Financial Planning, Undergraduate Certificate

Overview

In addition to University Requirements:

• Complete individual plan requirements.

Please note that you may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.

Purpose Statement

The purpose of the Financial Planning Certificate is to provide educational curriculum to students that will satisfy the Certified Financial Planning (CFP) Board’s requirements. Typically, the CFP designation requires students to take additional courses beyond their bachelor’s programs. However, with the Financial Planning Certificate, students will be able to complete all educational requirements in a typical four-year time period. Eventually, students earning a Certificate in Financial Planning will be eligible to sit for the CFP Board exam, which is a required component to earn the CFP designation. 

In order to be approved as a CFP Board Registered Program, we have developed the NAU Financial Planning Program. The CFP Board requires that their 72 Learning Objectives (LO) be included in the program courses. The 7 total courses cover the 72 LO required by the CFP Board. By the end of the program, students will have knowledge of topics including investment planning, tax planning, estate planning, retirement planning, insurance and risk management, ethics, and financial plan development. While the Certificate in Financial Planning is included in the NAU Financial Planning Program, students can earn the Certificate separate from this program and are not required to meet the CFP Board education requirements. Through the Financial Planning Certificate, students will learn topics and skills that will help them succeed as a CFP professional. Additionally, students will learn how to write a comprehensive financial plan as it pertains to real-world clients and situations

Students will have countless career opportunities available to them post-graduation. With the CFP designation, students can choose to work for a firm or as individual business owner. In addition, there are several other opportunities that exist with the CFP designation including positions within financial institutions such as banks, investment firms, and the insurance industry.

Student Learning Outcomes

The relevant and innovative NAU Financial Planning Program curriculum includes the following student learning outcomes:

• Students will learn concepts that fulfill the CFP Boards educational requirements including tax, estate, insurance, retirement, and investment planning.
• Students will understand and demonstrate the importance of ethics and the fiduciary standard for financial professionals.
• Students will distinguish collegiality and networking with faculty, peers, alumni, and financial planning professionals.
• Students will develop a comprehensive financial plan for a client including the following
  • Insurance needs analysis (including disability, life, health, long-term care, property, and liability)
  • Education needs analysis and development of an education financing plan
  • Identification of tax reductions, management, and income shifting techniques and how they can benefit a taxpayer
  • Recommendations for appropriate estate planning tools to meet a client’s goals and objectives
  • Evaluation of client retirement needs and potential sources of income during retirement. Calculate and recommend an appropriate savings plan to meet the needs of the client
• Students will become accountable professionals by holding them to rigorous standards and expanding their boundaries of knowledge with the financial planning process.
• Students will get a sense of engagement and stewardship to ensure they learn in a diverse, high-quality environment, which urges them to act with integrity and professionalism.
• The program will create greater employment opportunities for students that provide personally and financially rewarding careers.