Estate Planning Certificate

The Estate Planning Certificate (EPC) is a six-course, 12-credit certificate offered by the Graduate Tax Program at the School of Law. It is designed to provide professionals (lawyers and non-lawyers) with enhanced, specialized tax knowledge in the legal sub-specialty of Estate Planning. The courses in the EPC are available in both a blended residential/asynchronous online format and an asynchronous online-only format (but open to both online and residential enrollees).

Students will demonstrate:

• Detailed knowledge of the substantive case law, statutory rules, and regulatory guidance with respect to the tax aspects of Estate Planning.
• A fundamental understanding of the relevant considerations involved in drafting an estate plan.

Program Requirements

The EPC’s academic requirements may be completed on a full- or part-time basis and must be completed within a maximum of nine semesters (including summer terms). The program is open for enrollment in the fall, spring, and summer semesters. The EPC consists of three required courses and three elective courses (2 credits each). All courses for the EPC must be completed with an overall GPA of 3.0 (“B”).

Required Courses

• LAW TX 904 Estate & Gift Taxation
• LAW TX 935 Estate Planning
• LAW TX 937 Taxation of Trusts and Fiduciaries

Elective Courses

• LAW TX 918 Life Cycle of a Business Venture
• LAW TX 920 Tax Aspects of Buying and Selling a Business
• LAW TX 930 Partnership Tax I
• LAW TX 933 Introduction to Corporate Tax
• LAW TX 934 Estate Planning—Advanced
• LAW TX 950 Tax Aspects of Charitable Giving
• LAW TX 958 International Estate Planning
• LAW TX 969 Business Succession Planning
• LAW TX 975 Estate Planning and Drafting
• LAW TX 977 Elder Law