Course overview

Course Overview

Our online, FAS-approved Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning is an eight-subject higher education qualification set at AQF level 8, which comprises the first eight subjects of Kaplan Professional’s Master of Financial Planning.

The qualification is designed and developed in conjunction with leading advisers and industry experts to ensure what you learn is practical, relevant and immediately transferable to your professional practice. You’ll build on the skills you’ve already developed and broaden your technical knowledge in investment, taxation, estate and succession planning, and client engagement skills.

From 1 January 2019, the educational requirement for an existing adviser is an approved graduate diploma (AQF8) comprising of eight subjects to be completed by 1 January 2026.

Who is this course for?

• Individuals seeking to undertake a FAS-approved qualification (click here to learn more about the FAS requirements)
• Individuals looking to build on existing knowledge and skills to develop a broader technical knowledge in investment, taxation, estate and succession planning and client engagement

Potential career paths in financial planning:

• Financial adviser/planner
• Insurance / Risk adviser
• Business development manager
• Superannuation consultant
• Portfolio analyst
• Investment banker
• Claims administrator
• Compliance manager
• Risk adviser
• Technical consultant
• Financial advice practice manager
• Responsible manager

Advance the your career and open further avenues by learning new knowledge and skills. Read our financial planning guide to learn where completing the Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning course can take you.

Key information

Key information

*The course durations outlined above provide an indication of how long it may take an individual to complete this course. Actual completion times may vary depending on individual study patterns.

The recommended study hours for each subject can be found in the relevant subject outline listed under the ‘Program structure and subjects’ tab.

For information regarding course completion timeframes, please refer to our Progression Policy.

Have questions about your next steps?

Program structure and subjects

Program structure and subjects

Eight (8) core subjects:

• FPC001B Economic and Legal Context for Financial Planning
• FPC002B Ethics and Professionalism in Financial Advice
• FPC003 Superannuation and Retirement Advice
• FPC004 Insurance Advice
• FPC005 Estate and Succession Planning
• FPC006 Taxation for Financial Planning
• FPC007B Client Engagement Skills
• FPC008 Investment Advice (applicable until Study Period 1, 2023)
• FPC008 Investment Advice (applicable from Study Period 2, 2023)

Single subject study is also available. Click here for full subject availability. 

Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning progression pathway

Industry designations

Individuals who successfully complete the Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning will meet the entry requirement for the Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®) designation offered by the Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA).

Exit qualifications

Graduate Certificate in Financial Planning

Have questions about your next steps?

FAS bridging courses

FAS Bridging Courses

Kaplan Professional has been proactive in our approach to the development of the following FAS-approved bridging courses:

• FPC002B Ethics and Professionalism in Financial Advice (aligns to FAS bridging course: Ethics for Professional Advisers)
   Learn more >

• FPC001B Economic and Legal Context for Financial Planning (aligns to FAS bridging course: Financial Advice Regulatory and Legal Obligations)
   Learn more >

• FPC007B Client Engagement Skills (aligns to FAS bridging course: Client and Consumer Behaviour, Engagement and Decision Making)
   Learn more >

Each bridging course can be completed as a stand-alone subject or counted towards Kaplan Professional’s FAS-approved Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning and FAS-approved Master of Financial Planning. 

Have questions about your next steps?

Learning outcomes and graduate attributes

Learning outcomes and graduate attributes

Graduate attributes

Kaplan Professional defines the philosophy underpinning our qualifications through the graduate attributes.  These are the qualities we’d like individuals to develop as they progress through their academic studies; they reflect what individuals will know (knowledge) or be able to do (capabilities), when they finish their qualification.

The attributes are built into Kaplan Professional course learning outcomes, content and assessments.

• Deep discipline knowledge
• Ethical conduct and values
• Communication
• Digital literacy
• Critical thinking and problem solving
• Independence and initiative

Please click here to learn more about our graduate attributes.

Have questions about your next steps?

Pathways

Combine our Master of Financial Planning with the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification

Kaplan Professional is pleased to announce a partnership with the Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA), which allows individuals to combine our FAS-approved Master of Financial Planning with the CFP® Certification Program. 

The professional pathway is available to individuals who wish to obtain both Kaplan Professional’s Master of Financial Planning and the FPA’s CFP® designation. This pathway requires individuals to successfully complete 10 core subjects and 1 elective subject from Kaplan Professional’s Master of Financial Planning. The final elective subject – CFP® certification unit –  is be completed with the FPA.

