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View the full program syllabus as well as details on faculty, guest speakers and key learner benefits.

Early Registration Ends Jan 13, 2025. $200 Application Fee will be added after Jan 13.

Program overview

Elevate your finance career with Wharton's globally recognized FP&A Certificate Program

Wharton Online Wall Street Prep FP&A Program Certificate
Program Overview | Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) Certificate Program
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  • Career-focused Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) training

    Master the art of forecasting, analysis, business partnering, and financial storytelling, combining technical and interpersonal skills with real-world applications as practiced in top corporations.

  • Learn from top faculty and industry leaders

    Benefit from the wealth of knowledge shared by distinguished faculty from the Wharton School, experienced FP&A professionals and senior executives from renowned global companies.

  • Gain a globally recognized certificate

    Upon successful conclusion of the 8-week program, participants will be awarded a digital certificate from Wharton Online, along with lifetime access to career resources and a network of program graduates.

Learn More
Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) Certificate Program

A unique collaboration with Wall Street Prep

This career-focused program combines the institutional knowledge from the world’s leading business school with the practical skills approach of FP&A’s leading training provider and instructors with decades of FP&A experience in diverse industries.

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"This program was great for gaining complete knowledge of all key areas of FP&A. It goes through not just the planning and analytical side but also makes you think about the soft skills needed to approach your role. It has made me feel more confident and, at the same time, prompted me to think differently and do more in my current role."

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"Wall Street Prep’s FP&A program was engaging, relevant, built for our team members, and informative. We found it easy to work with WSP to design a curriculum that worked for our Finance team and are interested in exploring new ways of working with them in the future."

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"The program has everything from the structured frameworks on FP&A to experiential advice. Regardless of your skill level, whether you just landed your first-time role in FP&A or you've been in the industry for decades, you will walk away having expanded your skill sets and better prepared yourself for your current and future finance roles."

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"Thank you for facilitating a great training program! The content, Q&A sessions, self-study component, and individual learning lessons were all excellent and exactly what we were looking for. This was a very successful training for our team."

Applicant profile

The Wharton & Wall Street Prep Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) Certificate Program is designed for both finance and non-finance professionals in their early to mid-career seeking to level up their FP&A skills.

FP&A Analysts & Managers

Early to mid career FP&A professionals looking to advance in their careers and learn industry best practices.

Finance Professionals

Corporate finance professionals, investment bankers, and corporate treasurers seeking to broaden their skill set.

Accountants

Controllers, accountants, auditors, and tax professionals aiming to transition into FP&A roles.

Consultants

Fractional CFOs, and strategy and technology consultants aiming to provide more comprehensive advice to their clients.

Business Leaders

Entrepreneurs, C-level executives, and department heads who need to understand financial planning to better manage their business finances.

Non-Finance Professionals

Operations managers and human resources professionals who want to improve budgeting and strategic workforce planning.

Career Switchers

Early to mid-career professionals seeking to transition into an FP&A role.

Students

Undergrad and graduate business, finance, and accounting students applying for FP&A internships and full-time roles.

FP&A Analysts & Managers
Early to mid career FP&A professionals looking to advance in their careers and learn industry best practices.
Finance Professionals
Corporate finance professionals, investment bankers, and corporate treasurers seeking to broaden their skill set.
Accountants
Controllers, accountants, auditors, and tax professionals aiming to transition into FP&A roles.
Consultants
Fractional CFOs, and strategy and technology consultants aiming to provide more comprehensive advice to their clients.
Business Leaders
Entrepreneurs, C-level executives, and department heads who need to understand financial planning to better manage their business finances.
Non-Finance Professionals
Operations managers and human resources professionals who want to improve budgeting and strategic workforce planning.
Career Switchers
Early to mid-career professionals seeking to transition into an FP&A role.
Students
Undergrad and graduate business, finance, and accounting students applying for FP&A internships and full-time roles.

