Certificate Program in Financial Planning

This non-degree program is offered as a flexible and affordable means for working professionals whose responsibilities are currently or expected to be financial planning in nature. The certificate requires the completion of the following eight courses (provided that the students demonstrate proficiency in prerequisites) with a “pass” grade:

  • FPP-310 Business Finance

    Prerequisites:

    ACCT-201, ACCT-202, EC-101 and EC-102; STATS-240 or STATS-250; MATH-130, MATH-134, MATH-161, or MATH-165;

    Description:

    This course is a study of the functions of business finance and focuses on basis financial principles such as time value of money, risk and return tradeoffs, and asset valuation.

    Term:

    Offered Both Fall and Spring

  • FPP-313 General Insurance

    Prerequisites:

    Take FIN-310 or FPP-310;

    Description:

    This course includes the theory, practice and problems of risk-bearing in business and personal pursuit including life, property and casualty insurance and dealing with contract analysis and investments as well as corporate risk management.

    Term:

    Offered Fall Term

  • FPP-315 Principles of Investment

    Prerequisites:

    Take FIN-310 or FPP-310;

    Description:

    This course covers the investment of funds by individuals and institutions. Focuses on analysis of investments and security markets, and the mechanics of trading and investing. A variety of investment vehicles are discussed including stocks, bonds,futures and options.

    Term:

    Offered Both Fall and Spring

  • FPP-320 Taxation

    Prerequisites:

    Take ACCT-202 and either FIN-310 or FPP-310;

    Description:

    A study of basic federal taxation as it applies to individuals, partnerships and corporations. Expertise in the preparation of tax returns is developed. Prerequisite: ACCT 202 MATH 134 OR MATH 161 OR MATH 165.

    Term:

    Offered Both Fall and Spring

  • FPP-401 Practical Financial Planning

    Prerequisites:

    TAKE FIN-310 OR FPP-310;

    Description:

    This course is designed to expose the student to the wide range of financial planning tools and techniques available today to the professional financial planner as well as to the individual. By the end of the course the student should be able to construct a sensible and workable financial plan for a client.

  • FPP-422 Estate Planning

    Prerequisites:

    Take FIN-310 or FPP-310;

    Description:

    This course provides an introduction to estate planning, including a discussion of wills, intestacy, and tax consequences of estate planning techniques. The course will prepare students to discuss the necessity, objectives, and techniques of estate planning with clients. It will introduce students to the consequences of intestacy and the uses of wills. Additionally, students will learn the basic concepts of the federal estate, gift, and income tax rules that apply to certain estate plans and how to use them for the benefit of clients.

    Term:

    Offered Fall Term

  • FPP-423 Retirement Planning

    Prerequisites:

    TAKE FIN-310 OR FPP-310;

    Description:

    This course examines financial planning for retirement and presents a comprehensive process for doing such a planning. Among the main topics covered are setting financial objectives for retirement, planning for adequate retirement income, social security and other governmental benefits, understanding qualified and non- qualified plans, pre- and post-retirement investment planning, planning for long-term care, and planning for incapacity.

  • FPP-475 Case Studies in Financial Planning

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    This course examines professional issues in financial planning, including ethical considerations, regulation and certification requirements, written communication skills, and professional responsibility. Students are expected to utilize skills obtained in other courses and work experiences in the completion of a comprehensive personal finance case, other mini?case studies, and calculation templates.

It should be noted that FPP 310 is an introduction to finance. Its prerequisites are:

  • ACCT-201 Acct for Decision Making I

    Prerequisites:

    ENG 102; ISOM 120; MATH 130, or MATH 134, or MATH 146, or MATH 161, or MATH 165

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Designed to provide a user of accounting information with the skills to appraise and manage a business. Students are introduced to the accounting cycle, the financial statements, and the theory underlying accounting as information. Coverage addresses current accounting topics, including relevant ethical and international issues found in the financial press.

  • ACCT-202 Acct for Decision Making II

    Prerequisites:

    ACCT-201

    Credits:

    3.00

    Description:

    Enables students to apply the concepts and skills from the preceding course. They learn how to analyze the financial condition and performance of a firm, and how to use accounting information in business planning, decision-making, and control. Relevant current ethical and competitive issues found in the financial press are discussed in the course.

  • EC-101 Principles of Microeconomics

    Credits:

    4.00

    Description:

    Introduction to the organization and operation of a market economy with a focus on how it allocates scarce resources; development of the economic way of thinking. The analysis of the theory of consumer demand and the profit-maximizing behavior of firms; examination of pricing and output decisions of firms under conditions of competition and imperfect competition in a global marketplace. Analysis of markets for labor and capital. Policy issues include price ceilings and floors, trade barriers, competition and monopoly. Required of all majors in Economics. Normally offered every semester.

