Certified Financial Planner

To receive your certificate, students must complete the following modules: 

• General Principles
  Designed to introduce students to the financial planning process. The course focuses on the general principles required to become a successful financial planner which includes the ethics of the profession as well as the knowledge and skills required to prepare a financial plan.
• Insurance
  Designed to acquaint students with the principles of risk management and various types of insurance including casualty, fire, health, life, auto, home, and disability. The principles taught to prepare students to identify a client’s risk exposure and select appropriate risk management techniques.
• Investment
  Introduces the wide variety of investment vehicles that may be included in a client’s portfolio. Topics include client assessment, tax considerations, economic factors, valuation methods, asset allocation techniques, portfolio performance evaluation, and more.
• Income Tax

  Emphasizes the fundamentals of individual income taxation, the tax implications of various types of businesses, tax-advantaged investments, employee compensation issues and planning, alternative minimum tax, tax traps, and more. Mesh Income Tax with Psychology of Financial Planning elements

• Retirement

  Provides a complete overview of retirement planning including retirement savings need analysis, qualified retirement plan design, Social Security, Medicare, and more. In addition, group life, health, and disability insurance; non-qualified deferred compensation; and other commonly provided employee benefits are examined.

• Estate

  Covers planning and managing the federal estate and gift tax planning & opportunities. The perspectives of heirs, fiduciaries, estates, trusts, beneficiaries, donors, and donees are considered. Topics include asset valuation, estate tax deductions, exemptions & credits. Significant time is given to the transfer of the amount at death and the dispositive tools available to clients.

• Capstone

  The Financial Plan Development Capstone course will integrate the material from the program's individual courses. Students will take this course only when they have finished all previous program courses successfully or meet CFP Board criteria for challenge status. This course will be structured as a casework course with cases that will closely reflect the types of cases students may encounter as a financial planner. Each student case will integrate discussed components to reflect the complexities of working with real-life clients in both written and oral formats.

The program curriculum delivers information about areas critical to financial planning for beginning and established practitioners. It consists of six required courses and one capstone review course that delivers information about areas in financial planning for both beginning and established practitioners. The course includes:

• General Principles
• Insurance Planning
• Investment Planning
• Income Tax Planning
• Retirement Planning
• Estate Planning
• Capstone

Each course except for the Capstone meets for four weekends.

Week 1: Friday, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Week 2: Friday, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Week 3: Saturday only, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Week 4: Saturday only, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.  

This is an accelerated program that requires full attendance for every class. Should an absence be necessary prior approval is required for a pre-arranged absence from class, you must notify Manhattan College and the instructor with as much prior notice as possible. In the event you are sick and cannot attend, it is your responsibility to notify Manhattan College and the instructor prior to the start of class. Prior approval is necessary for circumstances when a pre-arranged absence requires additional make-up sessions. Excessive absenteeism may not permit students to maintain their responsibilities for a successful program and may result in having to make up the missed module before the next cohort. There is a $25 fee for each make-up lesson (not class).

All courses are graded, and you must earn a minimum of 70% in each course to sit for the CFP Certification Examination and receive the Manhattan College Certificate of Completion in Financial Planning.

Students may register for individual courses. Registration fees include textbooks and workbooks. Course fees must be paid in full at the time of registration. 

Click here to register for each module in which you wish to enroll.

Each course fee is $800 except for the Capstone module, which fee is $900.

Organizations who wish to register and make payment for six or more employees for all seven courses simultaneously and on the same date contact us at infonc@manhattan.edu for group discounts.

Manhattan College reserves the right to vary its programs and to reschedule or cancel an event if it is under-subscribed or for any other reason. Manhattan College attempts to give participants at least two (2) weeks’ notice if an event is rescheduled or canceled. Please make sure you provide a valid email address and phone number during registration. If Manhattan College cancels a course for any reason, you will receive a full refund, less a one-time processing fee of $100.00 (if applicable). If the participant cancels attendance to the program for any reason and provides at least two (2) weeks’ notice of cancellation before the program start day, the participant will also be entitled to a full refund less the one-time processing fee of $100.00 (if applicable). Cancellation of program attendance by the participant with less than two (2) weeks’ notice forfeits the participant’s rights to a refund. Also, please keep in mind that refund processing usually takes 4 to 6 weeks (this time frame is dependent upon your financial institution).

