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What are the requirements to earn the DFSA™?

The requirements to earn the Designated Financial Services Advisor (DFSATM) designation are defined by the DFSA Competency Profile. This profile is aligned with industry best practices and provides the knowledge and skills applied by advisors. It also drives the pre-requisite requirements, education and ongoing maintenance requirements.

To be eligible to earn the DFSA designation, candidates must:

  • Complete Investment Funds in Canada (IFC);
  • Complete the DFSATM designation education requirements;
  • Complete application form and attestation;
  • Abide by the Code of Ethics, the Ethical Misconduct Process and the Trademark License Agreement; and
  • Commit to ongoing continuing education.

Note: Completion of the Canadian Securities Course (CSC®) meets the academic requirements of the IFC.

If you have any questions regarding eligibility, please contact your employer directly or please visit the CSI Support Hub.

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Education Requirements

The DFSA requires eligible applicants to complete an approved education path.

CSI provides two paths to fulfill the education requirements:

Note: Completion of the Canadian Securities Course (CSC®) and the Wealth Management Essentials (WME®) meets the education requirements outlined in Path 1 and Path 2.

Code of Ethics, Application and Fees

When applying for the DFSA™, you must commit to the DFSA™ Code of Ethics.

The initial application fee includes your licence fee for the year, your commitment to the maintenance requirements and your Fit and Proper Declaration.

Trademark Licence

You are also required to agree to the terms of the DFSA™ Certification Mark Licence Agreement, which grants you the right to use the DFSA™ trademarks in your marketing.

A Note from CSI

CSI holds itself to the highest standards of honesty, transparency and fairness when dealing with clients, students, designation holders and regulators. We are committed to ensuring impartiality in carrying out our DFSA™ certification activities (e.g., certification examination results and other decisions related to granting designations). We actively manage conflicts of interest to ensure objectivity.