United States
Hong KongThe degree requirement, and the five years you have to meet it
A bachelor's degree or higher in any discipline, from an accredited college or university, completed within five years of passing the exam. The subject does not matter and the timing is flexible.
The requirement people most often assume blocks them, and the one with the most flexibility built into it.
What it requires
- A bachelor's degree or higher.
- In any discipline - history, engineering, music, anything.
- From an accredited college or university.
- Completed within five years of passing the exam.
Any discipline is the part that surprises people. There is no requirement that the degree relate to finance, and the financial content is covered by the Registered Program coursework instead.
The five-year window
The degree may be completed after passing the exam, within five years.
That is a substantial concession. A candidate without a degree can complete the coursework, sit and pass the exam, accumulate experience, and finish the degree afterwards - using the certification pathway as the motivation rather than the barrier.
The coursework must precede the exam, the ethics declaration and background check precede certification, and experience can be before or after. The degree is the one requirement with an explicit multi-year window after the exam.
If you do not have one
Options in rough order of efficiency:
- A Registered Program that awards academic credit towards a degree, solving both requirements together.
- A degree completion program recognizing prior credit and, in some cases, professional experience.
- An accredited online degree, part time.
- A community college associate degree followed by transfer.
The first is the strongest where it is available. Doing the required coursework at an institution that also awards credit is the same work counted twice.
Foreign degrees
Generally acceptable where equivalent to a US bachelor's degree, subject to evaluation by a recognized credential evaluation service.
Start that process early. Evaluations take time, and discovering a problem in year four of the five is worse than discovering it in year one.
What happens if you miss it
Certification cannot be issued without it, and the exam result does not sit open indefinitely.
Anyone using the five-year window should plan the degree from the start rather than treating it as a problem for later - five years passes, and a part-time degree takes a substantial part of it.
CFP® is a registered mark of Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. We are not affiliated with, or endorsed by, CFP Board. Confirm requirements against cfp.net, which is the authority.
Common questions
Do you need a degree to become a CFP professional?
Yes, a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited institution, but in any discipline and completed within five years after passing the exam.
Does the degree have to be in finance?
No. Any discipline qualifies. The financial content is covered by the CFP Board Registered Program coursework instead.
Can you sit the exam without a degree?
Yes. Only the Registered Program coursework gates the exam, and the degree can be completed within five years afterwards.
What is the most efficient route without a degree?
A Registered Program that awards academic credit towards a degree, so the required coursework counts twice. Degree completion programs recognizing prior credit are the next best option.
Are foreign degrees accepted?
Generally, where equivalent to a US bachelor's degree and evaluated by a recognized credential evaluation service. Start the evaluation early, since it takes time.