Recommended professional pathway

1. FPC001B Economic and Legal Context for Financial Planning
2. FPC002B Ethics and Professionalism in Financial Advice
3. FPC003 Superannuation and Retirement Advice
4. FPC004 Insurance Advice
5. FPC005 Estate and Succession Planning
6. FPC006 Tax and Commercial Law for Financial Planning
7. FPC007B Client Engagement Skills
8. FPC008 Investment Advice
9. FPC009 Complex Financial Planning
10. Elective 1
11. KAP001: Capstone Project
12. General elective 2 (CFP® certification unit completed with the FPA)

On completion of the pathway and once the CFP® Certification Program industry experience requirements are met, individuals will be eligible to apply for the CFP® designation.

If you’re currently completing Kaplan Professional’s Master of Financial Planning and are interested in undertaking this pathway, please contact our Student Advice team on 1300 135 798 to discuss your options.

Have questions about your next steps?

Why choose us

Why choose us

Kaplan Professional is a leading provider of education in Australia, providing learning solutions to over 45,000 professionals annually – this includes 1,500 corporate clients, incorporating all the major banks and leading financial services providers in the country.

Proactive and personalised support

You can count on diligent and prompt support from a dedicated Student Advice team who are always a phone call or email away. The team is experienced, knowledgeable and specifically in place to support financial advisers who are studying at the postgraduate level. You’ll work together with the team to create a tailored pathway that will help you map out your studies and plan ahead to ensure you’re able to achieve your goals within your desired timeframe.

Practical and relevant learning rather than just academic theory

Kaplan Professional has always prided itself on its ability to engage industry experts and leading financial advisers to curate and deliver our subject content. This ensures you’ll be provided with practical, relevant and performance-focused outcomes, directly applicable to your professional practice. These industry practitioners deliver online lectures, respond to questions in the discussion forum, and provide assessment feedback.

Study any subject all year round over six study periods

Kaplan Professional’s six study period model provides you the freedom to study all year round, but most importantly, every postgraduate financial planning subject is available in each study period. This ensures you’re able to plan ahead and choose study periods that accommodate your professional and personal commitments. With a new study period commencing approximately every two months, overlapping slightly from the previous, you can accelerate your study or ‘take a break’ depending on your circumstances.

Complete flexibility – accessible 24/7

You have access to KapLearn – your innovative online learning hub – anytime and anywhere. This convenience and flexibility empowers you to plan your study time around the rest of your day, instead of the other way around. This is particularly beneficial for busy financial advisers who already have significant professional and personal commitments. Discussion forums, interactive notes, research journals, online journals, real-world case studies and diverse multimedia content are all easily accessible in one intuitive and user-friendly hub.

Learn together and support each other

You’ll have direct access to the industry practitioners and subject matter experts in an online discussion forum, where you can seek clarification on subject content and discuss any study issues you may have. By participating in online discussion forums in a supportive peer-to-peer environment, you have the unique ability to discover the viewpoints of like-minded individuals from different areas of the industry. This creates a richer, more immersive learning experience, while providing you further opportunities to extend your professional network.

You’ll also have the option of being assigned a study group. This enables you to form new perspectives; understand and absorb information more efficiently; improve and develop new study skills; and benefit from a cooperative, rather than competitive, learning environment.

Have questions about your next steps?

Key dates

Key dates

Kaplan Professional’s six study period model provides you the freedom to study all year round. It also enables you to plan ahead and choose study periods that accommodate your professional and personal commitments. With a new study period commencing approximately every two months, overlapping slightly from the previous, you can accelerate your study or ‘take a break’ depending on your circumstances.

Next available intake

For a full list of annual study period dates, click here >

Entry requirements

Below are the minimum education requirements for entry into our postgraduate courses.

Alternative entry pathways may be available to you if you do not meet the minimum education requirements. In addition, other entry requirements, such as English language proficiency, may apply to you depending on your academic background.

The qualifications listed as minimum education requirements must be from a recognised Institute of Higher Education. Overseas qualifications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis using the Country Education Profiles (CEPs) qualification recognition tool provided by the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment.

Minimum education requirements for entry

• Completion of a Bachelor degree or higher qualification, or
• Completion of a Diploma, Advanced Diploma or Associate Degree in a related discipline with a minimum of two years’ full-time (or part-time equivalent) relevant work experience, or
• At least four years’ full-time (or part-time equivalent) relevant work experience, or
• Academic and/or professional qualifications demonstrating potential to undertake study at this level

*You will be required to provide Kaplan Professional with documents supporting your application as evidence that you meet the requirements for entry into the course. Please review the Provision of Entry Requirement Documents PDF for more information.

