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.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
- Applicants should hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited US institution
or the equivalent from a recognized foreign (outside the US) institution, and provide
official transcripts.
- Master's degree holders only need to submit transcripts from previous graduate programs.
However, applicants are encouraged to submit all transcripts to maximize transfer
credit.
- Applicants whose native language is not English must meet the English Language Proficiency Admission Requirements.
- Applicants with an undergraduate GPA below 2.50 should submit a statement of purpose
and a resume.
The statement of purpose should address the circumstances that may have led the applicants
to poor academic performance, what had changed and why they think they'll be successful
now.
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.
