessary prerequisite courses. No comprehensive examination is required. The graduate financial planning certificate meets the educational requirement of the Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®) designation.*

Please note that some courses taken as part of certificate programs will have prerequisites. These prerequisites must be satisfied (through transfer of equivalent coursework or through taking the courses at Golden Gate) before the certificate courses can be completed. For further information, refer to “Admission to Certificate Programs and Registering for Open Enrollment ”.

* After successfully completing GGU’s graduate financial planning certificate, students are eligible to sit for the CFP® examination if they register with the CFP Board. Students can sit for the CFP® examination before completing the experience requirement. Golden Gate University does not award the CFP® and Certified Financial Planner™ designations. The right to use the marks CFP® and Certified Financial Planner™ is granted by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board) to those persons who have met its rigorous educational standards, passed the CFP Board’s certification examination, satisfied a work experience requirement and agreed to abide by the CFP Board’s Cde of Ethics and Professional Responsibility. Only persons registered with the CFP Board are permitted to sit for the certification examination. CFP® certificates and licenses are issued only by the CFP Board (www.CFP-Board.org).

Graduate Certificate/Credential Proficiencies

Business Proficiency Requirement

Students admitted to this program are required to possess an understanding of U.S. business practices equivalent to BUS 201 Economic and Regulatory Essentials of U.S. Business . This requirement must be completed in your first term, and you must have completed this requirement no later than your first nine units at GGU. A grade of C- or better is required for BUS 201 Economic and Regulatory Essentials of U.S. Business . However, graduate students must maintain a 3.00 (B) cumulative grade point average to remain in good standing.

Graduate Writing Proficiency Requirement

Students admitted to this graduate certificate program must meet the graduate writing proficiency requirement within the first nine units of the program by successfully passing the Graduate Writing Proficiency Exam or by completing ENGL 201 Graduate Writing with a grade of B or better. See “Proficiency in Mathematics, English and Computer Skill Required for Certain Master’s Degrees and Certain Graduate Certificates ”.

Required Courses - 21 units

The seven courses that make up the graduate financial planning certificate also comprise much of the core of the MS degree in financial planning. Thus, students who complete the certificate program need only three additional courses (as well as any foundation courses that may be required) in order to complete the MS degree. Students should speak with the director of the financial planning program about this exciting opportunity.

FI 420 Personal Financial Planning 3 unit(s)
FI 421 Personal Investment Management 3 unit(s)
FI 422 Retirement and Employee Benefits Planning 3 unit(s)
FI 425 Income Tax Planning 3 unit(s)
FI 426 Estate Planning 3 unit(s) (Must be taken as part of the final six units of the program)
FI 434 Cases in Financial Planning 3 unit(s)
FI 483 Risk Management and Insurance Planning 3 unit(s)