The Wealth Management Certified Professional^®(WMCP^®) is an industry-renowned education program built by over 25 top industry leaders that provides students applicable knowledge they can share with their clients immediately. Building off the momentum of WMCP^®, The American College of Financial Services has separated the single 12-month class into three smaller, more approachable courses and modernized the program delivery model to allow students to learn on the go, wherever they are.  

Effective July 1, 2022, the redesigned WMCP^® Program has been updated and enhanced in three ways:

1. Curriculum structure – Instead of one 12-month course, the designation will now consist of three smaller courses designed to be completed in a shorter timeframe, allowing students to approach the content in smaller pieces with breaks between classes when needed. The move from a one-course to three-course structure reduces barriers to designation adoption by allowing students to fit the courses into a schedule that fits their lives. The revised WMCP^® also provides transfer credits toward the Chartered Financial Consultant^® (ChFC^®) and CFP^® Certification Education Programs allowing for a seamless transition into the designations curricula.
2. Brightspace learning management system – A streamlined modern online teaching experience students can access from any device, including mobile.
3. Personal Pathway^® learning model – The WMCP^® curriculum is now delivered through The College’s Personal Pathway^® learning model that features interactive learning activities and structured lessons while allowing students to go at their own pace.

Students can enroll in the program at any time. Upon enrollment, students receive the current month of their enrollment plus 16 additional weeks to complete each class. The first 10 weeks are for students to review all materials and complete their course requirements. Students will prepare for their final exam in the following two weeks and use the final four weeks to schedule and take their exam. Like other Personal Pathway^® courses, students who finish their coursework ahead of time are able to schedule and take their exams earlier, providing individuals with the opportunity to work at their own pace. Each course will provide three credits, maintaining the previous nine-credit program layout.

Each course consists of:

• Graded knowledge checks (5% of grade)
• Two graded case studies (10% total, 5% each)
• One 100-question final proctored exam (85%)
• Live, optional monthly webinars with faculty to help students achieve success

Students must complete the required coursework to sit for their final exam, but that coursework also counts toward the final course grade and reduces the stress of one, high-stakes exam.

WMCP^® students receive timely information, taught by top industry thought leaders, that will be readily applicable to their clients. The original 12-month program was a big commitment for many of our students. By offering our new WMCP^® Program as a three-course curriculum, students will now have the flexibility to move at their own pace. If a student wishes to complete their first course but wants to wait to enroll in their next course, they now have the option to do so.

WMCP^® courses have been redesigned for modular-based content that provides students with a structured learning environment. Each course will consist of online reading material, videos, lesson reviews, knowledge checks, two case studies that are graded by class instructors and designed to provide feedback, and practice exams to prepare students for the final exam. The new WMCP^® Program will also contain new content that was not available in the one-course program.

The new WMCP^® Program will also allow for a seamless transition to our ChFC^® and/or CFP^® Certification Education Program curricula.

Students must complete the following courses to earn their WMCP^®:

WMCP 360: Introduction to Goal-Based Planning
This course introduces goal-based wealth management. The course provides a theoretical framework guided by the life-cycle model of optimal investing, borrowing, and protection. Students will learn the essentials of implementing a goal-based plan by evaluating a client’s financial information, developing communication skills, recognizing how behavioral finance impacts client decisions, understanding the economic environment and financial regulation, and recognizing and overcoming ethical challenges.

WMCP 361: Efficient Investment Portfolios
This course explains modern investment theory and provides an overview of financial instruments used to build efficient goal-based portfolio strategies for individual investors. Students will learn how to combine investments to design portfolios that provide investors with higher expected returns and less expected risk. Topics include statistical concepts related to risk assessment and portfolio evaluation, evidence-based practices in portfolio construction, and characteristics of financial products designed to meet a range of client goals.

WMCP 362: Strategic Wealth Management
This course provides an overview of applied goal-based wealth management strategies. These include income and investment tax planning, rules and efficient use of tax-sheltered accounts, asset location, savings and distributing retirement assets, planning for funding education, estate, and charitable goals, executive compensation, small business planning, investing for diverse family structures, and managing defined contribution plans. Students will understand how to use accounts and strategies to help clients meet investment goals more effectively.

