Program Overview

Financial Planning Program

The College of Applied Studies offers a full bachelor of science degree and major in Financial Planning. This program aims to prepare students to become effective and successful financial planners and is registered by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards. Upon graduation, students will be eligible to take the CFP® Certification Examination and be knowledgeable in both the academic and people skills required for financial planning practice.

Overview

Students will learn from professors who have applied experience as well as academic credentials for Financial Planning. The Financial Planning major courses can be taken fully online, which provides ultimate flexibility for students in their undergraduate studies.

Admission Prerequisites

The following prerequisites are required for admission to the Financial Planning program:

• ACG2021: Introduction to Financial Accounting (3 hours, minimum grade C-)
• ACG2071: Introduction to Managerial Accounting (3 hours, minimum grade C-)
• CGS2100 or CGS2518: Microcomputer Applications for Business or Spreadsheets for Business (3 hours, minimum grade C-)
• ECO2013: Principles of Macroeconomics (3 hours, minimum grade C-)
• ECO2023: Principles of Microeconomics (3 hours, minimum grade C-)
• MAC2233: Calculus for Business (3 hours, minimum grade C-)
• STA2023: Fundamental Business Statistics (3 hours, minimum grade C-)

Program Requirements

The College of Applied Studies accepts students who have completed five of the seven prerequisites, which must include ACG2071 and MAC2233. Natural Science Lab and Foreign Language must be completed prior to graduation. Students must have completed at least 52 credit hours.

Program of Study

The goals of the Financial Planning Program are to:

• Prepare students for entry or advancement in their desired financial planning-related careers with integral financial knowledge and interpersonal skills
• Provide students hands-on experience applying skills related to financial planning
• Help students develop quantitative and qualitative skills to be a critical consumer of research, financial policies, and related laws
• Equip students with advanced knowledge of financial planning and building a foundation for their careers
• Engage students in interdisciplinary coursework that further equips students in the applied skills necessary to be successful in financial planning-related careers

Additional Skills

The program aims to develop the following skills:

• Integrating knowledge about financial markets, estate planning, tax laws, and risk management to develop financial and investment recommendations
• Determining client goals and developing a comprehensive financial plan
• Evaluating effectiveness of financial planning activities
• Understanding the importance of effective communication and interpersonal skills when working with clients of different backgrounds
• Engaging with ethics in decision making
• Utilizing applied skills from other academic fields to build a foundation for a fruitful financial planning career

Coursework in the Major

Once accepted into the Financial Planning program, students must complete 39 credit hours in the core curriculum, which includes all courses required to meet the education requirement needed to sit for the national CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER exam. Additionally, students must complete 21 hours of approved interdisciplinary courses chosen from academic areas of Entrepreneurship, Marketing/Advertising, Human Development/Behavior, Organizational Management/Leadership, Communication, and Technology.

Required Core Courses

The following core courses are required:

• FIN 3124: Introduction to Financial Planning (3 hours)
• FIN 4125: Advanced Financial Planning (3 hours)
• ECO 3042: Family and Consumer Economics (3 hours)
• FIN 3173: Ethics and Financial Planning (3 hours)
• FIN 3102: Personal Investment I (3 hours)
• FIN 4107: Personal Investment II (3 hours)
• FIN 3112: Personal Risk Management & Insurance (3 hours)
• TAX 4006: Personal Income Tax Concepts (3 hours)
• FIN 4133: Retirement Planning (3 hours)
• FIN 3163: Psychology for Financial Planning (3 hours)
• FIN 4132: Estate Planning for Financial Planning (3 hours)
• COM 3110: Communication for Business and the Professions (3 hours)
• FIN 4910: Career Readiness Seminar and Capstone (3 hours)

Required Specialized Interdisciplinary Courses

Students must choose courses from the following areas:

• Entrepreneurship: ENT 2000 Introduction to Entrepreneurship (required)
• Innovations & Leadership: Choose one from CTE 4470, ENT 3173, ENT 3451, HFT 4224, PAD 3017
• Marketing/Advertising: Choose one from ADV 3008, ADV 3410, ADV 4603, COM 3521, PUR 3000
• Social Science: Choose one from EDF 4210, PAD 3003, PAD 3013, PAD 4223, SYA 3741, SYA 4400, SYD 3020, SYD 3800, SYO 3100, SYO 3200
• Organizational Management/Leadership: Choose one from COM 3120, HFT 3240, HFT 3424, HFT 3603, PAD 4144
• Communication: Choose one from COM 4132, HFT 3242, MMC 4300, RTV 3001, SPC 3210
• Information/Technology: Choose one from CIS 3250, COM 3332, HFT 4448, SYO 4461

Minimum Program Requirements

The minimum program requirements are:

• Total hours required: 120
• General Education: 36 hours
• Major Coursework: 60 hours
• Minor Coursework: 0 hours
• Computer Skills: 3 hours
• Oral Communication Competency: 0-3 hours
• Other Coursework: 0 hours
• Electives: hours to bring total to 120

Remarks

• A minimum of 45 hours at the 3000 level or above, 30 of which must be taken at this University.
• Half of the major course semester hours must be completed in residence at this University.
• The final 30 hours must be completed in residence at this University.

Employment Information

• Salary information can be found through the National Association of Colleges and Employers or the Occupational Outlook Handbook provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• Representative job titles include Analyst, Auditor, Bank Officer, Business Consultant, Controller, Financial Planner, Financial Advisor, Independent Broker, Insurance Agent, Internal Revenue Agent, Investment Advisor, Stock Broker, Bank Officer.
• Representative employers include CPA Firms, Banks, Investment Firms, Major Corporations, Small Businesses, Management Consulting Firms, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, Governments, Non-Profit Organizations.