Online free Certificate Programs

Students who receive a certificate in financial management can become financial managers, finance analysts, financial planners, or corporate finance consultants, as well as prepare for doctoral or professional programs in law and business.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there are currently 495, 180 individuals employed as financial managers in America, and their average annual salary is $113, 730.

Personal financial advisers are projected to grow by 41% by 2016.

Common financial management job tasks include:

• implementing cash management strategies
• determining credit ceilings
• providing guidance to businesses and individuals making investment decisions
• building financial models for cash-flow analysis
• devising financing and capital structure strategies
• researching and analyzing mergers and acquisitions
• researching capital budgets and other investment decisions
• analyzing portfolio investments and asset management choices
• developing and evaluating risk-management strategies
• generating cash flow forecasts and valuation estimates

Dalton Education provides online education opportunities for universities such as Northwestern University, ranked #3 on our list. Their online programs are designed to fulfill the education requirements for the CFP® Certification Examination. The benefits of enrolling in one of these programs include completing it at your own pace; the ability to complete it in nine months or less; and customized learning based on how much detail you know about a particular topic.

Other partnership universities include Pepperdine University, Wake Forrest University, the University of Miami, among others.

1. University of California Berkeley Extension

UC Berkeley Extension’s Professional Sequence in Personal Financial Planning provides opportunities for the financial planning profession. Their specialized program of study allows the student to analyze and advise in all core areas of personal financial planning.

Students who complete this program are eligible to take the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) Certification Examination.

The curriculum is overseen by an advisory board of investment, financial planning, and education leaders, and taught by working professionals with many years of practical experience in financial services.

Some of their online classes include Survey of Personal Financial Planning, Business Valuation, and Fundamentals of Risk Management.