Financial Planning
Request InfoFinancial Planning Degree
Overview
Financial planners know the ins and outs of investing, saving, and money management. You’ll learn to guide clients through some of the biggest moments of their lives and be a resource for them when times are tough.
This is a project-based program that not only gets you ready for the CFP Board exam, but also gives you real, hands-on experience that will help you in your career. The best part? Doing it here at Keystone College lets you build a fantastic professional network at a small campus you’ll love.
Our CFP Board registered program fulfills all the educational requirements for this high-growth and lucrative line of work.
Hybrid Program Benefits
This program includes online courses as part of the curriculum through our partnership with Rize. These online courses offer students cutting-edge curriculum, greater scheduling flexibility, access to nationwide experts in the field, and access to even more resume-ready skills.
In this program, you will learn about:
- Working with clients to set goals and assess risk tolerance
- Risk management and insurance planning
- Investing in the securities market, risk/return, stocks, bonds, options, futures
- Tax consequences and lawful tax-minimizing tactics
- Financial planning for retirement
- Tax and non-tax considerations in estate planning
Giant Careers for Financial Planners
The number of financial management jobs are expected to grow by 17%, twice the average job and 93% of financial planners are highly satisfied in their career.
Personal Financial Analyst
Performs research/analysis and provides advice on managers, products, investment selections.
$68,532
Median salary
Wealth Management Advisor
Develops one-on-one relationships with high-net-worth clients and manages investment portfolios.
$97,176
Median salary
Personal Financial Manager
Creates holistic financial plans to meet the unique financial goals of their clients.
$134,180
Median salary
Curriculum
Some courses in this program are taught virtually through Rize Education.
Course Requirements
In addition to a strong foundation of business, accounting, and communications, students complete courses dedicated to providing you the knowledge and experience needed to be a financial planning professional. These courses include:
- ACCT 3150 Tax Planning
- ACCT 3185 Gen Principals of Financial Planning
- ACCT 4120 Retirement Savings and Investment
- ACCT 4125 Estate Planning
- BUSN 3175 Risk Management and Insurance
- BUSN 3180 Investment Planning
- BUSN 4920 Financial Plan Development
FAQs
Do I really need a degree to work in Financial Planning?
Yes – the CFP board requires a bachelor’s degree for certification. Having a degree in Certified Financial Planning provides a massive advantage in earning potential and salary. People with a bachelor’s degree also have a 50% lower rate of unemployment, and on average they make an additional $630,000 to $900,000 over their lifetime, even more in high growth fields like this one.
How do I become a Certified Financial Planner?
In order to become a Certified Financial Planner, students must complete four key requirements:
- Education
- Complete a bachelor’s degree
- Complete a seven-course sequence from a CFP Board registered program
- Exam
- Complete a 170 Question, 6-hour multiple-choice exam offered in March, July, and November
- Experience
- Complete 6,000 hours of professional experience relating to financial planning, or complete 4,000 hours of an apprenticeship. This experience must be completed within five years of sitting for the exam – see details here.
- Ethics
- Complete the ethics declaration forms and pass a background check
Keystone’s Financial Planning degree will prepare you to meet these requirements.
Was this program really created with corporate partners?
Yes! The only way to make sure our program gives you the skills you need to get hired and teaches you to work through real-world problems that actually matter is to partner with the people out there who are actually doing it. Our collaboration with Fortune 500 companies and subject matter experts means that their multi-billion-dollar expertise is reflected in everything you’ll study here.
What will my career look like?
Financial planning is huge, and our graduates can use their coveted skills to secure many different kinds of high-growth employment. If the idea of helping everyday people maximize their financial future is appealing, you may wish to work directly with families. If corporate strategy is more appealing to you , you may want to work in the finance department of a brand-name corporation. As a Certified Financial Planning grad, the high-paying possibilities available to you across industries are essentially endless.
How do I know if I’m interested in this major?
If you are interested in the generation and growth of wealth, if you have a desire to help others reach their financial goals, if you are looking for a degree that opens a ton of doors to different high-growth careers, if you want to have a job that never gets boring, and if you want to gain a skill set that makes you more and more valuable as your career progresses, you should consider this major.
What is a flipped classroom?
A flipped classroom is one where the focus is not on lectures, but on discussion, projects, and problem-solving. Students in flipped classrooms get the chance for more instructor feedback, and as a result have been found to learn much, much faster.
How do I know if I’m interested in this major?
If you have a passion for gaming, if you want to work with people to build awesome projects, if you are looking for a degree that opens a ton of doors to different high-growth careers, if you have a knack for creativity , and if you’re looking for a way to take part in shaping the future of gaming and eSports, you should consider this major.
What does live class optional mean?
Flexibility. Optional live sessions mean our courses can be completed asynchronously, but you will still have the ability to attend live sessions with your instructor. Many students prefer learning that comes with live interactions, while other students love the flexibility of doing them whenever they fit into their schedule.
Who will be in my class?
This major is part of an exclusive partnership between Keystone College and Rize Education, which means you’ll be learning with students from your campus, as well as students from a selective consortium of schools across the country. The goal is to help you begin building a national network of people in your industry before you’ve even graduated.
Do I need to be a math whiz to study Financial Planning?
Nope! Although this major does involve math, the quantitative coursework is relatively light and does not cover abstract mathematical concepts. Rest assured that no matter how good (or bad) you are at math, this could be the major for you to launch a high-paying career!
Program Goals
- Explain the core concepts of financial planning.
- Communicate complex financial concepts in a clear and concrete manner.
- Recognize financial regulations and ethical principles governing the financial planning profession.
- Develop comprehensive financial plans that encompass various aspects of financial planning.
Contact
Dr. Patricia Davis
570-945-8424
patricia.davis@keystone.edu
Program
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