Eleven Chartered Financial Planners at wealth manager St James’s Place (SJP) have celebrated receiving Master’s certificates from the University of Gloucestershire at a ceremony to mark their graduation from an MSc Finance course.

The course was developed by the University and SJP to provide Financial Planners with an opportunity to achieve a postgraduate qualification.

The 11 are the second cohort of students to complete the programme.

The students carried out research on a number of themes (see below) as part of the course including long term care, the use of soft skills, factors affecting retirement age and financial education.

SJP says the research will expand “knowledge and understanding” within the wider Financial Planning profession, improve client outcomes and help inform undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at the University.

Earlier this year, the University and SJP launched a Finance in Society Research Institute, to enhance personal financial research. SJP says this will help inform professional practice and policy for organisations and government.

In February, the University and St James’s Place announced the launch of the UK's first specialist MBA in Financial Planning.

Edward Grant, director responsible for professional development at St James’s Place, said: “We are incredibly proud of the MSc in Finance graduates whose thought-leading research will help the profession deliver better outcomes. Their aspiration to go beyond the benchmark is brilliant. Our relationship with University of Gloucestershire continues to flourish with the MSc, MBA and Research Institute.”

Clair Vincent, academic course leader at University of Gloucestershire, said: “We are delighted to be celebrating the academic achievements of another successful cohort of MSc Finance students at graduation this year.

“Not only is this a significant achievement of which the students should be hugely proud, their research will add to the body of knowledge and form part of the work of our newly established Research Institute, which has an overarching objective to improve consumer outcomes. 

“Together with the MBA in Financial Planning launched earlier this year, which explores and challenges the business practice of Financial Planning, we are starting to build a strong evidence-base and an alumni community of experts in their field.”

St James’s Place was founded in 1991 and is a FTSE 100 company with over £142 billion in funds under management. It has over 4,000 advisers.

Students and research topics covered:

Source: SJP