The Bachelor's Degree Requirement
Guide to CFP® Certification

In addition to completing courses that cover the financial planning topics required for CFP® certification, a bachelor's degree (or higher), or its equivalent,¹ in any discipline, from an accredited college or university² is required to attain CFP® certification. The bachelor's degree requirement is a condition of initial certification; it is not a requirement to be eligible to take the CFP® Certification Examination. After you pass the CFP® Certification Examination, you will be required to provide evidence (official transcript from the degree-granting institution) that you hold a qualified bachelor's degree or higher degree.

You have five years from the date you pass the CFP® Certification Examination to satisfy the bachelor's degree and work experience requirements. If you have not reported to CFP Board your attainment of an acceptable bachelor's degree or higher degree within this time frame, your candidacy for CFP® certification may be terminated. A one-time, three-year extension may be granted on a case-by-case basis. Requests for an extension should be sent to CFP Board by e-mail to initialcert@CFPBoard.org or by fax to 202-379-2299.

¹ International degrees may be substituted for a U.S. undergraduate degree if they receive equivalency from a third-party evaluation agency which is a member of National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) www.NACES.org. Applicants should request a document-by-document evaluation.

² An "accredited college or university" is one that has been accredited by an accreditation body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. To confirm a school's accreditation please visit the Department of Education's Web site (ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.asp).

The bachelor's degree requirement for CFP® certification became effective March 1, 2007. Read information CFP Board provided about the deadlines for those planning to seek CFP® certification before the effective date of the bachelor's degree requirement.

< back to top