Financial Planning

College: Applied Studies
Degree: BS
Specialized Admission: No

Description of Major

*Please Note: This program will be available via Face-to-face/in-person instruction beginning Fall 2024, ONLY at the Panama City, FL campus. This major is available through Online/Distance Learning to ALL FSU students via the Panama City, FL campus. Contact the College of Applied Studies for specifics.*

The College of Applied Studies offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Financial Planning. This program is registered by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. Upon graduation, students will be proficient in the academic, professional and applied skills required for a successful financial planning career and be eligible to sit for the CFP® Certification Exam.

The goals of the Financial Planning program include:

- Prepare students for entry or advancement in their desired financial planning-related careers with integral financial knowledge and
interpersonal skills
- Provide students hands-on experience applying skills related to financial planning
- Help students develop quantitative and qualitative skills to be a critical consumer of research, financial policies, and related laws
- Equip students with advanced knowledge of financial planning and building a foundation for their careers
- Engage students in interdisciplinary coursework that further equips students in the applied skills necessary to be successful in financial planning-related careers – including courses from Entrepreneurship, Psychology, and Communication.

Additional skills to be developed from this graduate program include student competencies of:

- Integrating knowledge about financial markets, consumer behavior, estate planning, tax laws, and risk management to develop financial and investment recommendations
- Determining needs of clients and building appropriate financial plans
- Evaluating effectiveness of financial planning activities
- Understanding the importance of effective communication and interpersonal skills when working with clients of different backgrounds
- Engaging with ethics in decision making
- Utilizing applied skills from other academic fields to build a foundation for a fruitful financial planning career

Prerequisite Coursework

Prerequisite Coursework (21 hours; 7 courses)

The following courses must be completed with a C minus or better prior to entering the Financial Planning Major:

ACG 2021 (3) Introduction to Financial Accounting
ACG 2071 (3) Introduction to Managerial Accounting
CGS 2100 (3) Microcomputer Applications for Business or CGS X518 (3) Spreadsheets for Business
ECO 2013 (3) Principles of Macroeconomics
ECO 2023 (3) Principles of Microeconomics
MAC 2233 (3) Calculus for Business and Non-Physical Sciences
STA 2023 (3) Business Statistics

Note: State-wide common prerequisites are always under review. For the most current information and for acceptable alternative courses, visit the “Common Prerequisites Manual,” available at the Florida Virtual Campus website https://www.flvc.org/.

Requirements

Admission Requirements

All students must meet the University-wide baccalaureate degree requirements summarized in the “Undergraduate Degree Requirements” chapter of this General Bulletin. In order to enroll in the College of Applied Studies, an undergraduate must be certified by the Division of Undergraduate Studies or be a transfer student with fifty-two or more semester hours of accepted credit with a 2.00 GPA. World language completion (or exemption) is also required. Under certain circumstances, students may be admitted without these, but will be required to complete both while enrolled in the program in addition to other program requirements. These students must complete the General Education requirements while enrolled in this program.

In addition, there are alternative criteria for admission to the program:

1. Completion of an AA degree from a Florida public college with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale. The AA degree shall include the completion of the Florida State general education requirements.

2. Transfer students from a regionally accredited postsecondary institution. These students must have sixty or more semester hours of transferable credit, to include six hours of freshman English composition and six hours of mathematics/statistics. Transfer students must have a minimum of a 2.0 GPA. These students must have completed 36 hours of general education coursework to include (6) hours Quantitative & Logic, (6) hours English Composition, (3) hours Social Science, (3) hours History, (3) hours Humanities & Cultural Practice, (3) hours Ethics, (6) hours Natural Sciences and (6) hours Additional Approved General Education coursework.

Transcripts for students entering with more than the specified hours for the AA will be evaluated for whether any of the hours are applicable to the degree. Hours applicable will be subtracted from the nominal sixty (AA or transfer) required to a maximum of fifteen hours of underclass hours. Transcripts for transfer students will be evaluated in a similar fashion and some upper-level hours may be accepted to a maximum of thirty hours because the last thirty hours must be taken at FSU. Hours not applicable to the Public Safety and Security degree will not be transferred to avoid a possibility of a student incurring an excess hours charge.

3. Current students at FSU (either campus) - These students must have fifty-two (52) or more semester hours of credit, to include six hours of freshman English composition and six hours of mathematics/statistics. Students must have a minimum of a 2.00 GPA. These students must complete the General Education requirements while enrolled in this program.

Coursework in the Major

Once accepted into the Financial Planning program, students in this major must complete 39 credit hours in the core curriculum (which includes all courses required for CFP certification eligibility). Additionally, students must complete 21 hours of approved, interdisciplinary courses chosen from academic areas of Entrepreneurship, Marketing/Advertising, Human Development/Behavior, Organizational Management/Leadership, Communication, and Technology to enhance applied skills for financial planning. More specific information is listed below:

Required Core Courses (39 hours; 13 courses):

Note: Some courses are in the process of being approved. For further information, please contact our program faculty/staff.

