This qualification enables you to obtain the highest academic and professional level of competency, to be recognised as such, and to become eligible for professional membership to the Financial Planning Institute of Southern Africa (FPI). The FPI is the leading professional association in South Africa catering for the competency needs of financial service providers including financial planners. The FPI competence certificates of CFP® professional / CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional accreditation represents the pinnacle of competence as a professional financial planner. The FPI, as the Southern African affiliate of the International Financial Planning Standards Board, is licensed to award the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional accreditation in South Africa. The CFP® professional accreditation mark used in 24 countries around the world represents the global professional designation for the profession of financial planning.
The Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning is on an NQF level 8. The SAQA code is 96722.
Admission Requirements
For admission to the Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning, one of the following is required:
- An applicable Bachelor’s degree, or
- An applicable diploma or advanced diploma, or an NQF Level 7 qualification with a minimum of 120 total credits.
- A student can, with the consent of the Dean, at the recommendation of the Education Committee (appointed by the School for Financial Planning Law), and in consultation with the Registrar, also be admitted on the basis of a qualification that they regard as equivalent, or on condition that the student, in some other way, achieved a standard of competence that they regard as adequate for the purposes of study.
Recognition of prior learning
Applicants without degrees, but who have at least five years’ relevant experience in the financial planning environment and an NQF Level 5 or 6 (minimum 120 credits) qualification, have the opportunity to enrol for the Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning, based on the completion of the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme. Contact the RPL office at +27 51 401 7357 or MeintjesMJ@ufs.ac.za
Duration of studies
Minimum duration of the course is one year, and maximum period is three years (calculated consecutively from the date of first registration)
Academic Overview
The Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning (hereafter the Diploma) comprises of four modules. A brief summary of the four modules are given below. This Diploma is offered only in English.
| | Content | Assignment | Examination |
| LFPE5800: Financial Planning Environment | Compliance Legislation Financial Management Financial Calculations Economics Tax | Five online electronic quizzes to be completed on given dates. Student must receive an average of 40% for the combined assignments in order to be granted access to the examination. | Open Book |
| LFPP5800: Personal Financial Planning | Investment Planning Retirement Planning Estate Planning Risk management | Five online electronic quizzes to be completed on given dates. Student must receive an average of 40% for the combined assignments in order to be granted access to the examination. | Open Book |
| LFPC5800: Corporate Financial Planning | Employee Benefits Business Insurance Business Entities Health Benefits Financial Statements and Ratios | Five online electronic quizzes to be completed on given dates. Student must receive an average of 40% for the combined assignments in order to be granted access to the examination. | Open Book |
| LFPS5800: Financial Planning Case Study | Combination of all of the above in one holistic case study. | There are no assignments for this module and thus no subminimum is required for the examination. | Open Book |
View short video that provides an overview of the programme here
Important dates
Applications open: 1 June 2023
Applications close: 15 January 2024
Closing date for Registration: 15 February 2024
Application information
Applications, admissions and registrations
E: sfpl_appl@ufs.ac.za
General enquiries
If your surname starts with the letter A-H:
Jaqueline Badenhorst
badenhorstje@ufs.ac.za | +27 51 401 2823
If your surname starts with the letter I-N:
Julia Molete
moletemj@ufs.ac.za | +27 51 401 2823
If your surname starts with the letter O-Z:
Joyce Leeuw
leeuwj@ufs.ac.za | +27 51 401 2823