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A master’s degree shows you have reached a high level of expertise. A graduate degree in personal financial planning is immediately recognizable to both clients and firms.
The master’s degree is a CFP Board Registered Program. It fulfills the education requirement for CFP® certification to sit for the national CFP® exam. To sit for the national CFP® certification examination, the first five courses of our 10 course program and the final case study must be completed.
If you completed your required education for CFP® certification through the College, you may qualify for up to 15 hours of transfer credit toward our master’s in personal financial planning program, which could put you halfway toward earning your degree.
If you hold the CFP®️certification and completed your required education elsewhere, you may be eligible for up to 9 credits.
The Traditional Pathway allows students to select from a variety of elective courses to fulfill the program’s elective requirements.
The Client Psychology and Communication Pathway structures the elective courses to provide students with a more detailed understanding of behavioral finance, client psychology, and improved communication skills.
Demonstrate expertise in integration of personal financial planning and fiduciary duty with advanced frameworks in behavioral finance, economics, and complex issues related to client interests, aspirations, pathways, and life events.
Apply quantitative methods and knowledge framework in personal financial planning for their clients and are able to apply advanced methods in portfolio management, preretirement planning, and complex issues in tax and estate planning as part of the financial planning process.
Bring a sophisticated level of critical evaluation and analysis to consideration of client-specific scenarios.
Educate and communicate with clients using client-centric verbal, written, visual, and numerical presentations to engage clients throughout the financial planning process.
Employ ethical, regulatory, and legal guidelines when making financial decisions and recommendations.
Engage in lifelong learning to ensure competency and respond to changes in the legal and economic environments. Engage in research and discovery of relevant and current topics in financial planning and allied areas, including such areas as behavioral finance as it may apply to advising clients on complex financial planning issues.
Students accepted into the Master of Science in Personal Financial Planning must earn 30 semester credits with a minimum 3.00 grade point average to graduate from the program. A maximum of 21 credits may be completed through Credit for Prior Learning, which includes transfer credit, articulated credit, and alternative credit. For more information about the College’s Credit for Prior Learning opportunities, please review the College Catalog.
The program consists of ten (10 courses) comprised of:
Five (5) core courses and
Five (5) advanced courses & electives
Three (3) of the 5 advanced courses include:
PFPL600: Case Studies in Financial Planning
PFPL560: Pre-Retirement Financial Planning Topics
PFPL570: Portfolio Management for Personal Financial Planners
Remaining two (2) of the 5 advanced course are based on pathway
For Traditional Pathway, select 2 electives. See the list of electives.
For Client Psychology and Communication Pathway,
PFPL650: Client Psychology and Communications
Select either PFPL522: Behavioral Finance or PFPL587: Behavioral Finance Strategies (ABFP® Program)
Core Courses
Advanced Courses
Students who complete eighteen (18) credits in the following courses and meet the eligibility requirements will be awarded a Graduate Certificate in Personal Financial Planning.
Eligibility Requirements:
Successful completion of eighteen (18) credits in required coursework
Maximum of six (6) credits earned through transfer or articulated coursework
3.00 minimum cumulative GPA in applicable courses
PFPL510 | Financial Planning Process and Insurance | None | 3 |
PFPL520 | Investment Planning | None | 3 |
PFPL530 | Income Tax Planning | None | 3 |
PFPL540 | Retirement Planning and Employee Benefits | None | 3 |
PFPL550 | Estate Planning | None | 3 |
PFPL600 | Case Study in Personal Financial Planning | None | 3 |
TOTAL REQUIRED CREDITS | 18 |
College for Financial Planning students are eligible to apply for the MPAS® certification following graduation from the Master of Science in Personal Financial Planning degree.
The MPAS® certification is ideal for individuals who are employed at firms that exclusively reimburse for designations and certifications.
Upon graduation, you can apply for the certification at any time. There is no charge to initially obtain the certification; however, designees must complete renewal requirements every 2 years to maintain it. A detailed list of the requirements can be found on our certification renewal page.
Demand for Financial Advisors: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/personal-financial-advisors.htm