FIN 3124 (3) Introduction to Personal Financial Planning
FIN 4125 (3) Advanced Personal Financial Planning
FIN 3163 (3) Psychology of Financial Planning
ECO 3042 (3) Family and Consumer Economics
IDS 3XXX (3) Ethics and Financial Planning
FIN 4133 (3) Retirement Planning
FIN 3XXX (3) Personal Investments I
FIN 4XXX (3) Personal Investment II
FIN 4XXX (3) Estate Planning for Financial Planners
FIN/RMI 3XXX (3) Personal Risk Management & Insurance Planning
TAX 4006 (3) Personal Income Tax for Financial Planners
COM 3XXX (3) Communication Strategies for Business and Financial Professionals
FIN/IDS 4XXX (3) Career Readiness Seminar and Capstone in Personal Financial Planning

Required Specialized Interdisciplinary Courses* (21 hours; 7 courses):

All students choose courses that best fit their needs and interests across areas of Entrepreneurship, Marketing/Advertising, Communication, Human Development/Behavior Analysis, Organizational Management/Leadership, and Information/Technology.

*Courses may vary in availability and may not be all available each semester. The approved course list below is a sample and will be updated on a semester-by-semester basis. Each semester, an approved list will be provided to students in the major each semester to help in academic planning. For local Panama City students some courses can be taken in-person if preferred. Questions? Our advisors stand ready to help build your academic plan.

Entrepreneurship Area

ENT2000 Intro to Entrepreneurship (required)

Choose (1) from the following:

- ENT3203 Managing Growth
- ENT3273 Family Business
- ENT3283 Women and Minorities in New Ventures
- ENT4014 Creating New Ventures
- ENT4804 Psychology of Entrepreneurship

Marketing/Advertising: choose (1) from following

- ADV 3001 Creative Strategy
- ADV3008 Advertising
- PUR 3000 Intro to Public Relations
- PUR 3001 Writing for Public Relations

Human Development/Behavior Analysis: choose (1) from following

- DEP 4404 Adult Development and Aging
- INP3313 Behavior Analysis in Business and Industry
- EAB 3703 Intro to Behavior Analysis
- SOP 3004 Social Psychology

Organizational Management/Leadership: choose (1) from following

- HFT 3240 Managing Service Organizations
- LDR 2213 Leadership for Social Change
- SPC 4445 Group Dynamics and Leadership

Communication: choose (1) from following

- COM 3120 Comm for Organizing
- COM 4561 Social Media Campaigns
- SPC 3301 Interpersonal Communication
- SPC 4360 Interviewing
- SPC 4540 Persuasion
- SPC 4710 Interracial/Intercultural Communication

Information/Technology: choose (1) from following

- CGS 2821 Intro to Website Design
- COM 4470 Desktop Multimedia
- LIS 4380 Social Media Management

Minimum Program Requirements - Summary
Total Hrs. Required 120
General Education 36
Major Coursework 60
Minor Coursework 0
Digital Literacy 3
Oral Communication Competency 0-3
Other Coursework 0
Electives to bring total hours to 120

Advising

Dana Smith, Academic Program Specialist
Address: Panama City Campus Office Building , Rm. 111, Panama City, FL 32405-1099
Phone: (850) 770-2266
Email: dsmith@fsu.edu

Faculty

Joseph Krupka, DBA
Address: Office B-107 Panama City, FL 32405-1099
Phone: (850) 770-2216
Email: jkrupka@fsu.edu

Academic Coordinator

Angie Sexton
Address: College of Applied Studies Office Building 108 Panama City, FL 32405-1099
Phone: (850) 770-2178
Email: asexton@pc.fsu.edu

Mapping

Mapping is FSU’s academic advising and monitoring system. Academic progress is monitored each Fall and Spring semester to ensure that students are on course to earn their degree in a timely fashion. Transfer students must meet mapping guidelines to be accepted into their majors.

Remarks

In addition to the requirements outlined above, each student must complete all University-wide requirements for graduation. These requirements include:
1. General Education requirements: Transfer students with an AA degree from a Florida community college have automatically met the General Education requirements.
2. Multicultural requirement: Students transferring with 60 or more hours must complete one multicultural course. Other students must complete two multicultural courses. Courses taken at a previous institution may be used to satisfy this requirement.
3. FSU residency requirement: Each student’s last 30 hours must be in residence at FSU.
4.Total hours requirements: A minimum of 120 hours is required for graduation. At least 45 hours must be completed at the 3000-4000 level.

Employment Information

A financial planning degree can lead to a variety of employment fields: Personal Financial Planner, Investment Advisor, Wealth Manager, Financial Therapist, Compliance Specialist, Entrepreneur, Consultant, Financial Planning Analyst and Client Services. Explore challenging and rewarding career opportunities while helping clients make the most of their money and other finances.

Salary Information: For more information go to: National Association of Colleges and Employers (www.naceweb.org) or the Occupational Outlook Handbook (www.bls.gov/ooh/home.htm) provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.