Last updated: October 2026
The Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor Associate (FAA) Program is a salaried, 36-month training job that prepares you to become a Morgan Stanley financial advisor. It's open to anyone with a bachelor's degree or about five years of professional experience, not just new grads. There's no 2027 deadline or class-year cohort: hiring is rolling and branch by branch, so as of October 2026 you can apply now. If you graduate in spring 2027, apply to a branch close to your graduation date.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | morganstanley.com FAA page, using its "Search for Financial Advisor Associate Openings" tool to pick a state, city and branch |
| Application window (2027) | Rolling and year-round, with no published deadline and no class-of-2027 cohort |
| Who can apply | A bachelor's degree in business, finance, sales, marketing or a related field, or five years' equivalent professional experience |
| Work authorization | Must be authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship now or in the future; Morgan Stanley doesn't sponsor work visas for FAAs |
| Format | Full-time, in person at a local Morgan Stanley Wealth Management branch (500+ U.S. branches); no part-time option |
| Length | 36 months: about 4 months of pre-production, then Production Years 1 to 3 |
| Pay | Published salary range of $65,000 to $90,000, plus possible monthly incentive pay and annual bonuses; salaried during pre-production, not commission-only |
| Licenses | Pass the SIE and get your Series 7 and 66 during pre-production, plus the Financial Planning Specialist program |
| Hiring steps | Application and two online assessments, a phone screen, face-to-face interviews with a business plan exercise, then a final evaluation |
The key detail most applicants miss: you apply to one local branch, not a national program, and the branch locator lists branches rather than confirmed openings. A branch showing up in the search doesn't mean it's hiring today.
The FAA job is sales and planning from day one, and the interview includes a business plan you have to defend. A remote Externship like the Attronica Financial Planning & Analysis and Private Company Valuation Externship gives you real financial analysis to talk through before you sit down with branch management.
What Is the Morgan Stanley FAA Program?
The FAA Program is Morgan Stanley Wealth Management's entry route into the financial advisor role. Morgan Stanley calls it a rigorous, demanding and intense 36-month training and development program. You're hired at a local branch and spend the first four months in pre-production: licensing exams, a set curriculum and the Financial Planning Specialist program. Then you move into three production years where you prospect for clients, open new accounts and build a book of high net worth clients against production goals set by the program. Training mixes national virtual sessions led by instructors, branch training with an Associate Complex Manager, regional coaching and web-based modules, and you meet weekly with designated coaches.
Who Is the Morgan Stanley FAA Program For?
Morgan Stanley lists the FAA Program under Experienced Professionals as well as early careers, and its requirements reflect that:
• Education or experience: a bachelor's degree in business, finance, sales, marketing or a related field, or the equivalent of five years' professional experience
• Class year: none. There's no graduation window, so career changers and new grads apply the same way
• Work authorization: legally authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship now or in the future. Morgan Stanley doesn't sponsor work visas for FAAs
• Schedule: full-time only, in person at your branch
• Screening: you must pass a background check and pre-employment assessments
• Licensing: you must pass the SIE and get your Series 7 and 66 during pre-production
• Sales appetite: the program page asks whether you can make at least 100 cold calls a day
Morgan Stanley doesn't publish a GPA cutoff for the FAA Program. International students who need a visa now or later aren't eligible.
When Is the Morgan Stanley FAA Program Hiring for 2027?
There's no class-of-2027 cycle to wait for. Morgan Stanley describes a rolling, branch-level application with no seasonal window, and it doesn't publish start dates: you agree on a start date with the branch that hires you. The branch locator's data file was last updated June 12, 2026 and listed 509 branches across 50 states and DC when we checked. Since that list shows branches rather than open roles, apply to the branches you'd actually work at and expect some not to be hiring.
Hiring is open on a rolling basis. Pick the branches you'd commute to and apply. If you graduate in spring 2027, time your application so a start date lines up with graduation.
Phase 1: submit the employment application and your resume, then complete two online assessments.
Phase 2 and 3: Talent Acquisition reviews your results and calls for a phone screen, then local management interviews you in person and sets a business plan exercise. Pass it and you get another round of in-person interviews.
Pre-production: pass the SIE, get your Series 7 and 66, and complete the Financial Planning Specialist program while on salary.
Prospect, open accounts and build a client book against the program's production goals, with weekly coaching.
How to read this page: our dates come from tracking previous recruiting cycles and the employer's own postings. Treat future dates as informed estimates based on historical patterns, not confirmed dates. The program's official page is always the most current source. If it's posted there, go by that, even if this page suggests the window hasn't opened yet.
How Do You Apply to the Morgan Stanley FAA Program?
You apply to a specific branch, and the process runs in four phases:
1. Go to the FAA page, choose a state and city in "Search for Financial Advisor Associate Openings" and click Apply for that branch.
2. Phase 1: complete the employment application, upload your resume and take two online assessments.
3. Phase 2: Talent Acquisition reviews your application and assessment results, then holds a phone screen.
4. Phase 3: interview in person with local management, then complete a business plan exercise. If your plan passes, you get another round of in-person interviews.
