STEP Professional Postgraduate Diploma in Private Wealth Advice

The STEP Professional Postgraduate Diploma in Private Wealth Advice is an innovative, masters level qualification developed to assist practitioners operating in a fast-moving environment with the opportunity to explore the most topical and relevant subjects and skills impacting on private practice today. 

Through an exclusive series of innovative and interactive online masterclasses, provided by industry-leading tutors, the syllabus covers a variety of key themes and topical issues relevant to all wealth practitioners at a senior level and is designed to provide an insight into the risks and potential hurdles faced by your organisation.

“I could not recommend the PPGD course and CLTI highly enough. It has been an excellent course all round and well worth the time. A stepping stone to my master’s study, it provided me with good background knowledge of regulatory change within estate planning and trusts. The seminars were excellent, and the topics covered were fully comprehensive. The networking was excellent. I am still in touch with people I met on the course.” - Elizabeth Spiess, Generation Three, Senior Trust and Company Administrator, Switzerland

View more information in our Course Introduction Brochure

This course is awarded in association with Alliance Manchester Business School, the University of Manchester.

You will be able to:

• Demonstrate mastery of the knowledge and skills required for senior advisers in the private wealth field.
• Provide your clients with the highest standard of service.
• Network with like-minded senior practitioners from a range of jurisdictions and professions to and increase your professional connections.
• Set yourself apart from other senior practitioners looking to take the next step in their professional career.
• Become a Full Member of STEP and use the TEP designation.

This course is suitable for both ambitious professionals in the early to mid-stages of their career who aspire to become business leaders and develop their strategic understanding and risk assessment ability, as well as for experienced practitioners and senior leaders looking to widen their business portfolio and expand their client base.

Students of this course typically include:

• Private Client Advisers
• Wealth Managers
• International Tax Advisers
• Private Bankers
• Family Office Executives
• Trust Officers
• Family Business Advisers
• Senior Financial Planners
• Senior Lawyers

• Innovative and interactive online masterclasses on a range of topical subjects led by recognised industry experts with a wealth of experience to share.
• Enhancement sessions to develop strategic skills in the areas of business strategy, sales and marketing and leadership and judgement delivered by renowned practitioners and speakers.
• Cohort sizes are limited to ensure that all students can participate and interact. Participation is strongly encouraged and facilitated so that students can benefit from colleagues sharing their experiences.
• Unparalleled networking opportunities with like-minded practitioners, often from a range of professional backgrounds and jurisdictions.
• Participation in masterclasses and subsequent consolidation of what is taught, enhanced by own research completed in preparation of the Reflective Journal and Oral Assessment, will have real practical benefit in the workplace.
• The highest-level qualification in the STEP qualification framework.
• Successful completion fulfils the educational requirement (120 Diploma level credits) for full STEP membership, meaning that graduates are eligible for full STEP membership (subject to having 2 years’ experience at a specialist level).
• The course is subject to the rigorous quality assurance procedures of Manchester Business School, a Faculty of the University of Manchester.

The programme runs over six months and will be delivered fully online through a blend of self-study, practical research, and attendance at monthly weekend sessions. Please note that to cover the maximum number of students worldwide all masterclasses commence at 9am GMT.  

The Professional Post-Graduate (PPgD) Diploma carries 60 credits of post-graduate level learning.

Each of the ten modules of study on the PPgD carries 6 credits, which equates to approximately 60 notional learning hours across all the learning and assessment activities for each module.

These activities include:

• Guided reading and learning activities before each masterclass
• Attendance at the masterclass
• Consolidation after the masterclass
• Assessment writing and preparation time – the reflective journal and oral assessment
• Assessment time.

It is recommended that approximately 6–10 hours per week of study is typical for success on the PPgD.

The programme consists of eight masterclass sessions led by industry experts focusing on emerging specialist areas of practice which are providing disruptive opportunities for business growth and transformation:

• Strategic Risk Management for Leaders
• Family Business Advising
• Trust Disputes
• Cross-Border Succession
• Strategic Philanthropy
• Digital Assets
• Compliance for Trustees
• International Tax.

To complement the technical learning, this programme also includes exclusive sessions for aspiring senior and strategic leaders to enhance their leadership and commercial skills.

• Sales and Marketing Considerations
• Leadership and Judgement.

Upon registration students are given access to an online learning platform, which contains bespoke course reading and workbooks for the eight masterclass topics, further reading (in the form of the STEP Diploma in Trusts and Estates and STEP Diploma in International Trust Management course manuals) and a range of additional resources. Students will also receive access to a discussion forum to facilitate networking.

Assessment for this course is by way of a reflective journal and oral assessment. The reflective journal is formed of eight 1,000-1,500-word masterclass write-ups which comment on key learning points from each session and identify how these concepts can be implemented within the workplace as a part of the practitioner’s role. The oral assessment will assess the candidate against the course competencies and their technical content knowledge from their reflective journal. This is conducted as a 2–3-hour interview.

Course Timetable - November 2023

Thank you for your interest in CLTI or STEP products. Due to government regulations, we are unable to accept online payments from, or, on behalf of students from certain countries and territories without prior agreement. Please contact us for further details on cltinternational@centlaw.com, +44 (0) 121 362 7733.

Please note that to cover the maximum number of students worldwide all masterclasses commence at 9am GMT.