Financial Planning
Undergraduate Certificate
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Make a difference in the lives of others, while also securing your own future with an Undergraduate Certificate in Financial Planning. The fast-growing financial planning industry needs people like you to help individuals and families achieve their financial goals and plan for the future.
This certificate will prepare you to become a certified financial planning professional. In this program, you will gain a solid foundation in the core elements of financial planning and wealth management. You'll apply a strong understanding of finance, business, wealth accumulation and investment tools to help people navigate major life decisions such as buying a house, saving for college and retiring with a comfortable income. Students also enhance their studies with courses in investment planning, saving strategies, estate planning, family income strategies, risk management, income tax planning and more.
The University of Arizona Online Certificate Program is a CFP Board-registered educational program. Upon successfully completing the seven core CFP® courses, you will have met the educational requirement (coupled with at least a Bachelor's degree) to achieve CFP® certification.
*Residents of some U.S. Territories may not be eligible. Please see our Eligibility & State Authorization page for more information.
This certificate requires 21 credits to complete. The curriculum for this program includes:
This is an introduction to a broad overview of personal and family financial planning, with specific emphasis on the financial planning process, financial strategies, savings, and cash flow management, insurance, investments, taxes, use of credit, and time value of money.
Understand and evaluate investment options and the risks and rates of return of each type of investment.
Learn the techniques and issues of risk management and insurance.
You will be introduced to federal income taxation and the role of the tax code in financial planning for individuals, businesses and business owners.
Examine the principles and fundamentals of the estate planning process for individuals and families, as well as the various strategies and techniques available for generating a constructive estate plan.
Familiarize yourself with public and private retirement plans. Learn the use of employee benefits and the ability to counsel others on important retirement and employee benefit decisions.
This course bridges academic coursework with actual practice management, introducing students to the skills and tools needed for developing a comprehensive financial plan for a client.
Outcomes
Skills
Earning your Undergraduate Certificate in Financial Planning will build core skills, including:
- Oral communication
- Written communication
- Marketing
- Critical thinking
- Leadership
- Time management
- Networking
- Relationship management
- Self-motivation
- Presentations
- Resourcefulness
Potential Career Paths
Graduates of the Financial Planning program will be prepared to pursue careers in the following fields:
