Master of Science in

Financial Planning

Skills to Improve the Lives of Your Clients

Become a financial planner, investment adviser, or money manager who helps clients reach their life goals. GGU graduates are ethical problem-solvers that have all the educational requirements necessary for the premier Certified Financial Planner™ designation or CFP™ examination. Faculty are experienced practitioners in their fields who will also teach you relationship-building skills that will give your clients a better outcome. GGU also offers a 100% online option to accommodate students with busy lives.

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Online
San Francisco
Hybrid

1,050 /unit

30 Total Units

This degree is designed for students who aspire to become financial planners, investment advisers, or money managers, or who may be interested in one of the many elements of this broad and rapidly-growing field. By pursuing a financial planning education at Golden Gate University, students will move into the 21st century equipped with the latest skills, with appropriate professional credentials, and with advanced academic degrees. This course of study also satisfies the educational requirements necessary for the premier Certified Financial Planner™ designation.

The work of the financial planner is best viewed through a "quality of life" lens: How can one assist one's clients in achieving their life goals and realizing their dreams? There are important technical issues to be addressed: What tax structure is best suited for my client? What asset allocation provides the desired risk/return profile?

Many of the critical questions have to do with the kind of life the client envisions, and how the client's emotional and psychological predispositions facilitate or obstruct the development of successful financial plans. It is the overarching objective of the Master of Science in Financial Planning to ensure that our graduates have both the technical skills and the relationship skills needed to create and deliver financial strategies that will support their clients' progress towards their most important life goals.

Online courses allow students to pursue a strictly online financial planning degree. Students can apply for admission, sign up for classes, communicate with professors and other students, and access all course information online at any time. This allows you to study financial planning from the comfort of your home, rather than having to find a financial planning school nearby that fits in your schedule.

PROFICIENCY REQUIREMENTS

Business Proficiency

Students will need to have an understanding of United States business practices to be successful in our graduate programs. Learn More

Computer Proficiency Requirement

Applicants are expected to demonstrate a working familiarity and skill with computers and software applications appropriate for graduate studies. This includes knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet analysis, visual presentation software and network access capabilities.

Faculty may require additional preparation for those students who have not achieved the needed proficiency.

Math Proficiency

Students admitted to this program are expected to possess a level of mathematical skill at least equivalent to College Algebra (MATH 30). Learn More

Writing Proficiency

Graduate degree programs require proficiency in writing to ensure that students are successful in their course of study. Learn More

TOTAL UNITS — 30

CORE COURSES — 21 UNITS

FI 420: Personal Financial Planning
FI 421: Personal Investment Management
FI 422: Retirement & Employee Benefits Planning
FI 425: Income Tax Planning
FI 426: Estate Planning
FI 483: Risk Management & Insurance Planning

And one of the following:

FI 434: Cases in Financial Planning
OR
FI 450: Practicum in Financial Planning

ELECTIVES — 9 UNITS

Take three 300- or 400-level graduate courses with FI prefixes (or other graduate course with program director's approval). Courses appropriate for careers in financial planning include:

FI 305: Financial Reporting & Analysis
FI 307: Financial Modeling
FI 344: Equity Analysis
FI 346: Derivative Markets
FI 350: Portfolio Management
FI 352: Technical Analysis of Securities
FI 360: Behavioral Finance
FI 424: Facilitating Financial Health: Tools for Financial Planners, Coaches, & Therapists
FI 430: Business Development in Financial Services
FI 448: Introduction to Financial Life Planning
FI 449: Coaching Skills for Financial Planners
FI 450: Practicum in Financial Planning
FI 460: Real Estate
FI 463: Real Estate Finance & Investment
FI 497: Internship in Finance
FI 498: Special Topics in Finance

NOTE: Students who satisfy their electives by taking FI 424, FI 448, and FI 449, will also satisfy the course requirements for the Graduate Certificate in Financial Life Planning.

For the most up-to-date program information and course listings, visit ggu.edu/fp.

