Ernest L. Smith, CTP, M.B.A.
Ernest L. Smith is senior vice president, North Texas regional sales manager at BBVA Compass. Smith is responsible for a staff of 10 TM professionals, providing TM product sales and support to clients in the North Texas region. Before joining BBVA Compass, Smith spent 16 years at JPMorgan Chase, including six years as a Commercial Banker and three years as a Private Client Advisor. Prior to Chase, he spent three years at South Main Bank as Credit Officer and Compliance Officer. Smith has 23 years of banking experience and 15 years of treasury management experience. He received his B.S.B.A. in Finance from the University of Arizona and his MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business.

Smith has been teaching CTP exam preparation at the University of Dallas since 2011. He is active in the local AFP chapter and has been part of the committee that reviews test questions on the actual CTP exam.

This program is held in an online format with 12 online live sessions led by our instructor in the University's LMS. Students attend online sessions for lecture and discussion, and will complete assigned work on their own between live sessions. 

Class capacity is limited to 20 students to ensure the best educational experience. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis, so complete your registration today!

• Class Dates: February 9 - April 28, 2026
• Skips: April 14 (TEXPO)
• Times: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. CT (Tuesday evenings)
• Modality: Online live instruction via Zoom
• Registration deadlines:
  • Early-bird: January 9, 2026
  • Standard: January 30, 2026

The maximum class capacity is 20 students. We reserve seats in class on a first-come, first-served basis. To secure a spot in the course, you must fill out the online application form and submit your payment. Application forms without payment do not guarantee a spot in class. 

Registration deadlines:

• Early-bird: January 9, 2026
• Standard: January 30, 2026

The University of Dallas accepts the following forms of payment: 

• Cash payments: Our Office of Finance receives cash payments during regular business hours. 
  Credit/Debit card payments: We accept VISA, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express using our online payment portal.
• Check payments: Make the check payable to "University of Dallas," write the student's name and id number in the memo, and mail it to University of Dallas - Business Office, 1845 E. Northgate Drive, Irving, TX 75062
• Letters of Credit or Corporate Sponsorship: Please get in touch with Jennifer Howard at jlhoward@udallas.edu for more information on this option.
• Payment Arrangement: We have a payment arrangement option for students who need a little help. This option divides Tuition into multiple payments. Executive Education students who wish to participate must complete and fill out the Payment Arrangement section of the application to enroll in this option. 

Payment Arrangements: What to expect.

• Payments are billed monthly and due before the 30th.
• Your payment schedule is determined by when you submit your initial payment.
• Payment reminders will be sent out monthly to help keep you on track.
• All payments must be received before the final day of the class.
• Missing payments could result in your removal from the class.
• The initial payment must be received by the deadlines to attend the class:
  • Early-bird: January 8
  • Standard: January 30
• The University must receive all payments in the agreement before releasing any certificate, digital badge, or transcript.

Payment Arrangement Amounts by Tuition Rate: 

• Tuition Rate: $1,625
  • Divided into four payments
  • Payments: $500 + $500 + $500 + $125

• Tuition Rate: $1,463
  • Divided into three payments
  • Payments: $500 + $500 + 463 

• Tuition Rate: $1,301
  • Divided into three payments
  • Payments: $500 + $500 + $301

Payment Arrangement Due Dates: 

The list below shows the payment due dates based on when you submit the first payment. If your first payment is made in the month of:

• October
  • Payment 2: November 30
  • Payment 3: December 30
• November
  • Payment 2: December 30
  • Payment 3: January 30
• December
  • Payment 2: January 30
  • Payment 3: February 28
• January
  • Payment 2: February 28
  • Payment 3: March 20
  • Payment 4: April 28

Important Clarifications:

• To qualify for the early-bird tuition rates: We must receive your application and payment before the early-bird deadlines. No payment arrangement is available for early-bird rates after the deadlines.
  • Early-bird deadline is January 9, 2026.
• Submitting your first payment in October, November, or December secures the early-bird discount.
• To submit payment: You will be taken to our payment portal to submit your payment upon completion of the application / registration form. You will also receive this information in an email. 
  • Payments made on a payment arrangement are considered partial payments. As such these payments are all made in 'classes' called Payment Arrangement. 
  • Payment arrangement classes all have a date of December 31 or May 30.
    • This notifies our offices that we are receiving a partial payment which needs to be applied to a student's account and an updated invoice should be created and emailed to the student.
    • The December or May dates are only placeholders for our process and don't reflect the actual class dates.
• To sign up for the payment arrangement: You will select payment arrangement option in the registration form and be required to provide specific information and agree to the terms. No payment arrangement is available without filling out this section of the registration form.

Individuals who have 1-2 years of full time professional career experience in finance, and who wish to take their career to the next level. 

BENEFITS FOR YOU: When you enroll in this course, you will: 

• Gain practical expertise that can immediately impact your job performance.
• Builds a comprehensive and in-depth knowledge of treasury management which can help you make informed decisions and strategically guide your organization. The broad range of topics related to treasury management, including cash and liquidity management, risk management, financial planning and analysis, and more. 
• Establish practical skills by practicing calculations and applying your comprehension of treasury management to complex scenarios.
• Take advantage of the knowledge and experiences of your expert instructor.
• Upon successful completion, receive a digital badge and certificate to highlight your graduate level studies.
• Stay motivated to complete your training with set class dates and assignments.
• Build your network through fellow course participants and your instructor. 