Students must take the three-course program in sequential order. The new WMCP^® Program is designed for each course to be taken in sequential order to provide students with the academic knowledge to succeed in each class.

Enrollments for the new three-course WMCP^® Program will begin on July 1, 2022, with courses beginning on 8/4/2022.

Upon enrollment, students receive the current month of enrollment plus 10 weeks for learning, completing all the course requirements two weeks for exam preparation and four weeks for scheduling and taking the exam.  

We provide a suggested timeline (10-week study plan) for each class that a student may follow, or work at your own pace and finish faster.

For example, if you complete your required coursework in eight weeks, you can schedule your final exam over the next eight weeks.

Students should expect to spend between six and nine hours per week for each course.

Students are expected to go through the online learning experience for each learning outcome and take each knowledge check. There are two case studies per course, located near the halfway point and at the end of the course. The case studies and the knowledge checks MUST be completed before students can schedule a course exam. Upon completing all the modules and submitting the case studies, The College recommends that the student make an appointment to take their final exam and use the study materials in the classroom to prepare.

Yes. In the current WMCP^® Program, the final exam consisted of 150 multiple-choice questions. In the new three-course WMCP^® Program, each course will have a final exam that consists of 100 multiple-choice questions. Final exams will continue to be administered by a Pearson VUE Testing Center.

The College will be submitting each course to individual states and boards for approval.

No, but The College will offer a three-course program package that will allow students to take advantage of course discounts in their new program.

If purchased individually, each class costs $995. If purchased as a three-course package, the tuition will be $2,550.

Yes. The new WMCP^® Program will also allow for a more seamless transition to our ChFC^® and/or CFP^® Certification Education Program curricula.

No, the WMCP^® program does not accept internal transfers of credit.

If a student has paid in full for the one-course program, and their enrollment window is still active, they may transfer without refund or additional charge to the revised three-course program. Please note, company restrictions may apply.

Please contact our WMCP^® advising team for assistance via email at WMCPAdvising@theamericancollege.edu.

Once the three-course curriculum launches on July 1, 2022, it will be the only version of the WMCP^® Program available for enrollment.

If you have additional questions after reading these Frequently Asked Questions, email the WMCP^® advising team at WMCPAdvising@theamericancollege.edu and we will make sure your questions are answered within two business days. Our advising team is here to help you navigate this change and to help you move forward with your studies. We appreciate your patience.

Students gain full access to the course materials immediately upon enrollment. The 10-week work window begins on the first Thursday of the following month. Please note, all course requirements are due by the end of the 10th week of class, allowing students to have two additional weeks for exam preparation and four weeks to take the exam. Students who have not finished the course requirements by the end of the 10th week will need to enroll in the class again. 

Personal Pathway^® courses require students to complete graded work in the online classroom and take a final exam. Graded course requirements change from course to course, and it is the student’s responsibility to check each course syllabus to understand what is required of them. 

The final grade is calculated by combining the scores from the graded coursework and the final exam. To take the final exam, all course requirements must be completed. After a student takes the exam, allow two business days for the course grade to be calculated.

Students who fail their course will have a three-month grace period from the day that their final grade is calculated to purchase a four-week retake window. The retake exam will be combined with the student’s previously completed coursework. Students can purchase one retake or reschedule per course. If a student fails the retake, does not sit for the retake, or does not exercise the option to purchase a retake within the two-week grace period, the student must re-enroll in the course at a reduced tuition rate, and they must also complete the required coursework in their new enrollment. 

A student who completes all required coursework but does not sit for their final exam will have a three-month grace period from the exam window end date to purchase a reschedule window of four weeks. The reschedule exam will be combined with the student’s previously completed coursework. Students can purchase one retake or reschedule per course. 

If a student fails the rescheduled exam, does not sit for the rescheduled exam, or does not exercise the option to purchase a reschedule exam within the three-month grace period, the student must enroll in the course again at a reduced tuition rate and they must complete all required coursework in their new enrollment. 

Needs-based extensions are available for students who cannot complete their required coursework in the 10-week window. A student who has an illness, a death in the family, a military obligation, or other extenuating circumstance can request an extension. Extensions are granted for 30 days up to a maximum of 60 days. Students in need of an extension should contact the WMCP® advising team at WMCPadvising@theamericancollege.edu to discuss their options.