BS in Personal Financial Planning
Degree Program Description
The Bachelor of Science in Personal Financial Planning degree prepares students to work with individuals and families in a wide range of financial service occupations, such as financial planning, insurance, investments, banking, financial counseling, financial education, social work, and more. The degree program meets the educational requirements for those who want to sit for the national CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ exam to meet the growing demand for personal financial planners. With a strong foundation in financial planning, many students also choose to pursue additional minor(s) or certificates in business, accounting, economics, social work, public health, and other related programs.
Major Program Requirements
Students earning a Bachelor of Science in Financial Planning are required to complete all University general education, University graduation and degree requirements, including selected foundational courses, which may fulfill some University general education requirements.
If you are planning to transfer courses (including AP credit) and would like information on how they apply to a degree program(s), you can email CAFNRadvising@missouri.edu for general recommendations.
Students are admissible to transfer into Financial Planning with a 2.0 cumulative GPA. You are directly admissible as a freshman when you meet the University admissions requirements.
| Foundational Courses | ||
| ENGLSH 1000 | Writing and Rhetoric | 3 |
| HIST 1100 | Survey of American History to 1865 | 3 |
| or HIST 1200 | Survey of American History Since 1865 | |
| or HIST 1400 | American History | |
| or HIST 2210 | Twentieth Century America | |
| or HIST 2240 | Flight in America: From the Wright Brothers to the Space Age | |
| or POL_SC 1100 | American Government | |
| or POL_SC 2100 | State Government | |
| MATH 1100 | College Algebra | 3 |
| MATH 1400 | Calculus for Social and Life Sciences I | 3 |
| or MATH 1500 | Analytic Geometry and Calculus I | |
| ABM 1041 | Applied Microeconomics | 3 |
| or ECONOM 1014 | Principles of Microeconomics | |
| ABM 1042 | Applied Macroeconomics | 3 |
| or ECONOM 1015 | Principles of Macroeconomics | |
| ABM 2225 | Statistical Analysis | 3 |
| or STAT 2500 | Introduction to Probability and Statistics I | |
| COMMUN 1200 | Public Speaking | 3 |
| or COMMUN 3571 | Group Decision Making Processes | |
| or AGSC_COM 2220 | Verbal Communication in Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources | |
| Core Requirements | ||
| FINPLN 2083 | Financial Planning Careers | 2 |
| FINPLN 2183 | Personal and Family Finance 1 | 3 |
| FINPLN 3282 | Financial Counseling | 3 |
| FINPLN 3283 | Financial Planning: Computer Applications | 3 |
| FINPLN 4187 | Financial Planning: Tax Planning 2 | 3 |
| FINPLN 4188 | Community Agencies and Volunteerism | 5 |
| FINPLN 4380W | Assessing the American Dream - Writing Intensive | 3 |
| FINPLN 4382 | Financial Planning: Risk Management 2 | 3 |
| FINPLN 4383 | Financial Planning: Investment Management 2 | 3 |
| FINPLN 4386 | Financial Planning: Employee Benefits and Retirement Planning 2 | 3 |
| FINPLN 4393 | Financial Planning: Estate and Gift Planning 2 | 3 |
| FINPLN 4389 | Financial Planning: Capstone 1, 2 | 3 |
| Supporting Coursework | ||
| PSYCH 1000 | General Psychology | 3 |
| SOCIOL 1000 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| ACCTCY 2036 | Accounting I | 3 |
| or ACCTCY 2010 | Introduction to Accounting | |
| or ACCTCY 2026 | Accounting I | |
| ECONOM 3229 | Money, Banking and Financial Markets | 3 |
| ABM 4240 | Microeconomics Theory and Applications | 3 |
| or ECONOM 3251 | Managerial Economics | |
| or ECONOM 4351 | Intermediate Microeconomics | |
| MANGMT 3540 | Introduction to Business Law | 3 |
| or ABM 3256 | Agribusiness and Biotechnology Law | |
| or ECONOM 3367 | Law and Economics | |
| Professional Foundations | ||
| ABM 1200 | Applied Computer Applications | 3 |
| One Course in any two of the following three areas: | 6 | |
| Ethics: | ||
| ABM 3241W | Ethical Issues in Agriculture - Writing Intensive | 3 |
| PHIL 1100 | The Difference Between Right and Wrong: An Introduction to Ethics | 3 |
| PHIL 2420 | Ethical Issues in Business | 3 |
| T_A_M 2600 | Moral and Ethical Issues in the Global Fashion Supply Chain | 3 |
| Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity: | ||
| BL_STU 1000 | Introduction to Black Studies | 3 |
| H_D_FS 2300 | Multicultural Study of Children and Families | 3 |
| H_D_FS 1600 | Foundations of Family Science | 3 |
| H_D_FS 1610 | Intimate Relationships and Marriage | 3 |
| SOCIOL 1010 | Social Problems | 3 |
| ANTHRO 2030 | Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| Pofessional Development: | ||
| AG_ED_LD 3010 | Leadership in Today's World | 3 |
| AG_ED_LD 2250 | Introduction to Leadership | 3 |
| AG_ED_LD 2260 | Team and Organizational Leadership | 3 |
| AG_ED_LD 4240 | Leading Organizational and Community Change | 3 |
| PUB_AF 1000 | Principles of Public Policy Administration | 3 |
| Professional or General Electives | ||
| Students may choose additional electives/minors/certificates to earn a total of 120 credit hours. See advisors for various options for minors, certificates, and courses. | ||
- 1
Requires a grade of C- (1.7) or higher.