    Type:

    Social Science,BSJ SOCIAL SCIENCE

  • EC-102 Principles of Macroeconomics

    Credits:

    4.00

    Description:

    This course provides an analysis of relationships among variables such as inflation, employment, economic growth, national income, and the supply of money. Heavy emphasis is placed on the role of government in setting both fiscal and monetary policy goals to achieve a stable economy. Balance of trade and exchange rates are examined to help provide an understanding of the global economy. Required of all majors and minors in Economics. Normally offered every semester.

    Type:

    Social Science,BSJ SOCIAL SCIENCE

  • STATS-240 Introduction to Statistics

    Prerequisites:

    Math 130 or higher.

    Credits:

    4.00

    Description:

    Topics include: data presentation, measures of central locations and dispersion, probability and probability distributions, estimation, hypothesis testing, simple and multiple regression models. The use of Excel and SPSS will be emphasized throughout the course. Prerequisite: Math 130 or higher. 1 term - 4 credits (4 hours per week). Normally offered each semester.

    Type:

    Quantitative Reasoning

  • STATS-250 Applied Statistics

    Prerequisites:

    MATH 130, MATH 134, MATH 146 OR MATH 165

    Credits:

    4.00

    Description:

    Application of statistical analysis to real-world business and economic problems. Topics include data presentation, descriptive statistics including measures of location and dispersion, introduction to probability, discrete and continuous random variables, probability distributions including binomial and normal distributions, sampling and sampling distributions, statistical inference including estimation and hypothesis testing, simple and multiple regression analysis. The use of computers is emphasized throughout the course. Normally offered each semester.

    Type:

    Quantitative Reasoning

  • MATH-130 Topics in Finite Mathematics

    Prerequisites:

    MATH 104, MATH 108, MATH121 or appropriate math placement score.

    Credits:

    4.00

    Description:

    Linear Modeling (for example, using linear functions to model supply/demand situations), graphing, linear programming, financial functions (compound interest, annuities, and amortization of loans) sets, Venn diagrams, counting and combinatorics, discrete probability, conditional probability, Bernoulli experiments, Bayes theorem. Several sections offered each semester. *This course cannot be applied toward a departmental concentration in Mathematics by Sawyer Business School students.

  • MATH-134 Calculus for Management & Social Sciences

    Prerequisites:

    MATH 104, MATH 121 or appropriate math placement score.

    Credits:

    4.00

    Description:

    A one-semester introduction to differential and integral calculus. Theory is presented informally and topics and techniques are limited to polynomials, rational functions, logarithmic and exponential functions. Topics include a review of precalculus, linear regression, limits and continuity, derivatives, differentiation rules, implicit differentiation, related rates, applications of derivatives to graphing, minima/maxima, applications of the derivative, marginal analysis, differential equations of growth and decay, anti-derivatives, the definite integral, the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, area measurements. This course cannot be used to satisfy core or complementary requirements by students majoring in chemistry, computer science, engineering, mathematics, or physics. Several sections offered each semester. *This course cannot be applied toward a departmental concentration in Mathematics by Sawyer Business School students.

  • MATH-165 Calculus I

    Prerequisites:

    Math Placement score or MATH 121 with a grade of C or better

    Credits:

    4.00

    Description:

    Functions, limits and continuity; instantaneous rate of change, tangent slopes, and the definition of the derivative of a function; power, product, and quotient rules, trig derivatives, chain rule, implicit differentiation; higher order derivatives; applications(curve sketching, limits at infinity, optimization, differentials); other transcendental functions (inverse trig functions, exponential and log functions, hyperbolic trig functions); anti-derivatives; indefinite integrals; applications (net change). 4 lecture hours plus 1 recitation session each week. Normally offered each semester.

These seven courses cover the foundation topics required by the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Board. Students may apply for admission in fall, spring, or summer session. On completing the certificate program, the students are eligible to take the CFP exam administered by the CFP Board, which is an integral part of the prestigious CFP certification process. For more information about the CFP exam, please refer to www.cfp.net.

Admission to the Certificate Program requires a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. Students applying for admission should contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office (617-573-8460) for more information. Those who already have taken the above courses from an accredited institution may waive a maximum of three courses.

 

Gainful Employment Disclosure

Last Completed Award Year: 2011-12
Program Name: Certificate in Financial Planning
On-time Completion Rate: *
Placement Rate: N/A
Occupations by SOC Code: 13-2052.00
onetonline.org**
Total Estimated Tuition & Fee Costs: $6,909
Books & Supply Costs: $1,200
Room & Board Costs: $15,508
Median Title IV Loan Debt: *
Median Private Loan Debt: *
Median Debt from Institutional Financing Plans or amount students were obligated to pay at program completion. *

* If the number of students who completed the program during the award year was less than 10, for privacy reasons, this information is not disclosed to the public.

** The Occupational Information Network (O*NET Online) is a database developed by the Department of Labor as a primary source of occupational information.