The Financial Planning Education Council (FPEC) has today launched its approved national Accreditation and Curriculum Framework for financial planning university degrees, with the first accreditations will be completed by the end of 2012.
University programs in financial planning have traditionally varied widely but the Financial Planning Academics Forum (FPAF) and FPEC have now brought together academics and practitioners to define a financial planning curriculum for degree qualifications.
Financial Planning Association chief executive Mark Rantall said the uniform curriculum provides the universities with a clear view about the graduate outcomes expected of financial planners, and ensures a clear and dedicated relationship between academia and the profession.
Dr Mark Brimble, Associate Professor (Finance) at Griffith University, co-chair of the FPAF and deputy chair of the FPEC, said as recently as 2003 there were few specialised degrees in financial planning but now there is a "vibrant community of academics who specialise in financial planning education."
The new framework will "provide a sound basis for all stakeholders in terms of the expected knowledge and skills outcomes for students of higher education programs in financial planning in Australia," he said.
FPEC chair Professor David Lamond, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Offshore Branch Campus Development) Victoria University, said that following broad consultation, the FPEC endorsed the curriculum standards and produced separate guidelines to assist organisations seeking recognition of their courses.