- 2
Courses required to sit for the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM exam
Semester Plan
Below is a sample plan of study, semester by semester. A student's actual plan may vary based on course choices where options are available. A student must take a minimum of 120 credit hours to graduate.
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| FINPLN 2083 | 2 | FINPLN 2183 | 3 | ||
| ABM 1041 or ECONOM 1014 | 3 | ABM 1042 or ECONOM 1015 | 3 | ||
| MATH 1100 | 3 | ENGLSH 1000 | 3 | ||
| American History or Government | 3 | MATH 1400 | 3 | ||
| Science W/Lab | 3 | SOCIOL 1000 | 3 | ||
| 14 | 15 | ||||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| FINPLN 3282 | 3 | FINPLN 3283 | 3 | ||
| ABM 2225 or STAT 2500 | 3 | FINPLN 4382 | 3 | ||
| ABM 1200 | 3 | COMMUN 1200 or AGSC_COM 2220 | 3 | ||
| PSYCH 1000 | 3 | ACCTCY 2036, 2010, or 2026 | 3 | ||
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||||
| Third Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| FINPLN 4383 | 3 | FINPLN 4386 | 3 | FINPLN 4993 | 3 |
| FINPLN 4187 | 3 | FINPLN 4188 | 5 | ||
| ECONOM 3229 | 3 | MANGMT 3540, ABM 3256, or ECONOM 3367 | 3 | ||
| Professional Foundation | 3 | Humanities | 3 | ||
| General Elective | 3 | ||||
| 15 | 14 | 3 | |||
| Fourth Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| FINPLN 4393 | 3 | FINPLN 4380W | 3 | ||
| ABM 4240, ECONOM 3251, or ECONOM 4351 | 3 | FINPLN 4389 | 3 | ||
| General Elective | 3 | Humanities | 3 | ||
| Professional Foundation | 3 | General Electives | 6 | ||
| General Elective (WI Recommended) | 3 | ||||
| 15 | 15 | ||||
| Total Credits: 121 | |||||
Degree Audit
The degree audit is an automated report reflecting a student’s academic progress toward the completion of a degree.
MU students can request a degree audit by logging in to myDegreePlanner. Students may also access myDegreePlanner via myZou, in the Student Center, click on the Academic Progress Tile, then select Request Degree Audit. The audit automatically pulls in the student’s MU course work, transfer courses and courses in progress. This is available to current students, admitted students, and those who last attended less than three terms ago.
Past MU students can request a degree audit by contacting the Academic Advising Unit of the division in which they were last enrolled at MU. For contact information, go to https://advising.missouri.edu/contact/.
Prospective students, can access a preliminary MU degree audit via https://www.transferology.com. Information on the college credits already earned will have to be manually entered before it can be evaluated against current degree requirements.
For additional details on degree audits, go to https://registrar.missouri.edu/degrees-audits/degree-audits/.
Major and Career Exploration
The University of Missouri has many resources to assist you in exploring majors and career possibilities. For guidance, visit the Majors and Careers website or view specific resources below.
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If you are considering a change of major or are exploring multiple majors, schedule an appointment with an advisor in the Discovery Center by calling (573)884-9700 or through MU Connect Discovery Center service in you success network.
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If you have decided on a major, visit an academic advisor in the School or College that you are interested in to discuss the process of declaring the major.
- If you would like to learn more about your career interests, abilities, values and talents, visit the MU Career Center. No Appointment is necessary to explore career options with one of our staff members.
- If you would like information about MU majors and degree programs, visit:
- the Degrees, Majors (Degree Programs), Emphasis Areas, Minors and Certificates page in the catalog,
- the MU Majors website.
For additional major and career exploration resources, visit Major & Career Exploration in the catalog.