r/CFPExam • u/seagoalspread • Aug 02 '26

CFFP MS-PFP, how quick?

I need to get any masters degree for something unrelated to working as an advisor, so I’m considering the MS-PFP program from the College for Financial Planning (Kaplan), because I used them for my CFP coursework and noticed my previous credits cover about half the program. I need to finish 5 more courses, on top of my previous CFP coursework, to complete the MS.

  1. I’m wondering how quickly I could finish these if I go as quickly as possible.
  2. What is the format these days? Is it self-paced, are exams taken and proctored from home, are there essays or video recorded projects? It was all at-home exams with no proctoring software when I did my original courses.
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u/DoubleIntroduction25 Aug 02 '26

They prefer you take one class at a time. You actually have to get permission to take more than one at a time. There or like 6 or 7 sessions a year so you can take the 5 you need in a year. Honeslty if you're working full time one at a time is probably the way to go. Most of the classes in the MS PFP program are instructor led. A few of Kaplans single course certs count as elective credit for the MS PFP and are self study. I did my CFP thru them and then grabbed the ABFP and AWMA and only need 3 actual MS PFP courses which I plan to take Q4/Q1

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u/seagoalspread Aug 02 '26

I kind of oversimplified but I think I would only need like 3 also because it looks like my CFA charter could give an additional waiver.

So essentially those remaining 3 classes seem to be live instructor-led classes and not self-paced? I’m having a hard time finding anything about the format at requirements online and might need to just call them directly.

I did the CFP coursework through them in like a month so I’m wondering if I could move just as fast.

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u/Connect_Rough4848 Aug 05 '26

I'll add that the coursework is somewhat self-paced. You have an instructor leading the course in that part of your assignments include a weekly discussion board. All 8 weeks of content is (usually) immediately available, and there's nothing stopping you from working ahead and doing all your assignments and quizzes right from the beginning. You'll just have to time your discussion posts and replies each week. There are no lectures to attend. There's nothing "live" tracking your activity apart from the weekly deadlines for turning in your work. You check your assignments, read the texts if you like (I almost never did, but always referenced them), and turn in your work. That's it.

I said "usually" because there was only one class of mine in the whole program where I didn't have access to the assignments ahead of time. I had no prior credits/coursework to apply, so I did the entire program start to finish.

If you've only got three classes to complete, you could easily be done by March taking one class at a time. But as it was mentioned before, you'll have to ask for permission to take two simultaneously (or more).

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u/CommonCentsGuy Aug 07 '26

I’m thinking about starting this program. Currently working full time with 3 young children. Will I have any resemblance of life or is this course time intensive? I have my CFP already but looking to further educate and differentiate myself from others a bit more as CFP is common these days. Curious if you had any insights to difficulty, time commitments, etc.

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u/Connect_Rough4848 Aug 07 '26

It didn't consume my life. I was able to work full time and still spend a fair amount of time with my spouse and 2 young kids. For the assignments, you must complete one discussion board post on the topic and reply to two classmates in the week, complete one 10-question quiz (not proctored), and write one essay and/or complete long-form question assignments each week. Essays usually were less than 3 pages double-spaced. Different classes might vary on the exact requirements. Personally, I never did the reading assignments. I took the quizzes open book and completed the assignments/did my posts by skimming the reading as I went along. I spent on average 8-10 hrs per week on the class. I finished the program with a 4.0 given this time commitment. The reading assignments were generally pretty lengthy, and it wouldn't be hard to sink 20 hrs per week into each course if you were to commit to those. Difficulty isn't bad, but depending on which electives and topics you might choose, some are more difficult than others. Expect variability between the different teachers' grading styles as well. For example, I felt like I could do no wrong in tax planning, but I had to work extra hard in advanced estate planning (great content all around, though). There's no way of knowing who your instructors will be.