Transfer students from another CFP Board Registered Program into the Manhattan College program are accepted. Requests must be made by sending an email to infonc@manhattan.edu. Submit the transcript of modules that have been completed.

Students who take all seven courses at Manhattan College will receive the Manhattan College Certificate of Completion. An official transcript will be provided for individual courses taken.

The Program curriculum delivers information about areas critical to financial planning for beginning and established practitioners. It consists of seven required courses, including Capstone, that deliver information about areas in financial planning for both beginning and established practitioners. 

Manhattan College is registered with the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. (CFP Board) to provide a certified financial planning program. This is the recommended certification for financial planners, insurance agents, bankers, accountants, retirement specialists, and anyone in the finance industry.

2023 Schedule

Manhattan College is registered with the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc.

This is the recommended certification for financial planners, insurance agents, bankers, accountants, retirement specialists, and anyone in the finance industry.

Attend our free information sessions to meet our CFP instructors and learn more about the program. Take this opportunity to have your questions answered by experts in the field. Register here to attend one of our information sessions.

To watch a recorded information session click here.

For group rates of six or more participants, email infonc@manhattan.edu

• Can I register for one module only or do I have to register to all of them at the same time?

  You can register for one module at a time, however, to receive your CFP certificate of attendance from Manhattan College, you need to take the seven modules with us. You can also enroll in all of the modules too. See our CFP Enrollment and Fees section for more information on how to enroll.

• Where are CFP courses offered?

  The courses are synchronous online. The teacher and student are connected online at the same time and interact in real-time. Students are expected to be available on a specific day and time to meet with the faculty or their coursemates to work on the learning goals and objectives of the course.

• What are the technological requirements to take the courses?

  Students taking online and remote courses are expected to meet the following technical requirements to ensure the success of their academic experience.

  Computing 

  Students should have a desktop computer or laptop with the following:

  • An up-to-date operating system, e.g., Windows 10 (PC) or MacOS 10.15 or higher
  • A built-in camera or external webcam 
  • Built-in or external microphone and speakers. Headphones with a built-in microphone is strongly recommended.
  • Some non-credit SCPS programs may be successfully completed using mobile devices, please speak to your advisor for more information. 

  Internet Access 

  Students should have a dedicated broadband internet connection, e.g., DSL, cable, and an updated internet browser, such as the most recent Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.

  Software

  Some of our programs require you to submit papers, project summaries, and presentations to demonstrate learning and knowledge. To meet this requirement, students should access various productivity tools, such as Microsoft Office or iWork. If you need Microsoft Office, the College provides access to Office 365 free of charge. You may also need a PDF viewer or media player to access course readings and multimedia.

• What is the price for the CFP courses?

  Each CFP course fee is $800 and includes textbooks. The Capstone course fee is $900 and includes study materials. Group rates are also available. Please email infonc@manhattan.edu for additional information on group rates.

• How do I receive my textbook?

  After you have registered and paid for a course, your materials will be delivered via FedEx, so you are prepared for the first day of class.

• Are in-person courses available?

  Currently, all courses are instructed online only and are not available in person.

• Are the courses eligible for Manhattan College credits (towards a Manhattan College degree)?

  All courses are offered as non-credit and not transferable to Manhattan College credit degree/certificate programs.

• What if I miss a class session?

  Students must attend ALL class sessions to receive a grade for the course. Make-up lessons may be available on a case-by-case basis. There is an additional fee of $25 fee per make-up lesson.

• What courses do I need to complete to be eligible to take the CFP® Certification Exam?

  To earn the Manhattan College Certificate in Financial Planning and be eligible for the CFP Certification Examination one must successfully complete all seven courses including Capstone.

• What is the Capstone course?

  As of January 2012, CFP Board requires all students to complete a Board-Registered program along with those eligible to challenge the exam are required to complete the capstone. For more information on the CFP Board requirements, please visit the official CFP Board page.

• How do I register to take the CFP Certification Exam?

  Students are responsible for registering for the exam themselves upon successful completion of the program. Please visit the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards.

• What is the cost of the textbooks? Are there any other supplies to purchase?

  The cost of textbooks is included in the course registration fee.