5. Phase 4: local management makes a final evaluation. Any offer depends on a background check.
Morgan Stanley doesn't name the two online assessments. Treat the business plan as the main event: it's where you show how you'd find and win clients in that branch's market.
What Happens After the Morgan Stanley FAA Program?
The FAA Program is already a job, so the question is what comes after the 36 months. Morgan Stanley says that by the end, FAAs are "fully prepared to take their place among our elite Financial Advisor workforce," and that graduates may later pursue Branch, Complex, Regional and Divisional management. It also says FAAs "can potentially earn significant income," which is a possibility, not a promise: your pay after training depends on the book you build. Still in school and not ready for a full-time advisor track? Our Morgan Stanley internship guide covers the firm's summer programs.
How Do You Prepare for the Morgan Stanley FAA Program?
No finance degree is strictly required, so branch managers look for three things: you're comfortable with numbers, you can prospect without flinching, and you understand what makes people trust someone with their money. Here's how to show each one.
| What to show | Why it matters here | Externship that builds it |
|---|---|---|
| Comfort with financial analysis | You'll complete the Financial Planning Specialist program; corporate FP&A isn't client planning, but it proves you can work through a model | Attronica Financial Planning & Analysis and Private Company Valuation |
| Prospecting and pitching | The job runs on cold calls and new accounts; sourcing and screening deals is the closest project practice for finding prospects | Mangusta Capital Deal Sourcing & Startup Analysis |
| A read on what clients care about | Building a book means knowing why people decide; consumer research is a different market, but the same skill | Health-Ade Consumer Behavior & Insights |
Start studying for the SIE before you apply. You have about four months to pass it plus the Series 7 and 66, and walking in already familiar with SIE material shows the branch you'll clear pre-production on time.
What Similar Programs Should You Consider?
If you're weighing the Morgan Stanley FAA Program, these are worth comparing:
- Edward JonesEdward Jones financial advisor training, another route into advisingGuide →
- Bank of America (Merrill)Merrill's Financial Solutions Advisor and Advisor Development tracksGuide →
- Morgan Stanley PWA AssociateMorgan Stanley's Private Wealth Advisor Associate Program for ultra high net worth clientsCareers site
- Charles Schwabwealth management and advisory roles at a large brokerageGuide →
- Ameriprise Financialadvisor and wealth management rolesGuide →
Advisor training programs differ most on salary versus commission and how long you're paid while you get licensed, so compare those two points first. For finance roles you can apply to while still in school, see our Morgan Stanley internship guide. For the wider field, see our finance internships guide.
FAQ
Is there a deadline for the Morgan Stanley FAA Program in 2027?
No. Morgan Stanley hires FAAs on a rolling, year-round basis through individual branches, with no published deadline and no class-of-2027 cohort. You can apply now. If you graduate in spring 2027, apply to a branch close to graduation and agree on a start date with that branch.
How much does the Morgan Stanley FAA Program pay?
Morgan Stanley publishes a salary range of $65,000 to $90,000 for the role, set by factors including relevant experience. You may also be eligible for monthly incentive pay and annual incentive bonuses. You're paid a salary during pre-production, so it isn't commission-only, and the role is eligible for overtime.
Who is eligible for the Morgan Stanley FAA Program?
Anyone with a bachelor's degree in business, finance, sales, marketing or a related field, or about five years' equivalent professional experience. You must be authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship, now or later. Morgan Stanley doesn't publish a GPA minimum, and there's no class-year limit.
Does Morgan Stanley sponsor visas for FAAs?
No. Morgan Stanley says it doesn't sponsor work visas for the FAA role, and you must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship now or in the future. International students on F-1 status who'd need sponsorship later aren't eligible.
What licenses do you need for the FAA Program?
You don't need any to apply. During the first four months, the pre-production phase, you must pass the SIE exam, get your Series 7 and 66 licenses and complete the Financial Planning Specialist program. Morgan Stanley pays your salary while you study.
Does the FAA Program lead to a financial advisor job?
It's designed to. Morgan Stanley says FAAs finish the 36 months fully prepared to join its Financial Advisor workforce, and some later move into branch or regional management. It doesn't guarantee a role or income level; you have to meet the production goals set in the training program.
What is the FAA interview process like?
Four phases: an application with two online assessments, a phone screen, in-person interviews with local management plus a business plan exercise, then a final evaluation. Passing the business plan leads to another round of in-person interviews. Offers depend on a background check.
Rolling hiring cuts both ways: you can apply any week, but each branch may hire only when it has room. Apply to several branches you'd actually commute to, and if your resume is light on finance work, a remote Externship gives you a finished analysis project to bring to the business plan round.
About the Author
Bifei Wang has spent 17 years focused on human flow and the growth of young professionals, spanning international education, career training and coaching, and recruitment process outsourcing. Over 7 years at Extern, he has had one-on-one sessions with thousands of students exploring careers in consulting, finance, tech, marketing, and data, giving him a firsthand view of how the job market has shifted for early-career professionals and what it actually takes to break in.