Related industry/work experience

Related industry/work experience can include, but is not limited to:

• Working for financial institution(s) in position(s) with exposure to aspects of the industry
• Managing a business for at least 2 years
• Self-employed roles in trading or related areas.

Download the Related Industry Experience Form

Don’t meet the above entry requirements?

You may be eligible to pathway into the Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning by enrolling in the Graduate Certificate in Financial Planning. Please visit the Graduate Certificate in Financial Planning page and refer to the ‘Entry requirements’ tab. Alternatively, feel free to contact 1300 135 798 or studentadvice@kaplan.edu.au to discuss your options.

You may also be eligible for entry into this course based on your work expertise and/or if you hold an academic and/or professional qualification that is deemed appropriate to Kaplan Professional. Please refer to our alternative entry pathways for further information

Industry education requirements for financial advisers

We encourage you to book a consultation over the phone to discuss the options and study pathways available to you in more detail. These consultations allow our experienced and knowledgeable team to understand your needs, identify the qualification most appropriate for you, and address your questions thoroughly.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of prior learning

Advanced standing may be awarded in recognition of prior learning (RPL) or industry experience, which is directly related to the qualification. 

We recognise various types of prior learning towards our postgraduate qualifications:

• Advanced standing based on an industry designation
• Advanced standing based on prior postgraduate study
• Advanced standing based on industry experience

Further information can be found on our Advanced Standing ‘Precedent List’.

Click here for further information about how to apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

Have questions about your next steps?

How to apply

How to apply

1. Check entry requirements

Each Kaplan Professional postgraduate qualification has minimum entry requirements that you must meet to qualify for admission.

In order to complete your studies with Kaplan Professional, you’re assumed to have the following skills and access relating to technology. Please click here to view our minimum technology requirements.

2. Submit your application

You can apply to study with Kaplan Professional by completing our online application form. Alternatively, you can submit a hard copy of the application form below.

Download a new student enrolment form >

You can apply now and supply documentation later to support your application for admission (within three weeks of your initial application to the qualification). Please click here for details on what documentation you may need to provide to support your application.

3. Apply for recognition of prior learning (RPL)

You may be able to obtain advanced standing for a Kaplan Professional subject based on your previous study, professional membership status and/or work experience.

4. Enrol into subjects

All subjects are offered online for each study period, giving you the flexibility of choosing when and where you wish study. You pay tuition fees for the subject(s) you’re enrolled in within an individual study period. Check the fee schedule for more information about fees.

FEE-HELP is available to eligible students.  Click here to find out if you’re eligible for FEE-HELP.

You should also check the individual subject outlines to understand the recommended study time commitments for the subject, along with any recommended assumed knowledge. Click here to view a list of financial planning subjects.

Make sure you also check the assessment timetable to ensure you are available to sit the assessment pieces.

Have questions about your next steps?

Student Polices and forms

Click here to access student polices and forms.

Fees

Fees

Tuition fees

When you apply to study with Kaplan Professional, you pay for the subjects you’ve enrolled in for each study period.

The tuition fee listed below applies to all postgraduate subjects:

Subject Fees

If you’re paying by cheque, utilising a deferral, or have a preferred client code, you’ll need to download and submit a hard copy of the form below.

Download a new student application form >

Other fees

Further fees may apply. Click here for a full list of fees and allowances.

FEE-HELP is available to eligible students. Click here to find out if you are eligible for FEE-HELP.

You may find our Payment FAQs useful. Click here to learn more.

Support and wellbeing services

Support and wellbeing services

Studying at Kaplan Professional

Student support and wellbeing services

We understand studying isn’t always easy; you may not have studied for some time or perhaps you haven’t studied online previously.  Kaplan Professional recognises juggling study with work and family commitments, while trying to find the balance can be demanding.

Your wellbeing and safety is paramount to Kaplan Professional. We want to ensure your experience is well-rounded and balanced to help you attain the most from your studies, so we encourage you to take advantage of the services available to you.

If you have a disability or ongoing health condition, which may impact on your ability to study or complete assessments, we can provide additional support to ensure you have an equal opportunity to complete your studies

Our support teams are here to assist you when you encounter these challenges. They can work with you to overcome any difficulties, so you can achieve your study goals.

Further information on student support and wellbeing services can be found here.