Over 36 months, you will study towards a BSc (Hons) in Financial Services and achieve chartered status, the gold standard for advisers in the UK. As a chartered adviser, you will stand on a par with respected professions such as law and accountancy, earning recognition not just within financial services, but across the wider professional landscape.

This pathway is designed for those who have completed Level 4 or for experienced professionals ready to advance their careers. With one day a week dedicated to structured study, combined with workplace learning and expert mentoring, you’ll develop the advanced technical expertise, leadership behaviours, and specialist knowledge needed to thrive in senior roles.

Qualification criteria

• Must be 16 or over, living in England, and not in full-time education.
• Must have the right to work in the UK.

Education

• Completion of Level 4 Diploma for Financial Advisers (DipFA®), or
• Equivalent experience within financial services, or
• A relevant Level 5 or 6 qualification with a desire to specialise in financial planning and investment.

What you will learn:

Stage 1:

• Financial Services: Macroeconomic Environment, Risk & Regulation.
• Financial Statement Reporting & Analysis.
• Foundations of Finance.
• Quantitative Methods for Finance & Investment.

Stage 2:

• Asset Management.
• Equity & Fixed Income Analysis & Evaluation.
• Financial Derivatives & Risk Management.
• Financial Modelling & Forecasting.
• Financial Management.
• International Financial Management.

Stage 3:

• Alternative Investment Management.
• Bank Risk Management.
• Fintech.
• Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity & Ventur Capital.
• Private Banking & Wealth Management.

What will you earn:

Typically, a salary of £30,000–£45,000+ per year, depending on employer, role, and progression. 

Where will you work:

You will have a full-time job in a financial advisory firm.

What is your job role:

At Level 6, you will be a fully recognised professional in financial services. Depending on your pathway, you might:

• Work as a Trainee Financial Adviser or Servicing Financial Adviser, taking on advisory work and supporting clients directly.
• Develop as a Paraplanner, focusing on research, technical analysis, and preparing recommendations for advisers.
• Continue in an administrative role, but with enhanced skills and responsibilities, supporting compliance, client service, and technical functions.
• Move into specialist areas such as pensions, tax, or estate planning.
• Progress into leadership and management roles across the profession.

Whichever pathway you follow, Level 6 positions you as a chartered professional – recognised on a par with lawyers and accountants, and equips you with the credibility, expertise, and standing to excel at the very top of financial services.

How will you study:

Through a mixture of online delivery sessions, one-to-one personal tutor sessions, self-guided study and workplace mentoring.

Skills you will gain:

• You will master the use of advanced financial planning software and digital tools to deliver sophisticated advice, while embedding best practice in data management and cyber security.
• You will design and present complex financial strategies and recommendations, integrating risk, regulatory, and governance requirements at a senior professional level.
• You will build comprehensive client risk profiles by analysing needs, objectives, and wider financial circumstances, including intergenerational and business planning considerations.
• You will develop the expertise to prioritise and address complex client needs, balancing short-term goals with long-term strategy, all in line with evolving regulatory standards.

What makes you right for this role:

• Professional judgement and integrity at the highest standard, earning trust from clients and colleagues alike.
• Innovation and adaptability in responding to a rapidly changing financial and regulatory environment.
• Leadership and collaboration, guiding teams and contributing effectively across organisations.
• Commitment to lifelong learning and excellence, continuously developing your expertise and upholding chartered-level professionalism.

How will you be assessed:

Your Walbrook Personal Tutor will support you through your journey, giving developmental feedback on all aspects of the knowledge, skills and behaviour you develop along the way.

At the end of your programme, once it is agreed that you are displaying all the required aspects you will enter a period of End Point Assessment that usually lasts around three months.

End Point Assessment:

You will be independently assessed on a work-based project, a portfolio of evidence and via a panel interview. Your personal tutor will be on hand to support throughout. 

What next?
Completing your Level 6 apprenticeship and achieving chartered status marks the pinnacle of professional recognition in financial advice. Chartered advisers stand shoulder-to-shoulder with lawyers and accountants as trusted experts - differentiated by the highest qualifications, proven expertise, and a commitment to the very best standards of client care.

For those who began their journey straight from school, this represents a remarkable achievement. In just five to six years, you will have progressed from a school leaver to holding a BSc (Hons) in Financial Services and the highest professional qualification in financial advice – a genuine degree designed for a career, not simply an academic exercise.

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