At a Glance: May 2024 Cohort

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350+ Students
40+ Countries
250+ Employers
Applicant Career Levels

Professional Backgrounds
Top Roles Applicants Hold
Role Average Salary (US) # of Professionals Globally
Financial Analyst $60k - $85k 500,000+
FP&A Manager $100k - $130k 50,000+
Senior Financial Analyst $75k - $95k 200,000+
Budget Analyst $55k - $75k 50,000+
Corporate Finance Manager $90k - $120k 40,000+
Strategic Planning Analyst $70k - $90k 30,000+
Finance Director $120k - $160k 30,000+
Business Finance Consultant $80k - $110k 60,000+
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) $150k - $300k+ 20,000+
Treasury Analyst $60k - $80k 40,000+
Countries Represented


How you'll learn

The Wharton & Wall Street Prep Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) Certificate Program is an immersive learning experience made up of self-paced video lecture, real-world exercises, industry case studies and full faculty support

8-Week Program Focusing
on Financial Planning & Analysis

Gain the skillset of an experienced FP&A professional in eight weeks.

8-10 Hour Weekly
Time Commitment

A comprehensive certificate program designed to fit into your busy schedule.

Self-paced Online
Learning Experience

Complete the program on our online learning platform at your own pace.

The Same FP&A Training
Used by Top Corporations

Access the same lessons and methods taught inside the world’s leading FP&A teams.

Learn Directly from CFOs and FP&A Professionals

Learn from finance leaders across the corporate spectrum - from global enterprise to PE-backed private companies.

In-Person & Virtual
Networking Events

Attend exclusive networking events throughout the program and build out your professional network.

Learn By Doing With
Real Case Studies

Create forecasts, manage budgets, and support decisions through financial analysis, and tell the financial story of the business as you would on the job.

Weekly Office Hours
& 1:1 Coaching

Program faculty is there for you every step of the way.

FP&A Certification
Issued from Wharton Online

Upon completion of the program, you will receive a Certificate of Completion from Wharton Online.

Earn a certificate from Wharton Online upon successful completion

Upon successful completion of the program, your Wharton Online-issued certificate will be emailed to you in a digital format you can use to demonstrate your achievement on your LinkedIn profile and resume.

Wharton Online Wall Street Prep PE Program Certificate Wharton Online Wall Street Prep PE Program Certificate
Learn about the program directly from students
Hear Directly From Students | Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) Certificate Program
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Program curriculum

Over the course of eight weeks, you will learn forecasting, analysis, business partnering, and financial storytelling in a curriculum that combines technical and interpersonal skills with real-world applications practiced at top corporations. This self-paced online program culminates in a closing ceremony and the receipt of a certificate from Wharton Online.

Module 1

Introduction to Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)

This module introduces the FP&A profession and its role in businesses of various sizes across different industries. We then examine common FP&A work products, evaluate current and emerging tools of the trade, and introduce a key skill set for FP&A professionals: strategic cost accounting.

  • Examination of forecasts, budgets, variance analyses, scorecards, dashboards, and management decks.
  • Understanding FP&A’s tools of the trade, including Excel, data analysis, visualization software, and emerging AI technologies
  • Introduction to Strategic Cost Accounting in the context of FP&A

Module 2

The Planning Cycle and Annual Budgeting

We review best practices for long-range planning and effectively managing the five phases of the annual budgeting process. The module covers how to get more out of your planning process by collaborating closely with the cross-functional team.

  • In-depth review of the planning process, including long-range planning and annual budgeting
  • Best practices for top-down and bottom-up planning jointly with the cross-functional team
  • How to best manage the planning process with Excel

Module 3

Forecasting

You will learn the forecasting techniques that are used today by major firms, including time series analysis, driver-based planning, sales pipeline forecasting, zero-based budgeting, and scenario planning methods. We cover methods for accurately projecting sales, expenses, cash flow, headcount, and capex.

  • Step-by-step forecasting technique reviews, including hands-on practice
  • Using scenario planning to identify risks and opportunities and develop mitigation plans
  • Improving forecast accuracy by identifying and addressing forecast bias

Module 4

Financial Analysis in FP&A

The module covers the financial analysis process end-to-end, from data cleaning over evaluating data quality to identifying cost-saving opportunities, variance analysis commentary, and using operational metrics to spot trends early.

  • Best practices for data preparation and quality
  • Learn how to identify cost savings, risks, and opportunities
  • Create variance analysis commentary that uncovers actionable insights

Module 5

Financial Modeling for Decision Support

We cover how to create financial models from scratch in Excel using commonly accepted modeling standards. The module covers the financial model types top finance teams use to make go / no-go decisions about major investments, such as Payback, Return on Investment, Life Time Value (LTV), and Discounted Cash Flow models.

