Personal Financial Planning
Certificate Program

Personal Financial Planning

A future by design

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Certificate Description

   
The Personal Financial Planning certificate program will be retired on Dec. 31, 2023.
Thank you for your interest in the Personal Financial Planning studies. You are invited to enroll in any open course and pick up the practical skills you need. Please note, however, we are no longer accepting new candidates for this program.
   

   

The only CFP™® Board-registered program in Silicon Valley

The only CFP® Board registered program in Silicon Valley. At its core financial planning is about goal setting and practical problem solving. Financial planning helps people plan for common, real-world challenges such as how much to save for retirement, whether or not to pay off a mortgage, and how to ensure college education.

UCSC Extension financial planning students gain a strong foundation in retirement planning, tax planning, risk management, estate planning, and investments that can be applied both personally and in a professional practice. Our training fulfills the educational requirements set by the Certified Financial Planning™ Board.

Upon successful completion of coursework, students may sit for the rigorous CFP® examination. Our program partners with the Financial Planning Association of Silicon Valley providing you with unique networking opportunities in the Silicon Valley Financial advising community.

Personal Financial Planning certificate program objectives

  • Understand applied mathematical concepts for financial planning
  • Identify and solve estate problems from the financial planning perspective
  • Decode the retirement planning process, including how to determine the adequacy of your client’s resources and income
  • Apply risk management to financial decision-making
  • Understand the structure, regulation and operation of investment markets
   
To learn more about our student discount on Personal Financial Planning texts, please click on the Recommended Course Sequence section.
   

Program Overview

Estimated Cost: Starting at $6,020. (You pay only for courses you enroll in.) | International Tuition Cost
Program Requirements: 8 courses (29.5 units)
Minimum Hours of Instruction: 295 hours of instruction.
Estimated Duration: A full-time student can complete the certificate in 12 months.
Special Programs:
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Courses

Syllabus Library

1. Required Course(s): Foundation Courses

Quarter Units: 3.0
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Want to enroll or get the estimated cost of future sections? Notify Me
Quarter Units: 4.0
Start / End Date
Cost
Instructor
Location
Section ID
Want to enroll or get the estimated cost of future sections? Notify Me

2. Required Course(s):

Quarter Units: 3.5
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Want to enroll or get the estimated cost of future sections? Notify Me
FPLN.X402
Quarter Units: 3.5
Start / End Date
Cost
Instructor
Location
Section ID
Want to enroll or get the estimated cost of future sections? Notify Me
Quarter Units: 3.5
Start / End Date
Cost
Instructor
Location
Section ID
Want to enroll or get the estimated cost of future sections? Notify Me
Quarter Units: 4.0
Start / End Date
Cost
Instructor
Location
Section ID
Want to enroll or get the estimated cost of future sections? Notify Me
Quarter Units: 3.5
Start / End Date
Cost
Instructor
Location
Section ID
Want to enroll or get the estimated cost of future sections? Notify Me

3. Capstone Course:

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Quarter Units: 4.5
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Section ID
Want to enroll or get the estimated cost of future sections? Notify Me

4. Completion Review:

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Meet Our Instructors

Cynthia Gaertner-Bridges
Principal, Kuleana Wealth Advisors, LLC
Dawn L Pugh
Financial Advisor, Corebridge Financial | Author
Eric M. Solve
Senior Advisor and Partner, Wade Financial Advisory
Heather Liston
Principal, Clarity Financial
Jennifer F Scharre
Partner, Temmerman, Cilley & Kohlmann | Estate Planning, Trust Specialist
Jesse G Dogillo
Owner, Jesse Dogillo, CFP
Lee Schuh
Business Advisor, Lee Schuh Financials
Nancy A Pyzel
Owner, A Life Well Spent
Renee M. Snow
Financial Advisor |Chair, Personal Financial Planning Program
Richard C Dayton
Attorney and Counselor at Law

Certificate Inquiry Form

Contact Us
Speak to a student services representative.

Call (408) 861-3860

Envelope extension@ucsc.edu

Professional Development

California Lutheran University School of Management Financial Planning

Transfer your credits to a master's program

California Lutheran University Master's Degrees in Financial Planning

  • Accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
  • Courses satisfy the initial education requirements necessary to sit for the CFP® Certification Examination.
  • Ranked by U.S. News and World Report among the top 20 schools in the Western U.S.
  • Listed as one of the Top Schools in Financial Planning Magazine

Financial Planning Association

Personal Financial Planning Program students and alumni are welcomed into the professional network of the Silicon Valley Chapter of the Financial Planning Association (FPA-SV).

