The Certified Financial Planner (CFP) track focuses on working directly with individuals, helping them to plan for and meet their short- and long-term financial goals. Students must learn to fully understand the client’s financial situation as well as financial laws and legal documents. Investment types commonly dealt with include investments and security planning, estate planning, tax planning, employee benefits planning, and insurance planning.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
The demand for qualified personal financial planners is growing rapidly. This demand is due in part to the many Americans who are reaching retirement age in need of personal financial planning expertise. A good financial planner understands investments, taxes, estate planning issues, and how to talk and listen to people. They work in financial services, banks, wealth management companies and independently as entrepreneurs in the field. YSU students who have successfully completed all requirements of BS in Finance CFP Track satisfy the education coursework requirement of the CFP Board and are eligible to sit for The CFP® Certification Examination.
All business majors are strongly encouraged to complete internships. Internships are career-related work experiences that enable students to apply their knowledge and skills in an organizational setting. In the WCBA, internships that are approved for academic credit must be paid. Completing a career-related internship increases a student's job opportunities upon graduation.
STUDENT EXPERIENCES
Finance students at Youngstown State University have the opportunity to build their knowledge and leadership skills through a variety of WCBA student organizations, including the Student Investment Fund.
| COURSE | TITLE | S.H. |
|---|---|---|
| FIRST YEAR REQUIREMENT-STUDENT SUCCESS SEMINAR | ||
| YSU 1500 | Success Seminar | 1-2 |
| or YSU 1500S | Youngstown State University Success Seminar | |
| or HONR 1500 | Intro to Honors | |
| GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS | ||
| ENGL 1550 | Writing 1 | 3-4 |
| or ENGL 1549 | Writing 1 with Support | |
| ENGL 1551 | Writing 2 | 3 |
| MATH *Grade of a "C" or higher required | ||
| MATH 2623 | Quantitative Reasoning | 3-6 |
| or MATH 2623C | Quantitative Reasoning with Co-Requisite Support | |
| or MATH 1510 | College Algebra | |
| or MATH 1510C | College Algebra with Co-requisite Support | |
| or MATH 1552 | Applied Business Calculus | |
| or MATH 1571 | Calculus 1 | |
| ARTS AND HUMANITIES (6 SH) | 6 | |
| NATURAL SCIENCES (7 SH) | 7 | |
| SOCIAL SCIENCE (6 SH) | ||
| ECON 2610 | Principles 1: Microeconomics *Grade of a "C" or higher required | 3 |
| ECON 2630 | Principles 2: Macroeconomics *Grade of a "C" or higher required | 3 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION ELECTIVES (9 s.h.) | ||
| ECON 1505 | Personal Financial Literacy Recommended | 3 |
| MGT 2604 | Legal and Social Responsibilities of Business Recommended | 3 |
| General Education Elective | 3 | |
| BUSINESS TOOL COURSES | ||
| Business Tool courses must be completed with the grade of a "C" or higher and cannot be taken credit/no credit. | ||
| ACCT 2602 | Financial Accounting | 3 |
| ACCT 2603 | Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| BUS 1500 | Foundations of Business | 3 |
| BUS 2600 | Business Applications of Microsoft Excel | 3 |
| BUS 2610 | Collaborating, Writing, & Presenting in Business | 3 |
| BUSINESS CORE COURSES | ||
| Upper-level business courses must be completed with the grade of a "C" or higher and CANNOT be taken credit/no credit. | ||
| BUS 3700 | Business Analytics | 3 |
| BUS 3710 | Data Visualization with Tableau | 3 |
| BUS 3715 | Principles of International Business | 3 |
| FIN 3720 | Business Finance | 3 |
| MGT 3725 | Fundamentals of Management | 3 |
| MGT 3761 | Management Information Systems | 3 |
| MGT 3789 | Operations Management | 3 |
| MKTG 3702 | Business Professionalism | 1 |
| MKTG 3703 | Marketing Concepts and Practice | 3 |
