Financial Planning

The Postgraduate Certificate in Financial Planning is a comprehensive, Level 9 qualification designed to deepen your expertise in the key areas of retirement planning and investment management. Created in collaboration with industry experts, this programme equips you with the advanced skills and knowledge necessary to address complex financial planning challenges.



By focusing on real-world applications, it ensures that the learning is practical, relevant, and immediately applicable to your professional role. Successful completion leads to two valuable designations—Retirement Planning Adviser (RPA) and Specialist Investment Adviser (SIA)—enhancing your credentials and career potential in financial planning and wealth management



Benefit to you



This course will provide students with specialist knowledge and the ability to:



Gain a deep understanding of the principles and practices of financial planning, with a focus on retirement planning and investment management.



Develop the ability to formulate recommendations, assess expert opinions, and critically evaluate challenges, ensuring a professional approach to financial planning in these specialist areas.



Learn to critically assess and justify solutions, evaluating the best outcomes from a range of options in financial planning decisions.



This course is for:

This course is ideal for financial professionals holding the Qualified Financial Adviser (QFA) designation who are seeking to advance their expertise financial planning, wealth management, retirement planning and investment management.



Award and Designation

Upon completion, participants receive the Postgraduate Diploma in Business in Financial Planning award ATU Sligo and will be awarded the Specialist Investment Adviser (SIA) and Retirement Planning (RPA) designations by LIA.



CPD

8 Hours Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is awarded on successful completion of each modules on this course.

Relevant 2.2 honours degree (level 8) in business, finance or in a numerate discipline (such as mathematics, physics or engineering)

OR

Equivalent relevant professional qualification:



e.g



Qualified Financial Adviser (QFA) with three years’ relevant work experience obtained in the life assurance or financial services industry.



AITI Chartered Tax Advisers (CTAs)



ACIIs/FCIIs



Actuaries



Member of a Professional accountancy bodies (ICAI, ACCA, CIMA, ICPAI)



Solicitors and barristers

Early registration is strongly advised. The deadline for applications is the end of August for the September intake and the end of January for the February intake.

This is a 9-month part-time online course consisting of three modules, delivered one or two evening per week over a 12-week period. The modules are scheduled across two exam terms: September–December and February–May. Participants have the flexibility to complete one or two modules per term.

There is one intake bi-annually for this programme – September and February.

Progression



Those that successfully complete this course can progress to the Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning-LIA's gateway to achieving the internationally recognised financial planning designation, Certified Financial Planner™ professional.