Financial Services at Algonquin College

Thrive in the financial services industry.

The one-year Financial Services Ontario College Graduate Certificate program prepares you for a challenging and rewarding career in the customer sales and service areas of:

• banking
• insurance
• financial planning
• wealth management

In this program, you build on your pre-existing business skills, financial knowledge and professional experience. You are introduced to financial products and services and financial advising. You learn how to create and present financial plans. As well, you practise collecting and analyzing client information and providing financial advice based on that information.

You also participate in work-integrated learning. This gives you the opportunity to practise your skills and knowledge in a realistic financial services workplace context.

Algonquin College partners with The Canadian Securities Institute (CSI) to offer the Financial Services Graduate Certificate program, which is an approved educational path to Personal Financial Planner®(PFP®) designation and prepares you to write the Applied Financial Planning Certification examination, which is necessary to obtain the PFP® designation.

The PFP® is not awarded by Algonquin College. For more information on this credential, refer to the following website: https://www.csi.ca/student/en_ca/designations/pfp.xhtml.

You may find employment as a personal financial or investment advisor in a broad range of financial institutions. These might include:

• banks
• credit unions
• financial planning offices
• insurance companies
• brokerage firms

SUCCESS FACTORS

This program is well-suited for students who:

• Possess customer-focused communication skills, both written and oral.
• Thrive in a dynamic team-based work environment.
• Possess an analytical and mathematical aptitude.
• Are detail-oriented and able to follow complex instructions.
• Are outgoing and have strong interpersonal skills.

Careers

Graduates may find employment as financial advisors or associates, financial service representatives, account managers or investment specialists in a broad range of financial institutions including retail banks, credit unions, financial planning offices, insurance companies, brokerage firms and other businesses dedicated to providing personal financial advice and services.

Learning Outcomes

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

1. Integrate ethical decision-making processes into all aspects of the financial planning profession.
2. Apply recognized financial planning principles and industry standards to the systematic analysis of financial position and requirements.
3. Prepare accurate and relevant financial plans manually and electronically.
4. Integrate economic and personal information necessary for effective financial planning decisions.
5. Compare, contrast, and select, from appropriate financial products and services, investment planning and counseling services for the public according to industry standards, including taxation counseling.
6. Effectively market financial products through the development of an inventory of prospective clients, following up with individual sales strategies in pursuit of new and renewal business.
7. Identify potential tax and legal implications within a financial planning situation.
8. Apply written and verbal client-focused communication styles and strategies and model professional practice in all communication according to industry standards.
9. Research market opportunities and design a financial plan in support of client needs.
10. Provide recommendations and options to the public for managing risk involving life and health insurance products.
11. Design an ongoing professional development and career plan related to the financial industry.
12. Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment and environmental stewardship.

Program Eligibility

• Ontario College Diploma, Ontario College Advanced Diploma, Degree or equivalent in areas of finance, economics, business, marketing, social services, communications.
• Applicants without the required diploma or degree will be assessed individually and will be required to complete an Eligibility Package.
• Eligibility Package submission details can be found on the Algonquin College Additional Admission Requirements website at: www.algonquincollege.com/admissionspackages. Please contact the Program Coordinator for more information.
• Applicants with international transcripts must provide proof of the subject specific requirements noted above and may be required to provide proof of language proficiency. Domestic applicants with international transcripts must be evaluated through the International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS) or World Education Services (WES).
• IELTS-International English Language Testing Service (Academic) Overall band of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each band; OR TOEFL-Internet-based (iBT)-overall 88, with a minimum of 22 in each component: Reading 22; Listening 22; Speaking 22; Writing 22.