BS Financial Planning

Program Features
The BS in Financial Planning degree is designed to provide a formal education in areas of personal finance such as retirement planning, insurance and risk management, employee benefits planning, estate planning, income tax planning, and real estate finance.  Recognizing that personal financial planners require mathematical, computer, accounting, analytical, and problem-solving skills, the core curriculum has been designed to include sufficient courses in quantitative analysis, accounting, logic, and problem solving.  Personal financial analysts are also required to be detail-oriented, motivated to seek out information, make buy or sell recommendations, and be familiar with the workings of the economy and recent regulations.  Courses in economics, ethics, marketing, and law are also part of the core curriculum.  Communication courses in the program help students master their presentation and intercultural communication skills.  Keeping in mind that students may work in large companies like Edward Jones or Merrill Lynch, students are also offered courses in management and team building.
 
Career Benefits
Personal financial planners or financial consultants use their knowledge of investments, estate planning, funding for college, and tax laws to recommend financial options to individuals and help them achieve their short-term and long-term goals.  A personal financial advisor meets with the client and obtains information on the client's current financial situation and future financial goals.  The financial planner then makes recommendations on saving and investing for retirement, funding for college, estate planning, insurance, and other investment options.  The financial planner must take into consideration the client's risk and return preferences in making these recommendations.  The financial plan of the client is reviewed and updated periodically.  Some financial planners trade securities on behalf of their clients.  Many financial advisors manage their client's financial portfolio.
 
Personal financial advisors could be self-employed, operating small investment advisory firms usually located in urban areas.  Financial planners can also be employed by securities and commodity brokers, exchanges, and investment services firms.  Banks, savings institutions, credit unions, and insurance firms also employ financial planners.
 
Certification
The BS in Financial Planning curriculum is designed to meet the educational requirements of the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) exam and is registered and approved by the CFP Board in Denver, Colorado.  Although not required to practice, certification can enhance one's professional standing and is strongly recommended by many financial companies, since certification helps to communicate expertise to clients.
 
BS in Financial Planning Course Requirements
 
Major Courses  40 credits
No substitution.  All courses must be taken at Cleary University.
FIN 395 Advanced Personal Finance
FIN 405 Financial Statement Analysis
FIN 415 Investments
FIN 425 Portfolio Management
FIN 440 Insurance and Risk Management
FIN 445 Retirement Planning
FIN 450 Employee Benefit Planning
FIN 455 Income Tax Planning
FIN 460 Real Estate Finance
FIN 465 Estate Planning
 
Accounting and Finance Core Courses  48 credits
No substitution.  All courses must be taken at Cleary University.
ACC 401 Financial Accounting
ACC 402 Managerial Accounting
BAC 300 Business Research and Communication
BCS 440 Technology and the Organization
ECO 320 Economics of Business
FIN 400 Financial Management
LAW 320 Business Ethics and Legal Issues
MGT 407 Behavior of Organizations
MGT 420 International Business
MKT 415 Interactive Marketing
MTH 344 Quantitative Business Analysis
OPM 400 Operations Management
 
Competency Core Courses  12 credits
Courses may be taken at Cleary University.  Substitution permitted by Transfer or Prior Learning documentation.
ACC 245 Principles of Accounting I
CAS 108 Advanced Microsoft Excel
CAS 111 Microsoft PowerPoint
ENG 160 Business Composition
 
General Education and Elective Courses  80 credits
Courses may be taken at Cleary University.  Substitution permitted by Transfer or Prior Learning documentation.
 
Total  180 credits
 

 

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