The Investment Funds Institute of Canada and The Canadian Institute of Financial Planning have joined forces to create a new online distance learning education institute — www.IFSE.ca.

The joint project allows IFIC and the CIFP to deliver their various programs though a newly developed Web-based education portal. IFSE.ca has re-engineered its course offerings using extensive student market research conducted by global market research firm, A.C. Neilsen.

This new institute will combine the strengths of traditional classroom-based learning and distance education learning together into one web-based campus. All courses are being re-engineered to take advantage of the Web medium to maximize the distance education methodology and embrace all learning types across the learning spectrum.

From course enrolment through to graduation, students can enroll in courses and remit payments, schedule exams, take assignments, access academic results and print unofficial transcripts all via the Web.

On April 8, it opened its new education portal and released the first two courses of the new web-based program. On May 1, its new Web-based mutual fund licensing course – The Canadian Investment Funds Course is being released. Over the next twelve months, all programs will be released in a Web-based course format.