The SMU Certificate Program in Financial Planning utilizes two publishers for course
texts: The American College and Kaplan Schweser. Each SMU course requires a textbook from
American College with Fundamentals 101 and Capstone 107 requiring a corresponding supplement
from the 7-volume Kaplan Schweser review series.
Courses are based
on the most recent textbook editions offered by the publishers. Avoid holding obsolete textbooks by purchasing only the
most recent textbook edition as needed for your current course. Please
keep this in mind when purchasing packaged or bundled sets.
To ensure
delivery of texts before classes begin, SMU students are strongly encouraged to
order their textbooks a minimum of 7 business days in advance of the start of
each course.
Required books
for each SMU course are noted in the chart below. Contact publishers
directly to purchase textbooks. Books are not available at the SMU
Bookstore.
Kaplan-Schweser
Gail Lubhan
Phone: 888-548-2492
Fax: 608-781-3941
Web: www.schweser.com
American College
Click here for an order form
| Course |
Textbook |
Editor/Publisher |
Edition |
Cost |
| Fundamentals of Financial Planning (FP 101) |
HS300 — Financial Planning: Process and Environment |
Lemoine/American College |
4th |
$120 |
|
Understanding Your Financial Calculator
|
Kaplan Schweser |
|
|
| Insurance and Risk Management (FP 102) |
HS311 — Fundamentals of Insurance |
Beam/American College |
4th |
$120 |
| Investments (FP 103) |
HS328 — Fundamentals of Investments for Financial Planning |
Woerheide/American College |
6th |
$120 |
| Retirement Planning and Employee Benefits (FP 104) |
HS326 — Planning for Retirement Needs |
Littell, Tacchino, & Schneider/American College |
11th |
$120 |
| Tax Planning (FP 105) |
HS321 — Fundamentals of Taxation |
Brinker/American College |
10th |
$120 |
| Estate Planning (FP 106) |
HS330 — Fundamentals of Estate Planning |
Fontaine/American College |
13th |
$120 |
| Financial Planning Strategies and Case Studies (FP 107) |
HS332 — Financial Planning Applications |
Lemoine/American College |
23rd |
$120 |
| Personal Financial Planning — Cases and Applications |
Kaplan Schweser |
7th |
|
Get Started!
- Choose a starting date. Students may join the SMU Program in April or September on the main campus in Dallas, or in January at SMU-in-Plano.
- Choose a track. Students may elect to take one course per quarter, on the Traditional Path, or take 2 courses per quarter on the Pacesetter Path (at a discounted rate). Students in the SMU CPFP in Plano program move through the program one course at at time, at an accelerated pace; each of the seven courses in the program are taught in 6-week modules. For an overview of the course paths, click here.
- Enroll in an Information Session. Offered throughout the year, these 1-hour sessions are packed with information about the SMU Program and the CFP® certification process. Register now.
- Meet program instructors, view prerequisites and course fees.
- Complete the program application. Click here to complete the SMU program application.
- Register for class. After the application has been approved, students may enroll online, by phone, or by fax. Traditional Path and Plano students begin the program with course 101; Pacesetter Path students begin with courses 101 and 103.