Personal Financial Planning: Accelerated Online
Personal Financial Planning: Accelerated Online
This cohort-based, 100% remote program is designed to prepare experienced financial professionals for CFP® certification.
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This program is perfect for...
What you can learn.
Expedite your Certified Financial Planner exam prep.
The Personal Financial Planning: Accelerated Online Certificate is a rigorous, fully live online program from UCLA Extension. It was designed for finance professionals who have at least 2-3 years of work experience in investment banking, insurance or financial planning, or three years of experience as a CPA, attorney, CFA, CLU or ChFC. A Series 7 license is also highly recommended.
The 7-course curriculum can be completed within nine months and comprises instructor-led courses blending live, web-based sessions with online discussion boards, assignments and testing. Each course is scheduled over a 4-week period and includes two 3-hour live sessions each week. Students are provided a 2-week window between enrollments to pre-study materials for the next course.
The program is cohort-based and enrollment is limited to those who have successfully completed previous coursework.
Our instructors include industry leader Linda Hewitt, CFP®, CRPC, co-founder of Financial Planning Educational Solutions, a training firm that specializes in personal financial planning, and Jeff DeLarme, BS, CFA, CFP®, president, registered principal, financial advisor of DeLarme Wealth Management, Inc./Raymond James, and other highly qualified, motivated instructors with CFP certification and extensive teaching experience.
For those without previous relevant experience, or who wish to take the program through an online or in-person format we also offer a more traditional Personal Financial Planning Certificate program.
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Cost and Fees
Program Schedule
The Accelerated Online Certificate program is offered three times per year in conjunction with the March, July, and November CFP® Examination dates. Each program cycle is scheduled to end approximately 8-10 weeks prior to the exam, providing students ample time to prepare and study for the exam, and to also enroll in the CFP® Review course.
- November 2025 CFP® Exam: Program Cycle - Feb. 2025 to Sept. 2025
- July 2026 CFP® Exam: Program Cycle - Sept. 2025 to May 2026
Students must submit an Application for Candidacy with a nonrefundable application fee of $200 and enroll in the first course (MGMT X 430.511 Financial Planning Process and Insurance) approximately 1 month prior to the program start date. This will allow ample time to order and pre-study course materials for the first class session. Students are then recommended to enroll in the subsequent courses two weeks prior to each course section.
Payment of the certificate application candidacy fee is required in order to have your transcripts transferred to the CFP® Board for review, in order to sit for the CFP® certification exam.
Attend this free 1.5-hour live webinar to learn more about how UCLA Extension's CFP Board-approved Personal Financial Planning programs fit your needs and can help you reach your career goals.
Required Courses
Financial Plan Development and Presentation Course
Ethics Requirement
Optional Internship Course
An internship in personal financial planning can provide you with practical experience in a variety of job functions. Certificate students must complete a minimum of 20 units of program curriculum (5 courses) before enrolling in the internship.
Courses in this program have been approved for Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) credit by the State Bar of California and may also be applied toward the State of California‘s continuing professional education (CPE) requirement for the licensure of Certified Public Accountants.
The Joseph G. Devanney Scholarship Fund was established by the Devanney Estate to support students enrolling in the capstone course in the Personal Financial Planning Certificate at UCLA Extension and is offered quarterly.
Mr. Devanney was an instructor in the Personal Financial Planning Certificate program for 20 years and is thought of by many as the “grandfather” of the certificate.
Did you know?
Discount for FPALA & CalCPA Members
FPALA and CalCPA members can receive 15% off eligible courses.
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Transfer Credits to an Advanced Degree
Graduates of the UCLA Extension Personal Financial Planning (PFP) Certificate program are eligible to transfer up to five courses* toward the online Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Financial Planning at California Lutheran University (CLU).
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