Extended Learning Certificate Program
The Extended Learning Certificate Program helps working professionals and career changers achieve their goal of becoming a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM. Our courses are developed and taught by financial planning industry experts who bring years of real-world perspective to the classroom.
The Extended Learning Certificate is available to those who do not wish to enroll in a degree-seeking program. The certificate program is registered with the CFP Board of Standards. Students who successfully complete all seven courses are eligible to sit for the CFP® Exam.
Coursework
| Course | Spring 2025 | Summer 2025 | Fall 2025 | Spring 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FPCC 435 Financial Planning Fundamentals | • | • | • | • |
| FPCC 436 Insurance & Risk Management | • | • | N/A | • |
| FPCC 437 Tax Planning for Professionals | N/A | • | • | N/A |
| FPCC 438 Investment & Portfolio Management | N/A | N/A | • | N/A |
| FPCC 439 Retirement Planning & Employee Benefits | • | N/A | • | • |
| FPCC 440 Estate Planning | • | N/A | N/A | • |
| FPCC 441 Financial Plan Development & Capstone | • | • | • | • |
The Extended Learning Certificate Program is classified as continuing education. Courses taken for extended learning credit do not count towards a degree at Texas A&M and are not transferrable to an academic program.
Semesters & Deadlines
Spring 2026
November 5: Registration opens
January 6: Last day to apply for admission
January 11: Last day to register for spring classes
January 12: First day of class
May 11: End of semester
Summer 2026
April 5: Registration opens
May 19: Last day to apply for admission
May 25: Last day to register for summer classes
May 26: First day of class
August 11: End of semester
Fall 2025
July 5: Registration opens
August 13: Last day to apply for admission
August 24: Last day to register for fall classes
August 25: First day of class
December 22: End of semester
General Program Information
Program Prerequisites
It is strongly recommended that you have a four-year degree before enrolling in the program, or at least be working towards a bachelor’s degree. The CFP Board requires individuals to have earned a bachelor’s degree in order to obtain CFP® certification. Read more about CFP® Certification Process and Education Requirement.
A working knowledge of introductory finance and basic accounting principles is strongly recommended for success in this course. Students should be comfortable with concepts such as the Time Value of Money, financial statements, and foundational accounting terminology. If you need to strengthen your understanding in these areas, free online resources—such as Khan Academy and YouTube—can be helpful for review and self-study.
Program Admission
Students wishing to enroll in courses for Extended Learning credit must fill out a Program Application first. There is no cost to submit an application. We will review your application and send course registration instructions if your application passes review. During busy times of the semester, it may take additional time for us to process applications.
Application and Admission Cycles
- Spring semester admission: Applications close one week before classes begin. Spring semester starts mid-January.
- Summer semester admission: Applications close one week before classes begin. Summer semester starts late-May.
- Fall semester admission: Applications close one week before classes begin. Fall semester starts late-August.
Need More Details?
Curious about how it all works? We’ve got you covered.
See what others have asked before you dive in.
Course Format & Scheduling
Courses are offered three times a year: spring, summer, and fall semesters. Spring and fall courses are 15-weeks in length, summer courses are 10-weeks in length. General start and end time frames for each semester are as follows:
- Spring semester: mid-January through the first week of May
- Summer semester: Tuesday after Memorial Day through the first week of August
- Fall semester: last week of August through the first week of December
Course Format
All courses in our certificate program are taught 100% online.
Each semester has pre-defined start and end dates. Course content is assigned on a weekly schedule throughout the semester. Students are not required to attend class on a certain day each week.
While students can work at their own pace each week, students are expected to meet weekly deadlines. Each course has a dedicated instructor who will provide feedback, guidance, and answer any questions you may have about the subject.
Course Workload Expectations
The chart below lists how much time you can expect to spend working on course content in a fall or spring semester, which is 15-weeks long.
| Course | Spring, Fall (15-weeks) |
|---|---|
| FPCC 435 Financial Planning Fundamentals | 4 hours per week |
| FPCC 436 Insurance & Risk Management | 4-5 hours per week |
| FPCC 437 Tax Planning for Professionals | 5-6 hours per week |
| FPCC 438 Investment and Portfolio Management | 4 hours per week |
| FPCC 439 Retirement Planning & Employee Benefits | 5-6 hours per week |
| FPCC 440 Estate Planning | 4-5 hours per week |
| FPCC 441 Financial Plan Development & Capstone | 8-10 hours per week |
Summer courses are compressed into 10 weeks. The expected time for each course will increase by 1-2 hours per week.
Course Costs & Financial Aid
- Flat rate per course; 100% online format
- Access to expert faculty with industry experience
- 7-course program: total estimated cost $4,025*
- *Textbooks are not included in the course cost
- For courses taken as Extended Learning credit, the cost is $575 per course.
- We are a pay-as-you-go program and only require payment for the course(s) you intend to take in the upcoming semester. We do not require you to pay for the entire program up front. Payment is due at the time of course registration.
- We use six textbooks throughout the program and each textbook is estimated to cost on average $150 each. Students are also required to have a financial calculator.
Scholarships & Financial Aid
The Extended Learning Certificate Program is considered continuing education and does not qualify for federal financial aid. Prospective students should consider the following for tuition payment:
- Seek employer funding or reimbursement
- Apply for a private education loan
- Register for individual courses over multiple semesters
The CFP Board has scholarships that are open to certificate students. Please visit their Scholarship & Financial Aid page for more details.
Veterans Benefits
To use VA Chapter Benefits at Texas A&M University, courses must be taken for academic credit. Because our Extended Learning Certificate program is non-credit bearing, we cannot accept veteran benefits at this time.
If you are interested in taking courses for academic credit, we recommend visiting with Aggie One Stop for more information. Our courses are only offered at the undergraduate level, which can create issues for veterans who already have a bachelor’s degree. We do not offer a master’s degree or graduate-level certificate in financial planning.
Ready to Get Started?
There’s no fee to apply—but don’t miss important deadlines.
Check the Deadlines section before you begin.
Disclaimers
Courses taken for Extended Learning Credit do not count towards a degree at Texas A&M University and are not transferable to an academic program. These courses are considered continuing education and fulfill the CFP Board’s financial planning education verification requirement to qualify for the CFP® exam. Texas A&M does not award the CFP® marks.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization’s initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.
