Program Overview

Personal Financial Planning Ph.D. Program

Overview

The Personal Financial Planning Ph.D. program at Texas Tech University is a national leader in financial education. As the first U.S. university to offer a Ph.D. in Personal Financial Planning, it has a proven record of leadership in financial planning scholarship.

Program Details

• Study Options: The program offers both on-campus and online study options.
• Faculty: The program boasts world-class faculty, with leading authorities in personal financial planning. Texas Tech has the nation's largest personal financial planning faculty, with experts in a broad range of specialties.
• Career Outcomes: Graduates from the program have outstanding career outcomes, with many earning tenure-track faculty placements throughout the U.S. and others using the Ph.D. as a springboard to non-academic careers in financial planning or entrepreneurship.
• Theoretical Foundation: The program provides a rigorous theoretical foundation, examining the most current research in personal financial planning, including specialized aspects such as the psychology of financial planning, behavioral finance, risk management, and household economics.
• Practical Training: Ph.D. students receive practical training and mentorship in teaching and research from top researchers in the field and well-established practitioners.

Careers in Personal Financial Planning

Graduates from the Personal Financial Planning Ph.D. degree program have a job placement rate of virtually 100 percent. Many alumni hold personal financial planning faculty positions at universities throughout the United States. Non-academic career paths include high-level employment at financial institutions such as:

• Financial services firms
• Mutual fund companies
• Brokerage firms
• Insurance companies
• Banks

Personal Financial Planning Professional Certification

The Ph.D. degree in personal financial planning qualifies students to take the CFP® Certification Examination, a national certification regulated and credentialed by the CFP Board of Standards. Some students in the program have already passed this examination.