BENEFITS FOR YOUR EMPLOYER: Our course can help your organization achieve its strategic initiatives and goals by employing individuals who are CTP certified. This program:

• Builds your expertise treasury management. You gain a high level of proficiency in treasury management principles, practices and strategies. 
• Increases risk mitigation and regulator compliance. CTP professionals are equipped to identify, assess, and mitigate various financial risks faced by organizations. Employers can relay on their expertise to implement effective risk management strategies and safeguard the organization's financial assets.
• Increases performance and strategic decision making. With an understanding of treasury best practices and financial management techniques, CTP professionals can contribute to improving the organization's financial performance. 
• Improves organizational reputation and credibility.

VALUE OF THIS CTP DIGITAL BADGE PROGRAM:

• Time-efficient and comprehensive: Our training program covers the Essentials of Treasury Management body of knowledge in 36 hours of professional treasury management education with a CTP certified instructor who is an industry leader.
• Exceptional instruction: Learn from a treasury management expert who provides insight and one-on-one guidance. Mr. Smith bring valuable real-life examples into the classroom to provide a better learning experience and highlight important key concepts.
• Networking and peer interaction: Share experiences, discuss topics, and gain real-world insights into treasury management.
• Stay on track: Structured class time and assignments help keep you motivated and on track.

Course materials are included in the price of tuition and include the following:

• The AFP CTP8 Exam Prep Platform (virtual materials), included in tuition.
  • This interactive study program includes online study materials, online quizzes, case studies, calculations, flashcards, three 170-question exam banks (featuring questions formerly featured in the CTP exam), and more.
  • You will have access to the online study tools for an entire year. 
  • Please note: Course content reflects the general body of knowledge tested by AFP examinations. AFP recommends using the AFP sponsored Exam Prep Platform as a tool for study of the AFP body of knowledge, although no course of study can guarantee or ensure an individual's success on the AFP certification exams. 

Features of the CTP Exam Prep Platform:

• Built-In Instructor-Led Videos by Chapter
• Pre-Test Strengths & Weaknesses engine to help target your studies
• Mobile-compliant platform that will format correctly on any device with a web browser
• Practice Exams that mimic the actual exam environment
• Ability to highlight, take notes, and bookmark content within the platform
• Integration with AFP Collaborate to facilitate interaction with other professionals who are preparing for the exam
• 86 Knowledge Checks
• A universal search engine that will return results across all content on the platform
• A Resources tab with all the downloadable files that AFP offers to help in your preparations
• AFP created Definition & Formula Flashcards and the ability to create your own flashcards
• Ability to continue your study even if you lose internet connectivity
• Confidence ratings throughout the platform to allow you to quickly identify areas of focus
• Machine learning which will rate your proficiency on chapter material as you complete activities within the chapter
• Knowledge checks at the topic level and a chapter level quiz in the summary topic that pulls across a random selection of questions from previously completed chapter knowledge checks to keep you within the content 
• Customizable test experiences using the practice question tab
• Test feature which pulls from a pool of retired exam questions, all pre-formatted quizzes, tests, and practice exams from AFP; providing a vast question pool of over 300 questions

Governed by: Association for Financial Professionals (AFP)

Exam at A Glance

• Eligibility Requirements: 
  • With Masters degree in business, finance, or accountancy: 1-year full-time professional  work experience in corporate finance or treasury/cash management.
  • Without Masters degree: 2-years full-time professional work experience in corporate finance or treasury/cash management. 
• Testing Center Administrator: Pearson VUE centers
• Testing Windows: June/July and December/January
• Number of Questions: 170; Included in the 170 questions are 20 pretest questions that are not graded and used as a test set for future exams.
• Format: Computer based testing
• Duration: 4 hours (3-1/2 hours for the exam; 30 minutes for tutorial and end of examination questionnaire)
• Passing Score: 300 (exam scores range from 200 – 500)
• Deadlines: AFP has multiple deadlines which include an early application, cancellations, and deferral request deadlines. Vist their website to review the most current schedule.
• Application & Exam Fee: $1,025 for AFP members or $1,420 for non-AFP members
  • You can qualify for a $100 discount through early registration.
• Recertification Requirement: 3 years
  • 36 CTP continuing education credits are needed to maintain the CTP credential

• Step 1: Complete the online registration form. ~5 minutes
  • You will select your payment preference within the form.
• Step 2: Submit your payment. 
  • If you selected Online Payment: You will automatically be taken to our payment portal to submit your payment online. 
  • If you elected to pay by check or through tuition assistance, you will receive information on next steps from our offices. 
  • If you selected to participate in our payment arrangement, you will be taken to a 'Payment Arrangement' class which has a date of either 12/31 or 5/30. All payment arrangement payments use these dates; this alerts staff that we need to apply the partial payment to a student's account and prepare a statement.
• Step 3: Receive confirmation from UD that your spot in the class is secure. This includes a paid invoice (for full payment) or a statement (for payment arrangements) with future dues dates. 
• Step 4: Approximately a week before class UD will confirm your shipping address before placing the materials order. You will receive information about the various platforms used throughout the course, and what steps are required to prepare you for the first night of class.
• Step 5: Attend your classes. Complete assignments and earn your digital badge.

Career Opportunities & Outlook with the CTP Certification

CTP credentialed professionals are in demand across industries. The certification validates expertise in treasury management and financial operations, opening doors to leadership and specialized roles.

• Common Job Titles
  • Treasury Manager / Director
  • Senior Treasury Analyst
  • Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
  • Treasurer
  • Treasury System Analyst
  • Investment Manager
• Earning Potential*
  • Average Salary in Texas: $97,000/year
  • Typical Range: $96,000 - $187,000/year

*According to Payscale

Please click here to read a public disclosure about this course.

CTP^®, AFP^® are registered trademarks of the Association for Financial Professionals.