Certificate in Financial Planning
Florida State University’s non-credit online Certificate in Financial Planning combines an established curriculum and experienced faculty with Traditional and Executive Fast-Track options for students working toward CFP® certification.
View Program Calendar
Overview
FSU’s non-credit online program combines an established financial-planning curriculum with instructor support and flexible scheduling. Students can choose the longer Traditional format or a condensed Executive Fast-Track format while paying course-by-course rather than paying for the entire program up front.
Program Structure
Traditional or Fast Track
Traditional core courses run about ten weeks. Executive Fast-Track core courses are condensed to about six weeks.
Seven-Course Curriculum
The curriculum covers fundamentals, insurance, investments, tax, retirement, estate planning, and a capstone course.
Pay As You Go
Students register and pay one course at a time, making it easier to adjust the program around work and personal schedules.
Flexible Online Format
Coursework is online and designed for independent weekly progress with instructor and peer interaction.
Program Calendar
| Course | Traditional Track | Executive Fast Track | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starts Oct. 2024Traditional sequence | Starts Apr. 2025Traditional sequence | Starts Oct. 2025Traditional sequence | Starts Apr. 2026Traditional sequence | Starts Oct. 2026Traditional sequence | FT-16Fast Track | FT-17Fast Track | FT-18Fast Track | FT-19Fast Track | |
| Introduction to Financial Planning |
Oct. 04, 2024 –
Closed
Dec. 15, 2024 Section 76
|
Apr. 04, 2025 –
Closed
June 15, 2025 Section 77
|
Oct. 03, 2025 –
Closed
Dec. 14, 2025 Section 78
|
Apr. 03, 2026 –
Closed
June 14, 2026 Section 79
|
Oct. 02, 2026 –
Registration Open
Dec. 13, 2026 Section 80
Register |
Self-Paced
Closed
FT-16
|
Self-Paced
Closed
FT-17
|
Self-Paced
Closed
FT-18
|
Self-Paced
Registration Open
FT-19
Register |
| Insurance Planning |
Jan. 17, 2025 –
Closed
Mar. 31, 2025 Section 75
|
July 11, 2025 –
Closed
Sept. 21, 2025 Section 76
|
Jan. 30, 2026 –
Closed
Apr. 12, 2026 Section 77
|
July 10, 2026 –
In Progress
Sept. 20, 2026 Section 78
|
Jan. 29, 2027 –
Upcoming
Apr. 11, 2027 Section 79
|
Oct. 24, 2025 –
Closed
Dec. 07, 2025 FT-16
|
Mar. 20, 2026 –
Closed
May 03, 2026 FT-17
|
Oct. 23, 2026 –
Upcoming
Dec. 06, 2026 FT-18
|
Mar. 19, 2027 –
Upcoming
May 02, 2027 FT-19
|
| Investment Planning |
Apr. 18, 2025 –
Closed
June 27, 2025 Section 75
|
Oct. 03, 2025 –
Closed
Dec. 14, 2025 Section 76
|
Apr. 17, 2026 –
Closed
June 28, 2026 Section 77
|
Oct. 02, 2026 –
Registration Open
Dec. 13, 2026 Section 78
Register |
Apr. 09, 2027 –
Upcoming
June 20, 2027 Section 79
|
Dec. 12, 2025 –
Closed
Feb. 01, 2026 FT-16
|
May 08, 2026 –
Closed
June 21, 2026 FT-17
|
Dec. 11, 2026 –
Upcoming
Jan. 31, 2027 FT-18
|
May 07, 2027 –
Upcoming
June 20, 2027 FT-19
|
| Income Tax Planning |
July 25, 2025 –
Closed
Oct. 05, 2025 Section 75
|
Feb. 06, 2026 –
Closed
Apr. 19, 2026 Section 76
|
July 31, 2026 –
Registration Open
Oct. 11, 2026 Section 77
Register |
Jan. 08, 2027 –
Upcoming
Mar. 21, 2027 Section 78
|
July 30, 2027 –
Upcoming
Oct. 10, 2027 Section 79
|
Feb. 06, 2026 –
Closed
Mar. 22, 2026 FT-16
|
July 10, 2026 –
In Progress
Aug. 23, 2026 FT-17
|
Feb. 05, 2027 –
Upcoming
Mar. 21, 2027 FT-18
|
July 02, 2027 –
Upcoming
Aug. 15, 2027 FT-19
|
| Retirement Planning |
Oct. 10, 2025 –
Closed
Dec. 21, 2025 Section 75
|
Apr. 24, 2026 –
Closed
July 05, 2026 Section 76
|
Oct. 09, 2026 –
Upcoming
Dec. 20, 2026 Section 77
|
Apr. 02, 2027 –
Upcoming
June 13, 2027 Section 78
|
Oct. 08, 2027 –
Upcoming
Dec. 19, 2027 Section 79
|
Mar. 27, 2026 –
Closed
May 10, 2026 FT-16
|
Aug. 21, 2026 –
Registration Open
Oct. 04, 2026 FT-17
Register |
Mar. 26, 2027 –
Upcoming
May 09, 2027 FT-18
|
Aug. 20, 2027 –
Upcoming
Oct. 03, 2027 FT-19
|
| Estate Planning |
Feb. 06, 2026 –
Closed
Apr. 19, 2026 Section 75
|
July 10, 2026 –
In Progress
Sept. 20, 2026 Section 76
|
Jan. 15, 2027 –
Upcoming
Mar. 28, 2027 Section 77
|
July 09, 2027 –
Upcoming
Sept. 19, 2027 Section 78
|
Jan. 14, 2028 –
Upcoming
Mar. 26, 2028 Section 79
|
May 15, 2026 –
Closed
June 28, 2026 FT-16
|
Oct. 09, 2026 –
Upcoming
Nov. 22, 2026 FT-17
|
May 14, 2027 –
Upcoming
June 27, 2027 FT-18
|
Oct. 08, 2027 –
Upcoming
Nov. 21, 2027 FT-19
|
| Capstone Course |
Apr. 24, 2026 –
Closed
July 23, 2026 Section 37
|
Oct. 02, 2026 –
Closed
Jan. 07, 2027 Section 38
|
Apr. 16, 2027 –