  • Excel modeling standards and best practices
  • Financial Statement and DCF modeling
  • Break-even analysis and getting to answers without modeling

Module 6

Finance Business Partnering

You will learn how to build strong professional relationships and influence, preparing you to become a strategic advisor to the business. We cover developing business acumen and using it to raise accountability, challenge assumptions, and create visibility of business performance while protecting the relationship.

  • Developing a broad understanding of the business
  • Building trust and holding people accountable while maintaining relationships
  • Influencing skills and challenging assumptions with data

Module 7

Reporting, Presenting, and Storytelling

The module teaches how to effectively communicate financial information, be it in written form or when presenting live. It provides a deep dive into best practices for the performance management calendar, including flash reports, management reporting decks, visualizations, and telling a complete story of the business.

  • Structuring management reporting decks that move the needle
  • Matching visualizations to the story behind the numbers
  • Impacting strategic decisions through effective financial presentations

Module 8

Preparing for the future of FP&A

The final module of the program covers best practices for using emerging technologies, including generative AI and machine learning. In addition, we cover the FP&A recruiting process from common interview questions and answers to typical case studies.

  • How AI is changing the FP&A function
  • Introduction to generative AI in finance and machine learning
  • FP&A interview preparation
Expand to View All

Faculty & speakers

  • Christopher Ittner

    Professor of Accounting, Accounting Department Chair, Wharton School
    View Bio
  • Christian Wattig

    FP&A Program Director,
    Wall Street Prep (ex Unilever, P&G, Squarespace)
    View Bio


  • Glenn Hopper

    Chief Financial Officer,
    Eventus Advisory Group
    View Bio
  • Jessica T. Graziano

    Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, U.S. Steel
    View Bio
  • Josette Leslie

    Chief Financial Officer,
    Affinity.co
    View Bio
  • Debbie Sebastian

    Chief Financial Officer,
    Eagle Family Foods Group
    View Bio


  • Jack Alexander

    Principal, Jack Alexander
    & Associates LLC
    View Bio
  • Paul Barnhurst

    Founder, The FP&A Guy
    View Bio
  • Nicolas Boucher

    Founder, AI Finance Club
    View Bio
  • Alan Brooke

    Senior Instructor, Wall Street Prep
    View Bio
  • Jim Chen

    Senior Instructor, Wall Street Prep
    View Bio
  • Christopher Chiou

    Chief Financial Officer, Forward Financing
    View Bio
  • Bill Coda

    Senior Instructor, Wall Street Prep
    View Bio
  • Chad Eatinger

    Senior Instructor, Wall Street Prep
    View Bio
  • Aviad Haimi-Cohen

    Senior Instructor, Wall Street Prep
    View Bio
  • Christian Frantz Hansen

    Partner, Business Partnering Institute
    View Bio
  • Frank Garafalo

    Chief Financial Officer, Eden Capital
    View Bio
  • Jessica T. Graziano

    Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer of U.S. Steel
    View Bio
  • Glenn Hopper

    Chief Financial Officer, Eventus Advisory Group
    View Bio
  • Guy Hutchinson

    Co-founder, Startup Chief Financial Officer
    View Bio
  • Christopher Ittner

    Professor of Accounting, Accounting Department Chair, Wharton School
    View Bio
  • Diana Kawarsky

    Senior Instructor, Wall Street Prep
    View Bio
  • Josette Leslie

    Chief Financial Officer, Affinity.co
    View Bio
  • Anders Liu-Lindberg

    Co-founder, Business Partnering Institute
    View Bio
  • Marcela Martin

    President of BuzzFeed
    View Bio
  • Jason McClain

    Senior Instructor, Wall Street Prep
    View Bio
  • Ron Monteiro, CPA, CMA

    FP&A Consultant & Trainer
    View Bio
  • Mark Potter

    Senior Instructor, Wall Street Prep
    View Bio
  • Christopher Reilly

    M&A and FP&A Consultant
    View Bio
  • Debbie Sebastian

    Chief Financial Officer, Eagle Family Foods Group
    View Bio
  • Saloni Varma

    Chief Financial Officer, Thorne
    View Bio
  • Christian Wattig

    FP&A Program Director,
    Wall Street Prep
    View Bio
  • Wassia Kamon

    Chief Financial Officer, Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs (ACE)
    View Bio