PLAN YOUR SCHEDULE

Projected Schedule

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

All course prerequisites must be satisfied prior to enrolling in a given course. Individual foundation program courses may be waived if the student has previously completed comparable courses at a regionally accredited college or university. Students may be admitted to advanced program courses before completion of the entire foundation program, but must complete the foundation program by the time that 12 units have been earned in the advanced program.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Graduates of the master of financial planning degree program will possess:

The skills and knowledge of financial planning that are represented in the full range of topics covered by the CFP™ examination.
Interpersonal skills necessary to maintain successful client relationships and to work effectively with colleagues, individually or in teams.
The quantitative, analytical, and technical skills needed to address complex financial situations.
The ability to apply their knowledge to real-world problems in financial planning.
Knowledge of the legal and regulatory environment in which financial planning occurs and familiarity with relevant licensing, reporting, and compliance requirements.
The ability to recognize the ethical dilemmas that may arise in financial planning practice and familiarity with appropriate responses to those dilemmas, as reflected in the CFP™ Board's Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility.

FINANCE AND ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT

Andrea Anthony, Chair of Finance & Economics
Manish Arora, Adjunct Professor
Louis Barajas, Adjunct Professor
Nicholas Bergan, Adjunct Professor
Roman Bogomazov, Adjunct Professor
Scott Buchanan, Senior Adjunct Professor
Elissa Buie, Adjunct Professor
Katherine Chen, Adjunct Professor
Yvette Hollingsworth Clark, Adjunct Professor
Gregg Clarke, Adjunct Professor
Saundra Davis, Adjunct Professor
Vincent Deluard, Adjunct Professor
Marty Dirks, Adjunct Professor
Peter C. Freeman, Senior Adjunct Professor
Philip Friedman, Professor
Fernando Garcia, Adjunct Professor
Robert Gigliotti, Adjunct Professor
Kacy Gott, Adjunct Professor
Lewis Gridley, Adjunct Professor
Mohsin Hafeez, Adjunct Professor
Steve Hawkey, Professor
William Hermann, Senior Adjunct Faculty
Davin Hsieh, Adjunct Professor
Todd Jensen, Adjunct Professor
Todd A. Jensen, Senior Adjunct Professor
Elizabeth Jetton, Adjunct Professor
Giancarl Johnson, Adjunct Professor
David Kaczorowski, Academic Program Manager
Robert Kagan, Senior Adjunct Professor
Rick Kahler, Adjunct Professor

Margaret Kim, Adjunct Professor
Randall S. Lee, Adjunct Professor
Richard Lehman, Adjunct Professor
Richard Leonhardt, Adjunct Professor
Peter Lou, Distinguished Adjunct Professor
Darius Malekpour, Adjunct Professor
Thomas McAlone, Adjunct Professor
Martin Medeiros, Senior Adjunct Professor
Randy Merk, Adjunct Professor
Ashley Murphy, Adjunct Professor
Brian Pon, Adjunct Professor
Harry Portolos, Senior Adjunct Professor
Martin Pring, Adjunct Professor
Henry "Hank" Pruden, Professor
Ross Richardson, Adjunct Professor
William C. Sarsfield, Senior Adjunct Faculty
Robert Scannell, Adjunct Professor
Larry Schimka, Adjunct Professor
Shahbaz Shahbazi, Adjunct Professor
Raj Sharma, Adjunct Professor
Hamid Shomali, Professor
Lawrence A. Souza, Senior Adjunct Professor
Brett Villaume, Adjunct Professor
Mark Walsh, Adjunct Professor
Douglas Weinstein, Adjunct Professor
Jon P. Yankee, Adjunct Professor
Dr. David Yeske, Director of Financial Planning
Iana Zemniakova, Adjunct Professor
John Zott, Adjunct Professor

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Featured Alumni

Jason J. Cotcher

MS Financial Planning 13

Associate Financial Planner
CalBay Investments

Donald De Santis

MBA, CEA, CFP, CGMA

Adjunct Professor
Golden Gate University
Principal
Clifton Larson Allen, LLP

Joel Isaacson

MBA 85

Owner
Joel Isaacson & Co., LLC

When I graduated and began my career, I found that other professionals had heard of my professors, and respected them as industry leaders and pioneers. The program is well known and very highly regarded. Every little bit helps when you're trying to get your foot in the door.

Jason J. CotcherMSFP 13