Elms College to Offer Graduate Education in Financial Planning

CHICOPEE — The College of Our Lady of the Elms has registered with Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. (CFP Board) to provide new financial-planning education in both master’s and graduate certificate programs.

Thanks to this new partnership, Elms College now offers an MBA degree with a concentration in certified financial planning, an master of science degree in accounting and financial planning, and a graduate certificate in financial planning. These offerings are all CFP Board registered.

“We are enthusiastic and proud to represent these new educational opportunities at Elms College,” said Amanda Garcia, director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at Elms.

Added Kim Kenney-Rockwal, the college’s MBA program director, “Elms College is the only Western Massachusetts institution offering a live classroom setting for financial-planning education.”

An independent certifying organization, CFP Board owns the CFP and Certified Financial Planner certification marks, which it awards to individuals who meet its education, examination, experience, ethics, and other requirements. The CFP Board partners with more than 360 programs at more than 225 institutions.

“The CFP Board is pleased to approve the program at Elms College as a CFP Board- registered program,” said Mike Greene, chair of CFP Board’s board of directors. “As student interest in financial planning as a career continues to grow, we anticipate that the Elms College programs will contribute significantly to the number of qualified candidates seeking to attain the CFP certification, the standard of excellence for competent and ethical financial planning.”

Students who complete the financial planning program at Elms College will have met the education requirement for the CFP Certification Examination, administered by CFP Board.

“I applaud Elms College for its use of learner-centered competency identification in each course,” said Charles Chaffin, director of academic programs and initiatives at CFP Board. “I further applaud that assessment measures are indicated, with objectives and assessments integrated with the schedule. Both faculty and students should clearly understand student expectations and how content directly relates to the role of the personal financial planner.”