The trust management minor at the University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics has been recognized as a qualifying wealth management training program by the American Bankers Association (ABA). This designation will allow the trust management minor to qualify as an official wealth management training program that UD Lerner students can use toward earning a Certified Trust and Financial Advisor (CTFA) designation.
“Being recognized by the American Bankers Association as an approved educational program for the CTFA exam gives the students in the trust management minor an accelerated opportunity for recognition in their field and to achieve rapid success in the trust industry post-graduation,” said Jennifer McCloskey, director and instructor of the trust management minor, who led this initiative. “As the only university offering a program like this in the northeast region of the country, it is a tremendous honor for our program to be recognized.”
“The University of Delaware has received approval for the curriculum, trust management minor from ABA Professional Certifications,” said Barbara Swan, senior manager of continuing education, ABA. “This curriculum meets the educational requirements necessary for candidates to sit for the CTFA Examination. ABA Professional Certifications is dedicated to promoting the highest standards of performance and ethics within the financial services industry.”
To receive this CTFA designation, a candidate must meet eligibility requirements by the time they take the exam. These eligibility requirements will be greatly reduced for Lerner students. Typically, to be eligible to take the exam, candidates must have at least 10 years of experience in wealth management or five years’ experience and a bachelor’s degree. Students in the trust management minor will only need three years’ experience with completion of the Lerner program.
Moreover, Lerner students who complete their summer internship in the trust management industry will be given six months credit toward the three-year experience requirement. This means graduates of the trust management minor who complete an internship will be eligible to receive the CTFA designation (if they pass the exam) within two and a half years of graduation.
The ABA’s approval of Lerner’s program is valid through July 1, 2022.