Open quote
“There’s a huge drive to recruit and develop top FP&A talent. That’s why this program was created. You learn foundational skills from Wharton Online’s world-class faculty, relevant analytical and modeling skills from Wall Street Prep, and you’ll hear directly from CFOs of industry-leading companies.” Christopher Ittner, PhD, Professor of Accounting, The Wharton School

Tuition & payment options

Tuition
$4,800
*For enrollments before Jan 13. $200 Application Fee will be added after Jan 13.

OR

$960/month
Pay 5 monthly installments of $960.
Tuition Assistance
$550 off
Apply to get $550 off your tuition fee

Join a Global Network

Join a Global Network

Enrollees access a large and highly engaged global network of peers who are committed to give us much as they get and to support one another. Connections built throughout the program are strengthen via in person and virtual meetups, discussion groups and networking events.


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Invitation-Only Wharton/Wall Street Prep Group on LinkedIn

Upon completion of the program, graduates receive an invitation to join the Wharton Online / Wall Street Prep Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) Certificate Program Alumni Group on LinkedIn. Through this group, graduates can directly connect with the entire graduate network, seek advice and access graduate-only online events and resources.

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Local Connection for
a Global Certificate

Program participants come from over 40 countries, so while the program is global, connection is often created locally. Graduates gain access to their Local Alumni Slack Channel, designed to facilitate local connection for a global certificate.

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Cross-Program Networking Events

Enrolling in a Wharton Online & Wall Street Prep Certificate Program is a unique opportunity to expand your professional network beyond your specific industry. Enrollees attend cross-program events attended by other Certificate Program learners and graduates in investment banking, private equity, hedge funds, asset management, venture capital, real estate and other career tracks.

For Employers: Level up your professional development

Small Companies
  • Learn to communicate financial insights compellingly to attract investors and secure funding.
  • Master efficient methods to analyze financial health and identify growth opportunities with limited resources.
  • Gain forecasting skills vital for cash flow management and strategic decision-making.
Mid-Sized Companies
  • Align your team's reporting with expansion goals and conveying complex data to stakeholders with clarity.
  • Improve skills in identifying, assessing, and mitigating financial risks.
  • Dive deeper into financial metrics to drive profitability and manage the increased complexity of your business operations.
Large Enterprises
  • Develop your team's influencing skills, enabling them to impact company-wide strategic decisions.
  • Integrate global trends and complex variables into long-term planning and risk management.
  • Enhance cross-functional collaboration to align business units with firm-wide goals.
Speak With Us About Enrolling Your Team

Earn 65 CPE Credits with the Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) Certificate Program

Wall Street Prep and Wharton Online are registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org.

Ready to get started?

1

Get the brochure

To learn more about the course, provide your contact information in the form above. We will then send you our course brochure, where you can find additional details on the course modules, guest speakers and more.

2

Speak with an enrollment advisor

Still have questions about the program? Use the link below to book a call with an enrollment advisor who will help answer any questions you have about the certificate program.

3

Enroll to secure your spot in the program

Enrollment in the Wharton & Wall Street Prep Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) Certificate Program is on a first-come basis. Ready to enroll and secure your spot in the upcoming cohort? Click the link below.

FAQs

How often are programs offered?

Programs will be offered three times each year. Cohorts will begin in January, May, and September.

How much time will it take to complete this certificate?

The course is designed to run for eight weeks, with a recommended workload of 8-10 hours of lectures, live sessions, and assignments per week.

What languages will the program be offered in?

This program is offered in English only.

How do I register for this program?

You can register for the program at any time through our Enrollment Form.

How much does the program cost?

Program tuition is $4,800. Tuition can be paid in full or in 5 monthly payments.

Do you offer tuition assistance?

Tuition assistance will be available for every cohort. Use our Tuition Assistance form to apply.

What is the program refund policy?

This program is non-refundable.

Who can I contact for additional questions?

If you have any additional questions, please reach out to our enrollment team at enrollment@wharton.wallstreetprep.com.

Starts
Feb 10
Duration
8 Weeks
Tuition
$4,800 or $960/mo