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 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
The program is registered with the Certified Financial Planner® Board of Standards and meets the education criteria for individuals who wish to fulfill the education component for obtaining CFP® certification. Students may also take the six core courses to fulfill this CFP® education requirement, rather than the full master's program. The program is also registered with the Association for Financial Counseling, Planning and Education and meets the education criteria for individuals who wish to obtain Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC®) certification.
Requirements
This 30 credit-hour master's degree program in Family Financial Planning consists of six 3-credit core courses and twelve credits of elective course work. Students work with their academic adviser on appropriate course selection and sequence
Program Learning Outcomes
- Apply a family systems approach to financial planning as a tool for individuals and families to enhance well-being;
- Understand and apply financial planning content in insurance, investments, taxation, employee benefits, retirement, and estate planning to complex financial problems faced by individuals and families;
- Analyze family finance situations and create financial planning recommendations to address family goals and to solve family financial problems;
- Develop communication strategies, written and verbal, to effectively work with clients;
- And understand and apply family economic, microeconomic, and behavioral economics and finance theories to describe and predict the financial management behaviors of individuals and families. ;
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 |