Discounted Association Access. UCSC Extension students benefit from discounted events and association membership.

Completion of the eight courses (29.5 quarter credits) of the UCSC Silicon Valley Extension Financial Planning certificate equates to 15 graduate credits toward a California Lutheran School of Management's MBA in Financial Planning or MS in Financial Planning. Note that the UCSC certificate must be completed prior to consideration for admission and students must receive a grade of B or higher in each UCSC PFP course to qualify. Courses must be taken within seven calendar years from the time of admission to be accepted for transfer to these programs. There may be restrictions for course substitutions.

CFP®-approved

Once you’ve completed the requirements for the Personal Financial Planning certificate and enrolled in the Personal Financial Planning Certificate Completion Fee (O-CE0163), you may sit for the rigorous CFP exam. You will need to provide them with some information about your training:

  • Our government FICE code is 001321.
  • Our CFP program code is 99984.

Financial Planning Association

Personal Financial Planning Program students and alumni are welcomed into the professional network of the Silicon Valley Chapter of the Financial Planning Association (FPA-SV).

Discounted Association Access. UCSC Extension students benefit from discounted events and association membership.

Requisite Knowledge

To pursue a certificate in Personal Financial Planning and take the CFP® examination, you should hold a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from an accredited U.S. college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Advisory Board

Renée Snow, Instructor and Program Chair

Certificate Program Chair 

RENÉE SNOW, Ph.D., CFP®, CDFA®, EA, has worked as a Certified Financial Planner® for the past 20 years and has combined technical expertise with psychology and philosophy in service to her clients. She earned an M.S. degree in accountancy and worked eight years for a large regional CPA firm. She manages her own firm and specializes in tax planning, asset management, and the psychological aspects of wealth management. As a financial planning instructor at UCSC Extension, she grounds students in the philosophy of economics while giving them the practical tools to work in the financial services industry. The focus of her research has been an inquiry into the ancient texts of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism as they apply to financial management. Snow has published works in the areas of leadership and behavioral finance. She currently serves as chair of the Personal Financial Planning Certificate Program Advisory Board for UCSC Extension.

Certificate Program Advisory Committee

MANDY ANDREI, CFP®, AAMS®
Financial Advisor, Limited Partner
Edward Jones
Mountain View

JAMES PARK, BS, APMA
Registered Principal and Branch Manager
Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.
Campbell

CYNTHIA RILEY, B.S.
Financial Planner
Equinox
Instructor, Personal Financial Planning Certificate Program
UCSC Silicon Valley Extension

RENÉE SNOW, Ph.D., CFP®, CDFA®, EA
Registered Principal/Investment Advisor Representative
Instructor and Chair, Personal Financial Planning Certificate Program
UCSC Silicon Valley Extension

ERIC SOLVE, BA, CFP®, EA
Senior Advisor and Partner
Wade Financial Advisory
Instructor, Personal Financial Planning Certificate Program
UCSC Silicon Valley Extension

Establish Candidacy

Establish candidacy in a certificate or specialization

Once you create your student account, you can establish candidacy in a certificate or specialization program any time during your studies.

The benefits of enrolling early
  • Lock in your certificate requirements.This means that even if program requirements change, the requirements to complete your certificate will remain the same for you
  • Receive program updates
  • Set your intention
  • It’s free

To complete a program, you must enroll in the certificate program before enrolling in the Certificate Completion Review.

You have five years to complete all necessary courses in a certificate program or three years to finish up a specialization program.

All the necessary units in a certificate must be completed within this window.* The clock begins on the first day of your first course in the certificate program. For example, if you started a course on Sept. 5, 2017, you would have to complete all of the required units in this certificate by Sept. 4, 2022.

Note:

Enrolling in a certificate program does not trigger the beginning of the five-year window. It begins the first day of the first course that applies to a certificate program. The Certificate Completion Review process does not have to occur within the five-year timeframe.

For more information: How do I get my certificate or specialization?

* Students participating in a special program, such as workforce, international, Personal Financial Planning, or curriculum partner programs (such as GreenFig or CLS by Barbri) may have a shorter completion requirement.

Establish Candidacy

Grade Requirements

Please note that only letter grades of C or higher may be applied to a certificate, and in some programs, students may have more stringent requirements. Students in most employer- and government-sponsored payment programs, such as workforce development, as well as international students on F-1 visas, need to maintain a B average to meet their requirements. Personal Financial Planning students have additional grade requirements for individual courses to attain a certificate.

See Grading and Credits Policy for further information.