The BYU integrated CFP® track is only open to accepted finance majors. However, students in any other major, or those not admitted to the finance program, can still become CFP® professionals. Below are five routes.
Five Routes to CFP® Eligibility
Each route satisfies the CFP® Board’s education requirement, the step BYU’s track integrates into the finance major. The exam, the experience hours, and the bachelor’s degree are all the same as finance majors would do.
A. Complete a different major and add a CFP® certificate on the side
You can major in anything at BYU and complete CFP® Board’s required coursework separately, through an online certificate program. Some students pick a major they’re passionate about, a mission language, for example, while others choose something quicker to finish, like economics or philosphy which have small course credit requirements. The certificate covers the CFP® content either way. These programs have no admission or prerequisite requirements, so you can start as an undergraduate and finish as soon as you want, eligible to sit for the exam.
About ten CFP Board–registered certificate programs exist as of September 2026. The three cheapest verified options as of this writing from https://www.cfp.net/:
| Provider | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bryant University (via Boston Institute of Finance) | $2,995 | Self-paced. Instructor-led packages cost more. |
| James Madison University (Greene Consulting) | $3,250 | Self-paced; textbooks about $750 more. |
| North Carolina State University (Greene Consulting) | $3,250 | Same platform and pricing as JMU. |
Prices change often. Confirm current pricing with the provider, or at cfp.net, before enrolling. Your major is a separate decision; see Choosing a Major below.
B. Kaplan’s College for Financial Planning, a two-step path
Step 1, while at BYU. Enroll in the College for Financial Planning’s stand-alone CFP® Certification Education Program, a seven-course, non-degree track. Self-paced tuition is about $5,350, with 12 months to finish. There is no degree or admission requirement, so you can start as an undergraduate, and completing it makes you exam-eligible.
Step 2, after graduation. Apply to the College for Financial Planning’s M.S. in Personal Financial Planning, which requires a bachelor’s degree in hand. Because the CFP® coursework in Step 1 was done through the College itself, its policy grants 15 transfer credits toward the 30-credit master’s, leaving only five of the ten courses to complete for a masters degree.
Confirm current pricing and transfer-credit policy with the College before enrolling.
C. Earn a CFP® Board–registered master’s degree after BYU
A CFP Board–registered graduate program integrates the required coursework into its curriculum, so finishing the degree makes you exam-eligible with no separate certificate. You can search the web for various programs. Here are four examples, all CFP Board–registered, with lengths from about one to two years:
| Program | Format | Length | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego State University (M.S. Financial and Tax Planning) | In person | ~1 year | ~$21,000 in-state |
| Utah Valley University (M.S. Financial Planning & Analytics) | In person | 1–2 years | ~$23,000 in-state |
| Texas Tech University (M.S. Personal Financial Planning) | Online | ~2 years | ~$12,500–$15,000 |
| Golden Gate University (M.S. Financial Planning) | Online or hybrid | ~1 year | ~$32,700 |
Costs are approximate, change yearly, and run higher for non-residents at SDSU and UVU; confirm current numbers directly with the program. Also CFP Board–registered, mostly online and closer to two years: Kansas State, Michigan State, and the University of Georgia. The University of Utah offers both an online CFP-track bachelor’s and a two-year online master’s. Check the full list at cfp.net.
D. Get hired first and let the firm pay for it
Many planning firms and registered investment advisers (RIAs) hire entry-level associates without a CFP® already in hand, then pay for the coursework and exam as part of onboarding or a development program. If you land a research associate, client service associate, or paraplanner role, ask directly whether the firm covers CFP® education costs in your hiring negotiations.
Already holding an industry license like the SIE or Series 65 before you apply signals to a hiring manager that you’re ready to work. More on these licenses at the bottom of this page. BYU has arranged for some discounts on prep packages from Kaplan here: https://home.kaplanlearn.com/portal/brighamyounguni.
E. The accelerated path, if you already hold another credential
If you already hold one of the credentials below, CFP® Board waives most of the coursework. Instead of the full curriculum, you complete only a capstone course to become exam-eligible.
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
- Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®)
- Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®)
- Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®)
- Licensed attorney
- Doctor of Business Administration
- Ph.D. in financial planning, finance, business administration, or economics
- CFP® certification earned outside the U.S. through a Financial Planning Standards Board affiliate
One BYU-specific catch
You can take BYU’s own capstone course only if you took FIN 418 as a finance major. Without that, you will need a capstone through an outside provider.
A capstone-only course generally runs about $700 to $1,200. Registered providers include the Boston Institute of Finance (about $695), Dalton Education, Kaplan’s College for Financial Planning, Boston University, UCLA Extension, and The American College. Details are on CFP Board’s accelerated path page.
How the Pieces Fit Together
Beyond the education requirement above, CFP® certification requires passing the exam, logging 4,000 (CFP® apprenticeship progam) – 6,000 hours (hours not under a CFP® professional) of professional experience, and holding a bachelor’s degree.
You can complete an online certificate program (routes A and B) and sit for the exam as soon as you finish the certificate. You do not have to wait until graduation. You can also earn experience hours while still in college, working part-time or over breaks for an RIA or another private wealth firm. With both underway, it is possible to be exam-qualified and hours-qualified by the time you graduate, with the degree requirement met by the diploma itself.
Choosing a Major
Since an outside program handles the CFP® coursework in routes A and B, your BYU major does not need to be finance.
Something you’re passionate about
Since the certificate or master’s program covers the CFP® content, you are free to major in whatever draws you: a mission language, history, exercise science, anything.
Fast and practical
Majors such as economics and philosophy at BYU tend to require fewer credits than finance. Confirm current requirements with an advisor if graduating quickly matters most.
The financial-therapy angle
Want to bring a therapeutic dimension to planning work? Psychology or the School of Family Life can be a strong complement.
Your major is rarely the deciding factor in hiring, instead passing the CFP® exam and relevant experience is. Use your undergraduate years to land internships or part-time roles at a private bank, RIA, wealth management firm, or planning practice. That experience counts toward the CFP® experience requirement, gives you a head start on route D, and matters more to employers than which major is on your diploma.
Still weighing your options? Email Spencer Dickinson at spenc354@byu.edu.
A Note From Dr. Jim Brau
“First, you do NOT need to drop out of BYU. You can complete any major at BYU that you find interesting or feel will help your career and complete a board-certified online curriculum to allow you to sit for the exam. As always, feel free to ping me anytime if I can help in any way.”
Dr. Jim Brau, CFP® Program Coordinator
This page adapts guidance Dr. Brau originally shared with students in this situation. Program names, pricing, and transfer-credit policies change. Verify current details with each provider before making decisions.
CFP® Coordinator
Dr. Jim Brau
jbrau@byu.edu
Student contact
Spencer Dickinson
spenc354@byu.edu
Securities Licensing Exams
Separate from the CFP® certification, the FINRA SIE and Series 65 are industry licensing exams you can take on your own, with no sponsoring firm and no finance-program admission required. The SIE is open to anyone 18 or older and shows recruiters you’re serious about the field. Series 65 is the standard license for fee-only advisory work. The Series 7 and 66 need a sponsoring firm, so those typically wait until you are interning or hired. Fees and details are in the roadmap.
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