The FPA requires all of its new members to be degree-qualified by 1 July 2013.
Through UNSW’s Australian School of Business, the academic program will offer a graduate certificate, graduate diploma and a Masters of financial planning, which are ultimately aligned to the Certified Financial Planner designation.
“This demonstrates the collective commitment to driving education standards across the profession and moving us closer to that true status of being a profession,” AMP Horizons director Tim Steele said at the launch of the initiative yesterday.
“Whilst most in the industry would agree there’s still a way to go, I believe education standards and formal qualifications are at the core of what will drive the future of this profession.”
Driven by feedback and demand from Horizons students, the initiative will be known as the University Pathways for Horizons Alumni, Mr Steele said.
“It wasn’t our original intention that we create this program but given where we could see the profession heading, we realised that they wanted some form of recognition of that learning so we went about exploring how we might be able to potentially partner with a tertiary institution to be able to provide that,” he said.
UNSW associate dean of post-graduate programs professor Chris Allen said the academic program would include modules that developed the communication attributes and soft skills of future financial advisers.
“We’re very conscious of the need for students to be able to present well and to give good written and oral communications, so it’s a very strong element in all our programs and also imbedded in order for us to achieve accreditation as a business school,” Mr Allen said.
UNSW has been in discussions with employers and the industry about the skill set expected of graduates since education must go beyond the technical knowledge and include personal attributes, ethics, teamwork, leadership and communication skills, he said.
UNSW is one of only a few Australian universities that offers post-graduate level financial planning programs recognised by the FPA.