| Senior Capstone | ||
| MGT 4850 | Strategic Management | 3 |
| CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNING REQUIRED COURSES | ||
| ACCT 4813 | Federal Taxation 1 | 3 |
| ACCT 4815 | Estate Planning | 3 |
| FIN 3715 | Planning Your Financial Future | 3 |
| FIN 3726 | Insurance Planning | 3 |
| FIN 3730 | Investment Planning | 3 |
| FIN 4833 | Retirement Plans & Employee Benefits | 3 |
| FIN 4838 | Financial Plan Development | 4 |
| FINANCE UPPER LEVEL COURSE (6 SH) | 6 | |
| Select two (6 SH) FIN 3000-5000 level courses not included in major requirements. Students should consider at least one internship. | ||
| BUSINESS UPPER LEVEL COURSES (9 SH) | 9 | |
| Select three (9 SH) 3000-5000 level course from the following areas ACCT, ADV, BUS, ECON, ENT, FIN, MGT, MKTG | ||
| FREE elective | 2 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 120-125 | |
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | S.H. | |
| YSU 1500 | Success Seminar or Youngstown State University Success Seminar or Intro to Honors | 1-2 |
| BUS 1500 | Foundations of Business | 3 |
| ENGL 1550 or ENGL 1549 | Writing 1 or Writing 1 with Support | 3-4 |
| MATH 2623 | Quantitative Reasoning or Quantitative Reasoning with Co-Requisite Support or College Algebra with Co-requisite Support or College Algebra or Applied Business Calculus or Calculus 1 | 3-6 |
| GE: Arts and Humanities | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 13-18 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENGL 1551 | Writing 2 | 3 |
| BUS 2610 | Collaborating, Writing, & Presenting in Business | 3 |
| ECON 1505 | Personal Financial Literacy GE Elective (Recommended) | 3 |
| GE: Elective | 3 | |
| GE: Lab Science | 4 | |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| ACCT 2602 | Financial Accounting | 3 |
| BUS 2600 | Business Applications of Microsoft Excel | 3 |
| ECON 2610 | Principles 1: Microeconomics | 3 |
| MGT 2604 | Legal and Social Responsibilities of Business GE Elective (Recommended) | 3 |
| GE: Arts and Humanities | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ACCT 2603 | Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| BUS 3715 | Principles of International Business | 3 |
| ECON 2630 | Principles 2: Macroeconomics | 3 |
| FIN 3715 | Planning Your Financial Future | 3 |
| MKTG 3702 | Business Professionalism | 1 |
| GE: Natural Science | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Fall | ||
| ACCT 4813 | Federal Taxation 1 | 3 |
| BUS 3700 | Business Analytics | 3 |
| FIN 3720 | Business Finance | 3 |
| MGT 3725 | Fundamentals of Management | 3 |
| FREE elective | 2 | |
| Semester Hours | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| FIN 3726 | Insurance Planning (spring term only) | 3 |
| FIN 3730 | Investment Planning | 3 |
| MGT 3761 | Management Information Systems | 3 |
| BUS 3710 | Data Visualization with Tableau | 3 |
| Upper-level BUS elective | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Fall | ||
| ACCT 4815 | Estate Planning (fall term only) | 3 |
| FIN 4833 | Retirement Plans & Employee Benefits (fall term only) | 3 |
| MKTG 3703 | Marketing Concepts and Practice | 3 |
| MGT 3789 | Operations Management | 3 |
| Upper-Level FIN Course | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| FIN 4838 | Financial Plan Development (spring term only) | 4 |
| MGT 4850 | Strategic Management | 3 |
| Upper-Level FIN Course | 3 | |
| Upper-Level Business Courses | 6 | |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 120-125 | |
The pre-requisite for all upper level business courses includes a minimum 2.5 overall GPA.
Learning Outcomes
- Students will develop a basic understanding of individual finance.
- Students will understand the foundations of financial risk and portfolio management and apply them across dynamic settings.
- Students will understand valuation of investment choices and apply them with financial modeling.
- Students will develop a comprehensive financial plan.