FP&A Educational Path (Certifications and More)
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FP&A Educational Paths
Financial Planning and analysis (FP&A) has grown significantly over the last five years and has become one of corporate finance's most important and attractive roles. Gone are the days when FP&A was viewed as nothing more than a back-office function. Today, FP&A is seen as a strategic partner necessary to help the business make better, faster decisions about deploying its future capital to maximize returns.
In 2022, LinkedIn listed it as the 13th fastest-growing job title in the US over the last five years. [1] Today, more than ever, FP&A is a priority for CFOs, with over half (58%) stating they are increasing their emphasis on FP&A compared to the prior year in the most recent PwC Pulse Survey. [2] Furthermore, more CFOs than ever have a strong background in FP&A, and many companies are selecting people from FP&A to lead the finance department in the future.
This leads to more and more people asking how they can get into FP&A. That is why I have written several articles to help people transition into FP&A.
How to Break into Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A): Your Complete Guide
Assessing & Improving Your FP&A Skills
FP&A Learning Resources
Traditional Educational Paths
When it comes to working in FP&A, I have seen people with diverse backgrounds become great FP&A professionals. I have seen people with no degree at all, with a history or biology degree, work in FP&A. That being said below are the traditional educational paths you see for people who most commonly work in FP&A.
Bachelor’s Degree in Finance - This is the most common path for people who start their career working in corporate finance and/or FP&A directly out of college.
Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting
Master’s Degree in Finance
Master’s in Business Administration
Master’s Degree in Finance
Master’s Degree in Data Analytics/Science
[1] LinkedIn Jobs on the Rise 2022: The 25 U.S. roles that are growing in demand | LinkedIn