Students planning to enter the world of finance must first decide upon a finance major. Certain undergraduate and graduate majors will more easily lead to Certified Financial Planner (CFP) certification, as certain schools and majors are recognized by the CFP Board of Standards, Inc. Listed below are the most popular undergraduate and graduate finance majors leading to financial planner certification.
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Undergraduate Degree Options for Finance Majors
These programs are approved by the CFP Board of Standards to prepare students to sit for the CFP Examination. Coursework will vary depending upon one’s concentration/focus area, and will revolve around the subjects listed under each degree.
- Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in:
- Finance
- Financial Management
- Financial Services
- Financial Planning/Personal Financial Planning
- Finance and Banking
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) with concentrations in:
- Financial Planning/Personal Financial Planning
- Finance and Banking
- Insurance
- Economics
- Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)with concentrations in:
- Trust and Wealth Investment Management
- Financial Planning/Personal Financial Planning
- Finance
- Financial Services
- Insurance and Risk Management
Graduate Degree Options for Finance Majors
All majors listed below are approved by the CFP Board of Standards to prepare students to sit for the CFP examination.
- Master of Science in Taxation – designed for students wishing to become professional tax advisers, professional tax consultants, and tax executives in private and public companies. Courses may include:
- Federal Taxation of Income
- Corporations and Shareholders
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Multi-Jurisdictional Taxation
- Taxation Internship/Practicum
- Tax Accounting Problems
- State and Local Tax Practice
- Master of Science in Financial Planning/Personal Financial Planning/Family Financial Planning–Depending upon one’s client preferences, one may choose to specialize in Personal Financial Planning, Family Financial Planning, or Financial Planning. Courses usually include topics such as:
- Investments and Capital Accumulation
- Trusts, Gifts and Estates
- Portfolio Management
- Investment Vehicles
- Internship/practicum in Financial Planning
- Financial Planning for Families
- Financial Planning for Non-Traditional Families
- Elder Financial Planning
- Master of Science in Finance/Financial Services– this major will prepare students to work in financial planning, business, corporations, and financial institutions. Courses should include:
- Portfolio Management
- Financial Institutions and Capital Markets
- International Finance
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Tax Planning
- Risk Management
- Pension and Benefits Administration
- Master of Professional Accountancy – this program will prepare students to sit for both the CFP Examination and one’s state Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Examination. Courses usually include:
- Estate Planning
- Theory of Investment
- Financial Planning
- Electronic Commerce
- Insurance Planning/Risk Management
- Personal Income Tax Planning
- Retirement Planning and Employee Benefits
- Master of Trust and Wealth Management – this major is designed for students who wish to work in private banking, trust management, investment management, financial planning, and investment planning. Courses include:
- Financial Planning Seminar
- Investment Analysis
- Income Taxation
- Estate Taxation
- Application of Fiduciary Principles
- Risk Management Applications
- Wealth Management Sales
- Master in Business Administration (MBA) – this degree is the most popular graduate finance degree, and designed for a multitude of career options, including business executive, financial planner, accounting, taxation, wealth management. Depending upon one’s concentration, courses will vary, but most MBA programs include coursework in:
- Accounting
- Economics
- Business Strategy
- Finance
- Marketing Management
- Human Resources
- Operations Management
- Manufacturing/Production
- Technology/Information Systems
- Statistics