B.B.A. Financial Planning
Financial Advisors and Planners are accredited by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board), which ensures that advisors and planners meet strict educational, professional, and ethical requirements. While accreditation under the CFP Board is not always required to work as a Financial Advisor or Planner, it vastly improves professional opportunities for those holding the certification, either by itself or along with other certifications, such as Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).
In order to become a Certified Financial Planner, students must complete four key requirements:
- Education
- Complete a bachelor’s degree
- Complete a seven-course sequence from a CFP Board Registered Program
- Exam
- Complete a 170 Question, 6-Hour Multiple-Choice exam offered in March, July, and November
- Experience
- Complete 6,000 hours of professional experience relating to financial planning, or complete 4,000 hours of an apprenticeship. This experience must be completed within five years of sitting for the exam - see details here
- Ethics
- Complete the ethics declaration forms and pass a background check
The Financial Planning degree prepares students for a career as a Financial Planner or Advisor, by fulfilling the education requirement as stated above.
Business Core Courses
Required of all BBA students.
*BUAD 202 is required of all Freshman BBA majors. Junior level transfer students may substitute a business elective for this class with approval from their advisor. Southwestern students who are changing from another major to a BBA are also required to take BUAD 202 unless their advisor recommends an alternative.