Add focus to your finance major with a Wealth Management & Financial Planning Certificate
As traditional pensions vanish and individuals bear ever greater responsibility for their own retirement security, the wealth management sector is experiencing remarkable growth driven by millions of Americans who need professional guidance navigating complex financial decisions. A Wealth Management Certificate gives you the investment, financial planning, and client management skills that employers in this expanding field are actively seeking. As a Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board) registered certificate, students can sit for the CFP Certification after completing the certificate, giving students a valuable advantage in entering the wealth management industry after graduating.
How to Declare for the Certificate
If you are interested in pursuing the certificate, you should start with Introductory Financial Management (FIN:3000). Get a feel for what interests you, then declare for the certificate by contacting the Undergraduate Program Office in C140 PBB.
To earn the certificate, students must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA in all coursework.
Required Courses
Investment Management (FIN:3200)
Investment in marketable securities in domestic and international markets; financial markets, securities trading, evaluation of risk/return trade-off, formulation and implementation of investment strategies, efficient portfolio formation. Prerequisite: FIN:3000 (3 s.h.)
Personal Insurance and Risk Management (FIN:3401)
How to use personal insurance as a tool for managing risk and achieving financial security. The course explores major personal insurance coverages (life, health, disability, property & casualty), their structure, the regulatory environment, contemporary issues, and applications in financial planning. Prerequisite: None (3 s.h.)
Securities Industry Essentials (FIN:4030)
Preparatory program for passage of the Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam and includes a voucher to take the exam upon completion; much of the material is provided online with additional meetings and review sessions; the SIE exam is for any professional who needs a Series 6, Series 7, or any other exam required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Prerequisites: FIN:3000 or MBA:8180 (1 s.h.)
Wealth Management (FIN:4340)
Financial services for client wealth management; how to make personal investment decisions and build diversified, comprehensive investment portfolios; investment theory; common behavioral biases that lead to investment pitfalls, mistakes; wealth management objectives, portfolio risk and reward, asset allocation, portfolio diversification, tax shield structures, retirement plans, wealth protection, risk management, behavioral finance, psychology of investing. Prerequisite: FIN:3000 (3 s.h.)
Estate and Tax Planning (FIN:4342)
Introduces estate and tax planning principles necessary for comprehensive financial planning and the Certified Financial Planning (CFP) Certification. Develop an understanding of estate documents, property titling, trusts, taxation, and transfer strategies through real-world scenarios and case analysis. Prerequisite: FIN:4340 (1 s.h.)
Financial Planning: A Practitioner's Guide (FIN:4344)
Understand not just the "what" of financial planning, but the "why" behind each decision, informed by years of seeing how different financial gears work together. This holistic approach fosters a deeper understanding of the subject matter, empowering students to think critically and develop well-rounded solutions that account for all facets of a client's financial life. Prerequisites: FIN:4340 (1 s.h.)
Applied Wealth Management (FIN:4350)
How wealth management relates to managing the financial well-being of individuals; process of determining goals and objectives for someone and assessing their risk tolerances; development of a strong financial plan involving a variety of steps and process including insurance needs, savings requirements, estate planning, budgeting, asset allocation, and portfolio development; experiential component where students make recommendations for real clients or a pool of funds. Prerequisite: FIN:4340 (3 s.h.)
Employee Benefit Plans (FIN:4440)
Management of employee benefit plans (e.g., group life and health insurance, retirement programs); design, administration, and financing of employee benefits; federal administration of employee benefit plans; funding requirements, financial alternatives; funding and vesting of retirement annuities; design and management of health care plans, including "cafeteria" approach and nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements; economic effects and financing employee benefits and retirement plans in private and public sectors. Prerequisites: FIN:3400 or FIN:3401 (3 s.h.)