Program Overview

Master of Science in Financial Planning

The Master of Science in Financial Planning is a 30-credit degree offered by the NYU SPS Division of Programs in Business. This program is certified by the Financial Planner (CFP®) Board of Standards and prepares students for financial advising jobs in private practice, banks, investment firms, and wealth management firms.

Program Overview

• The program is designed to equip students with the skills and prestige for success in the financial planning field.
• With growing demand, financial advising offers strong career prospects, competitive pay, and the reward of helping others.
• The program is certified by the Financial Planner (CFP®) Board of Standards, which is generally recognized as the highest standard in personal financial planning.

Tuition and Fees

• Tuition: $2,785 per credit
• Total tuition for the program: $27,562 per term (10-12 credits)

Study Options

• Online: may be completed 100% online
• Hybrid: choose a mix of online and onsite courses
• Onsite: all courses onsite
• Study periods: Fall, Spring
• Study modes: Full-time, Part-time

Minimum Duration

• The minimum duration of the program is 18 months.

Career Prospects

• Job growth: 10%
• Median salary: $125.3K
• Percentage of graduates working and/or in school: 91%
• Number of Global Division of Programs in Business (DPB) alumni: 12,081

Why This Degree?

• Learn from financial planning experts with years of experience in the field.
• Degree concentrations with a professional advantage, including behavioral finance and financial analytics.
• Work in corporate settings and private practice, with the skills to work on a larger team and the knowledge and business acumen to pursue a career with flexible hours and client choice.
• Succeed from day one with one-on-one faculty advising, a dedicated team of career counselors, and a wide breadth of student services.
• Advance your career with strong analytical skills directly applicable to the industry.
• CFP® certification, which is generally recognized as the highest standard in personal financial planning.

What You’ll Study

• Core curriculum, including courses in financial planning and risk management, investments and wealth management, income tax strategies, retirement planning strategies, estate planning, and research applications.
• Internships, which provide students with the opportunity to immerse themselves in the financial planning field.
• Financial analytics concentration, which equips students with the analytical knowledge and skills to make their mark on the industry.
• Behavioral finance concentration, which equips students with advanced training to create a more effective client-centered practice.
• Capstone, which requires students to develop a comprehensive financial plan based on the culmination of their graduate degree studies.

Where You’ll Go

• Companies hiring for this degree, including Elevance Health, Deloitte, Citigroup, Amazon, and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
• Top roles for this degree, including financial analysts, program managers, portfolio managers, treasury analysts, and financial planners.

Real World Experiences

• Internships, which provide students with timely knowledge in the field.
• Real-world case studies, which require students to apply their knowledge and skills to real-world scenarios.
• Capstone, which requires students to develop a comprehensive financial plan based on the culmination of their graduate degree studies.

Faculty

• Professors who are experts in the classroom and have experience in financial planning.
• Faculty directory, which provides information on the program's faculty members.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is there a certification associated with the MS in Financial Planning? Yes, the program is certified by the Financial Planner (CFP®) Board of Standards.
• What is financial planning? Financial planning is the comprehensive process of helping individuals and families meet their lifetime financial goals through the proper management of their financial resources.
• What does a financial planner actually do? Financial planning professionals are trained and hired by clients to gather the necessary information to assess the clients’ financial situation, identify their financial goals and objectives, develop recommendations, communicate and implement those recommendations, and provide a written plan for continuous monitoring.
• Why pursue a career in financial planning? The industry is faced with an aging workforce, and opportunities for individuals who want to build a lucrative and promising career in the industry have never been greater.
• What is an MS in Financial Planning? This 30-credit financial planning master's degree, offered by the NYU SPS Division of Programs in Business, is certified by the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) Board of Standards.
• Why earn an MS in Financial Planning at NYU SPS? The Master of Science in Financial Planning is housed in the School of Professional Studies (SPS) at NYU, which has a long history of training students in applied disciplines.
• What financial planning courses are available through this degree? Financial planning students can be expected to take courses in financial planning and risk management, investments and wealth management, income tax strategies, retirement planning strategies, estate planning, research applications, and a comprehensive capstone course.
• What types of financial planning jobs are available? Many financial planners become entrepreneurs and establish their own practices, while others decide to work for a financial planning firm, large financial service organizations, or banks.
• Is a career in financial planning rewarding? Financial planning has a direct impact on people’s lives by transforming their financial health, and a career as a financial advisor was rated number nine by US News and World Report in their Best Business Jobs survey.