Wealth Management Certified Professional^®

The Wealth Management Certified Professional® (WMCP®) is a foundational designation credential offered by The American College of Financial Services that focuses on comprehensive wealth management education. It is similar in concept to designations such as the Certified Wealth Management Advisor (CWMA), the Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®), and the Wealth Management SpecialistSM (WMSSM). This wealth management designation is designed to give financial professionals the strategic and practical framework to build broadly-diversified, tax-efficient portfolios aligned with client goals.

To become a wealth management professional through the WMCP® Program, you must complete the three-course program, including all associated classwork and a final exam for each course. These wealth management courses include discussions on goal-based planning, efficient investing, and creation of strategies needed as a wealth management specialist.

Like many comparable wealth management training programs, the Wealth Management Certified Professional® (WMCP®) designation can be finished in 12 months or less and can be considered a foundational designation; however, with its advanced curriculum, focus on deep behavioral finance theory, faculty of nationally-recognized thought leaders, and the first-rate e-learning experience delivered by The American College of Financial Services, the WMCP® Program has been recognized by the industry as a cornerstone wealth management designation. FUSE Research’s 2024 Designation Outcomes Study showed wealth management professionals who complete the WMCP® Program enhance their career growth compared to others in their field, showing 144% higher growth in client retention, 32% higher growth in earnings, and 16% higher growth in production over a three-year period than professionals with no designations.

Additionally, the knowledge conveyed by these online wealth management courses is proven to meet growing demand: according to a 2022 survey of registered investment advisors (RIAs), over half wanted more wealth management education, specifically in the area of behavioral finance. Spectrum Group also reported in 2023 that 95% of potential clients expect wealth management services from their advisor, though far less than that number actually receive them. This demonstrates the WMCP®’s ongoing value as a wealth management education credential.

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.

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 College 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:

Curriculum structure – Instead of one 12-month course, the designation will now consist of three smaller courses designed to be completed in a shorter time frame, 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.

Brightspace learning management system – A streamlined modern online teaching experience students can access from any device, including mobile.

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.

You will have 10 weeks to complete all required course requirements, two weeks to prepare and four weeks to schedule and take the exam. We provide a suggested 10-week coursework timeline for each course, however you may work at your own pace and finish faster

Any student enrolled in the legacy, single course version of the WMCP^® Program should seek guidance from the WMCP^® Academic Advising team at WMCPadvising@theamericancollege.edu.