Closed
July 15, 2027 Section 39
|
Oct. 01, 2027 –
Closed
Jan. 09, 2028 Section 40
|
Apr. 14, 2028 –
Closed
July 16, 2028 Section 41
|
Self-Paced
Registration Open
FT-16
Register |
Self-Paced
Upcoming
FT-17
|
Self-Paced
Upcoming
FT-18
|
Self-Paced
Upcoming
FT-19
|
| Review Course |
October 2026
|
February 2027
|
October 2027
|
February 2028
|
October 2028
|
October 2026
|
February 2027
|
May 2027
|
October 2027
|
| CFP Exam |
November 2026
|
March 2027
|
November 2027
|
March 2028
|
November 2028
|
November 2026
|
March 2027
|
July 2027
|
November 2027
|
Calendar dates and registration status reflect the current FSU program calendar as of August 19, 2026. The matrix is intentionally structured so each column can be followed as a complete course sequence.
Tuition
Program Information
Discounts
FSU lists discounts for active or inactive U.S. military personnel, FSU alumni, and qualifying corporate groups in the Executive Fast-Track program. Discounts are not cumulative and must be applied during registration.
Mission Statement
The program’s mission is to provide high-quality, interactive, affordable online financial-planning education for students pursuing CFP® certification and for professionals seeking additional knowledge.
Accreditation & CFP Board Registration
Florida State University is institutionally accredited by SACSCOC. The Certificate in Financial Planning is a CFP Board-Registered Program; completing the program meets the education coursework component but does not itself award CFP® certification.
Evaluations & Student Feedback
FSU reports strong course and instructor evaluation results, with most respondents rating instructors and courses at or above average. The published student comments emphasize flexible pacing, practical instruction, and responsive support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Program format
The program is non-credit, fully online, and primarily text-based. The seven-course curriculum covers the education topics required for CFP® certification eligibility.
Time commitment
FSU advises roughly 10 hours per week for Traditional courses and about 20 hours per week for Executive Fast-Track courses.
Course order
Traditional students have considerable flexibility in course sequencing. The Fast-Track program follows a more structured sequence.
Grading
Courses are pass/fail for CFP Board reporting, with 70% or better treated as passing. Traditional courses use a midterm and final; Fast-Track core courses use a final exam.
Withdrawal
Refunds and future-course options depend on when written withdrawal notice is received. Students should confirm the current policy with program staff before withdrawing.
Program Resources
Learn More About Each Course
Introduction to Financial Planning
Build a foundation in the financial-planning process, personal finance, budgeting, debt, and professional responsibilities.
Course Details
Insurance Planning
Study risk management and insurance strategies for individuals, families, businesses, and financial-planning clients.
Course Details
Investment Planning
Develop skills in portfolio construction, investment analysis, risk, return, and asset allocation.
Course Details
Income Tax Planning
Examine federal income-tax concepts and planning approaches that affect individuals and financial decisions.
Course Details
Retirement Planning
Study retirement needs, savings vehicles, employee benefits, distributions, and long-term planning strategies.
Course Details
Estate Planning
Explore estate-transfer strategies, ownership, gifting, taxation, trusts, and planning for client goals.
Course Details
Capstone Course
Integrate the knowledge from earlier courses and apply it to comprehensive financial-planning cases.
Course Details
Executive Fast Track
A condensed program option for students who want to complete the financial-planning curriculum on a faster schedule.
View Fast TrackWhy Choose Florida State University?
CFP® Education
Curriculum aligned with CFP Board education requirements.
Expert Instructors
Faculty with professional financial-planning and related credentials.
Established Curriculum
Comprehensive coursework with practical financial-planning applications.
Fully Online
Online, text-based delivery designed for working professionals.
Two Tracks
Choose Traditional pacing or the Executive Fast-Track format.
Ready to Get Started?
Explore the calendar, select the course format that fits your schedule, and contact the program with questions about enrollment.
Contact Us