Program Description
As a student with a personal financial planning major, your goal will be to gain the expertise needed to pass the Certified Financial Planning exam. Becoming a certified financial planner opens the door to exciting careers in the financial services industry. Because the program is organized around key objectives outlined by the CFP Board of Standards, you’ll take core classes in taxation, investments, insurance, retirement planning and estate planning.
Points of Pride
CMU’s personal financial planning program offers you an in-depth, four-day CFP review immediately after graduation. The pass rate for the CFP exam for 2013 graduating seniors who participated in the review course was 78 percent, compared to a national average of 52 percent.
Put Your Degree to Work
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics sample data
| Job | Median Pay | Job Growth through 2022 |
|---|
| Personal financial adviser | $67,520 per year | 27% (60,300 more jobs) |
| Financial analyst | $76,950 per year | 16% (39,300 more jobs) |
| Accountant and auditor | $63,550 per year | 13% (166,700 more jobs) |
Program Overview
The course listings below are a representation of what this academic program requires. For a full review of this program in detail please see our official online academic bulletin AND consult with an academic advisor. This listing does not include the General Education courses required for all majors and may not include some program specific information, such as admissions, retention, and termination standards.
(Click on the course name or number for a complete course description.)
Personal Financial Planning Major
The Personal Financial Planning major prepares students for a career in personal financial planning and personal financial consulting.
Total: 36 semester hours
Additional Common Body of Knowledge in Business Administration Courses
(9 hours)
BUS 100
Essential Business Skills
3
Introduces students to the concept of a business, its disciplines, and essential business skills including decision making, team work, and oral and written communication. This course is approved for offering in a distance learning format.
BUS 300QR
Applied Business Statistics
3
Applications of statistical analysis to support business decision making. Covers collection of business data, analysis of business datasets, and presentation of results. Quantitative Reasoning. Prerequisites: STA 282 or 382; 26 hours completed.
MGT 499
Integrated Capstone-Strategic Management
3
An integrative capstone course applying and analyzing financial, marketing, supply chain and other business functions within a global strategic management perspective. Prerequisites: 86 semester hours completed; BUS 300, 301; MGT/MKT 303; FIN 302; MKT 304; Tier 2 Admission to Professional Business Studies. Preference given to graduating seniors.
Required Courses
(24 hours)
ACC 311
Federal Income Taxation I
3
Basic concepts of federal income taxation, emphasizing individual taxpayers. Tax law covering taxable and excludable income, deductions, basis, tax-free exchanges, capital gains and losses, tax credits, deferral of tax, and depreciation. Prerequisites: 56 semester hours completed; admission to Professional Business Studies or listed on signed major or minor. Recommended: ACC 202 or 255
FIN 307
Fundamentals of Personal Financial Planning
3
A professional course with emphasis on the personal financial planning process and the roles of health, property and liability insurance in financial planning. Prerequisites: ACC 201 or ACC 250.
FIN 315
Principles of Investments
3
Provides students with basic knowledge about different investments and sources of information to enable them to make wiser investments and prepare to build portfolios. Prerequisites: 56 hours completed; admission to Professional Business Studies or listed on a signed major or minor.
FIN 317
Insurance Planning
3
This course introduces students to risk management and insurance decisions in personal financial planning, including health, disability, property, liability, and long-term care risks and insurance. Prerequisites: ACC 201 or 250; BLR 202 or 235; STA 282 or 382; admission to Professional Business Studies or listed on a signed major or minor.
FIN 347
Retirement Planning
3
This course covers issues that individuals face in retirement (money needs, life-styles, medical) and develops an understanding of both public and private retirement plans. Prerequisites: ACC 311, FIN 315, FIN 307; 56 semester hours completed; admission to Professional Business Studies or listed on a signed major or minor.
FIN 445/BLR 445
Personal Estate Planning
3
Fundamentals of estate planning for personal use and professional training. Professional topics target applications in trust administration, accounting, and personal financial planning. Identical to BLR 445. Credit may not be earned in more than one of these courses. This course may be offered in an online format. Prerequisites: FIN 302, 307; FIN 310 or FIN 315; 56 semester hours completed. Pre/Co-requisite: FIN 347.
FIN 447
Cases in Personal Financial Planning
3
Capstone personal financial planning course in client-centered personal financial planning. This course applies principles of personal financial planning in case studies. Prerequisites: FIN 317, FIN 347, completion or current enrollment in FIN 445; 56 semester hours completed; admission to Professional Business Studies.
MKT 340
Personal Selling
3
Analysis of the field of personal selling as a vital element of the promotional efforts of the firm. Prerequisites: MKT 300 or 304; 56 semester hours completed; admission to Professional Business Studies or listed on a signed major or minor; or with approval from the Office of Undergraduate Business Studies. For students with a signed minor in Electronic Media Sales, BCA 265QR and 56 semester hours completed.
Electives
(3 hours)
Select one course from the following:
FIN 335
Real Estate Principles
3
An introduction to real estate practice, institutions and participants with a focus on investment decision making, valuation, and debt financing. Prerequisite: ECO 202 or 203.
FIN 425
Options and Futures
3
Survey of markets for futures and options on financial securities and commodities. Valuation of futures/options and application for hedging risk. Prerequisites: FIN 302 or FIN 332, FIN 315 56 semester hours completed; admission to Professional Business Studies or listed on a signed major or minor.
FIN 455
Portfolio Management
3
Learn advanced methods of analyzing and valuing both debt and equity securities, as well as theories and techniques for combining assets into efficient portfolios. Prerequisites: FIN 302 or FIN 332; FIN 315; 56 semester hours completed; admission to Professional Business Studies or listed on a signed major or minor.
FIN 472
Money and Capital Markets
3
Survey of money and capital markets, strategies for growth, and timing of financial policy. Prerequisites: FIN 302 or FIN 332; ECO 201 or ECO 204, ECO 202 or ECO 203; 56 semester hours completed; admission to Professional Business Studies or listed on signed major or minor.
FIN 490
Internship in Finance
1-3
Enrollment confined to a limited number of students working in business situations for educational experience. Prerequisites: permission of the department chairperson; admission to Professional Business Studies or listed on signed major or minor.
FIN 573
International Finance
3
Role of financial manager in international corporations. Environmental problems of foreign exchange. Techniques for making investment decisions, financing marketing operations, long-term capital structure and flow of funds. Prerequisites: FIN 302 or FIN 332; 56 semester hours completed and admission to Professional Business Studies or listed on signed major or minor.
