M.S. in Family Financial Planning
The family financial planning master's degree is a 30-credit distance degree program that is offered through a consortium of public universities through Innovative Digital Education Alliance (IDEA). The participating universities are:
- Iowa State University
- Montana State University
- North Dakota State University
- Oklahoma State University
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln
What You Will Learn
Core courses build literacy in fundamental concepts such as personal income taxation, estate planning, retirement planning, and insurance planning. Elective courses provide students the opportunity to specialize in their areas of interest. This program satisfies satisfy the educational requirements necessary for the Certified Financial Planner (CFP)® Certification Examination and the Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC)® certification.
How You Will Learn
Designed for working professionals, our courses are 100% online and asynchronous. You'll engage in coursework through a virtual classroom, with offerings available from five reputable universities. Start and end dates may vary depending on the universities instructing your courses each semester.
How You Will Connect with Multiple Universities
Montana State University will be your primary institution, providing several core and elective courses for your program. The MSU faculty team will serve as your advisors, supporting you in coordinating practical experiences that align with your career goals, such as practicum courses, professional projects, or thesis work. You’ll also benefit from the expertise of faculty at other institutions, broadening your learning as coursework is completed across universities.
How You Will Personalize Your Program
Two plans for program completion are available: the professional paper plan and the course work-only plan.
- Professional Paper/Project Plan: This option is ideal for students interested in conducting original research or participating in a project of personal interest, especially those considering pursuing a doctoral degree. Students may take a maximum of six (6) HDFP 575 or HDFP 590 credits for their professional paper or project.
- Course Work-Only Plan: This plan is designed for family financial planning students who aim to work solely as financial planning practitioners and do not plan to pursue a doctoral degree. A minimum of 30 credits of coursework is required, and a practicum (HDFP 576) is highly recommended.
How You Will Plan, Financially
Students in the FFP program pay a uniform tuition rate determined by Innovative Digital Education Alliance (IDEA). The program does qualify for financial aid. However, it is a self-supporting program and as such is not eligible for faculty and staff fee waivers through the MUS system.
Program Requirements
Core Courses
| HDFP 515 | Insurance Planning for Families | 3 |
| HDFP 520 | Investing for Family's Future | 3 |
| HDFP 525 | Retirement Planning, Employee Benefits, and Families | 3 |
| HDFP 530 | Estate Planning for Families | 3 |
| HDFP 540 | Personal Income Taxation | 3 |
| HDFP 572 | Financial Plan Case Studies | 3 |
| Electives | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Electives
| Electives (others may be approved by the student's graduate committee) | ||
| HDFP 510 | Fundamentals of Family Financial Planning | 3 |
| HDFP 545 | Financial Theory and Research I | 3 |
| HDFP 550 | Housing/Real Estate | 3 |
| HDFP 555 | Financial Counseling | 3 |
| HDFP 560 | Professional Practices in Family Financial Planning | 3 |
| HDFP 565 | Military Personal Finance | 3 |
| HDFP 575 | Professional Paper | 3-6 |
| HDFP 594 | Seminar | 3 |
| HDFP 576 | Professional Practicum | 3 |
| HDFP 590 | Thesis | 1-10 |