Financial Planning, MS

Program Information

The Master of Science in Financial Planning 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 - estate planning, insurance, taxes, real estate, for example - of this broad and rapidly growing field. Golden Gate offers the oldest accredited Master of Science in Financial Planning degree in the country, having offered our first courses in 1980.

At the heart of this degree is a core of courses that examine the key functions of financial planning: financial planning principles, income tax planning, risk management, estate planning, investments, employee benefits and retirement planning. Not only do these courses provide the academic foundation of the discipline, they also satisfy the educational requirements necessary for the premier Certified Financial Planner™ designation; thus, students can prepare to sit for the CFP® exam while they are earning an advanced academic degree in financial planning.*

Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the MS in financial planning degree program will possess the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and values:

The quantitative, analytical, and technical skills needed to address complex financial situations
An appreciation of the role played by the emotional and psychological dimensions of the financial planning process, and the ability to integrate those elements into a comprehensive financial plan
Interpersonal skills necessary to maintain successful client relationships and to work effectively with colleagues, individually or in teams
The skills and knowledge of financial planning that are represented in the full range of topics covered by the CFP® examination
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

Requirements for the Master of Science in Financial Planning

The Master of Science in Financial Planning requires completion of 30 units in the advanced program, with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.00 or better in courses taken at Golden Gate University that are applicable to the program’s requirements. Courses carry three semester units of credit unless otherwise noted. All course prerequisites must be satisfied prior to enrolling in a given course; prerequisites are indicated in the section “Course Descriptions.” For further information regarding graduation requirements, see Academic Requirements for Graduate Programs .

Graduate Writing Proficiency Requirement

Students are expected to possess proficiency in writing to ensure they are successful in their course of study. Students may meet this requirement by satisfying one of the screening criteria listed under the Graduate Writing Proficiency Requirement .

Graduate Mathematics Proficiency Requirement

Students are expected to possess a level of mathematical proficiency at least equivalent to MATH 20 Applied Intermediate Algebra . Students may meet this requirement by satisfying one of the screening criteria listed under the Graduate Mathematics Proficiency Requirement .

Waiver of Proficiency Requirements

The standard proficiency requirements above for the MS in Financial Planning will be waived for students who have completed the GGU Financial Planning Graduate Certificate within the last two years. In their place, the student is required to submit an official transcript of a completed undergraduate or graduate degree from a regionally accredited university in the United States, or the equivalent of such recognition from another English-speaking country, and to have earned a minimum GPA of 3.0. The student’s transcript from the certificate program will also be considered in the admissions decision.

Advanced Program - 30 units

Core Courses - 21 units

FI 420 Personal Financial Planning 3 unit(s)
FI 421 Personal Investment Management 3 unit(s)
FI 422 Retirement and Employee Benefits Planning 3 unit(s)
FI 425 Income Tax Planning 3 unit(s)
FI 426 Estate Planning 3 unit(s)
FI 483 Risk Management and Insurance Planning 3 unit(s)

One of the Following:

FI 434 Cases in Financial Planning 3 unit(s)
OR
FI 450 Practicum in Financial Planning 3 unit(s)

Electives - 9 units

Take three 300- or 400-level graduate courses with FI prefixes.

FI 305 Financial Reporting and Analysis 3 unit(s)
FI 307 Financial Modeling 3 unit(s)
FI 344 Equity Analysis 3 unit(s)
FI 346 Derivative Markets 3 unit(s)
FI 350 Portfolio Management 3 unit(s)
FI 352 Technical Analysis of Securities 3 unit(s)
FI 360 Behavioral Finance 3 unit(s)
FI 424 Facilitating Financial Health 3 unit(s)
FI 430 Business Development in Financial Services 3 unit(s)
FI 448 Introduction to Financial Life Planning 3 unit(s)
FI 449 Coaching Skills for Financial Planners 3 unit(s)
FI 450 Practicum in Financial Planning 3 unit(s)
FI 460 Real Estate 3 unit(s)
FI 463 Real Estate Finance and Investment 3 unit(s)
FI 497 Internship: Finance 3 unit(s)
FI 498A-ZZ Selected Topics in Finance 1-3 unit(s)

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.

*Golden Gate University is a “Registered Program,” which provides authorized coursework covering all of the knowledge requirements of the CFP®. Golden Gate University does not award the CFP® and Certified Financial Planner™ designations. The right to use the marks CFP® and Certified Financial Planner™ is granted by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards to those persons who have met its rigorous educational standards, passed the CFP Board’s certification examination, satisfied a work experience requirement and agreed to abide by the CFP Board’s Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility. Only persons registered with the CFP Board are permitted to sit for the certification examination. CFP® certificates and licenses are issued only by the CFP Board.