The American College And GAMA International Launch New Educational Partnership

BRYN MAWR, Pa. and FALLS CHURCH, Va., June 2, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American College of Financial Services and GAMA International announced today that the two organizations are entering into a distribution and development partnership to provide educational offerings to international markets.

"We are impressed with the quality of GAMA International's team and the organization's global reach," said College President and CEO Robert Johnson, PhD, "and we look forward to partnering with them in the important work of raising professional standards globally. GAMA's professional development approach is perfectly aligned with our "pracademic" orientation. Together we will bring the best elements of leading academic thought and practical applications to financial advisors around the globe, empowering them to better serve consumers."

GAMA International CEO Bonnie Godsman added that there is a natural synergy in the mission of the two organizations.  "We see the promise of a long, productive partnership focused on increasing financial security around the globe.  Each of our two organizations brings a unique set of capabilities and resources to the challenge of building our profession."

The organizations are announcing today that they will be jointly developing two streamlined credentials for international markets: a three-course skills training designation for agents and advisors and a three-course management designation for leaders.  Each credential would take about a year to complete.  GAMA and The College see a need to create higher standards for financial professionals and their leaders around the globe, and these new designations will be the foundation for that effort.

The College will also rely on the GAMA distribution arrangement as the primary international outlet for selected College products that include the following:

• The highly successful Retirement Income Certified Professional^® (RICP^®) designation program
• The new Wealth Management Certified Professional (WMCP™) program that will be launched in the US this fall and will be made available at a future date in global markets
• The Master of Science in Management (MSM) degree program in advanced,  executive leadership

GAMA and The College together will be focused not only on broad access to these programs, but also on the retention and success of each student who participates.  Program completion will be a guiding principle as students build their knowledge base to better guide the consumers who depend on them.

Each of the two organizations will continue to maintain ownership of its own intellectual property and trademarks. The proposed agreement does not include any US distribution partnership and does not impact current arrangements The College has in a few selected global markets.

As an accredited academic institution, The College's partnerships and arrangements may be subject to review and approval by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

About The American College of Financial Services

The American College of Financial Services was founded in 1927 and is the nation's largest non-profit educational institution devoted to financial services. Holding the highest level of academic accreditation, The College has educated one in five financial advisors across the United States and offers prestigious financial planning designations such as the Retirement Income Certified Professional^® (RICP^®), Chartered Life Underwriter^® (CLU^®), Chartered Financial Consultant^® (ChFC^®) and education leading to the Certified Financial Planner^®(CFP^®) Certification. It recently approved conferral of PhD degrees to the first class of graduates of that program. The College's faculty represents some of the foremost thought leaders of the financial services profession.  For more information, visit TheAmericanCollege.edu.

About GAMA International

GAMA International is a worldwide association serving the professional development needs of more than 8,000 field leaders in the insurance, investment and financial services industry. Its members recognize their critical role in finding, building and inspiring the next generation of top performers who will, in turn, lead the industry into the future. To help build these leaders, GAMA provides its members with educational, networking and leadership resources and opportunities.  For more information, visit gamaweb.com.