Financial Planning Program

Recognizing the crucial role of financial professionals who help individuals manage their money through assisting with budgeting, investing, insurance, and other financial needs, the Finance Department is now offering a Financial Planning major and program that offers meaningful co-curricular opportunities to support targeted classroom learning.

This program and major is carefully designed to directly support the mission and goals of the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board), the organization that grants the CFP® certification and upholds it as the recognized standard of excellence for competent and ethical personal financial planning. Our graduates leave our program qualified to sit for the CFP® certification and ready to enter the profession and contribute immediately.

Financial Planning students can work in such careers as

Securities brokers
Portfolio managers
Bank loan, credit, and operations managers
Insurance firm managers
Commercial and residential real estate portfolio managers
Financial planners for individuals

In addition to the major, students also can pursue a minor or certificate in Financial Planning.

Faculty Who Teach Financial Planning Courses

Outstanding CoB faculty teach our Financial Planning courses. To learn more about each professor, click the hyperlinked name.

Barry Mulholland , bmulholland@uakron.edu
Eric Brisker, ebrisker@uakron.edu
James D. Musengo, jdm73@uakron.edu
John Goodell, johngoo@uakron.edu
Suzanne Gradisher , smg16@uakron.edu

Go to the Graduate and Undergraduate portions of our site to learn more about the programs, majors, minors, and certificates we offer.

Resources for the CFP Student

Students who are in the CoB have many levels of support, from software, to access to additional information, full-time academic advisers and a full-time internship staff person and a career center.

Competitions

Finance students should pay attention to announcements for competitions like the Financial Planning Challenge, which the team from The University of Akron won.

Software and Informational Sources

Financial Planning students will be working with software such as MoneyGuide and Morningstar Advisor Workstation, among others. The Department of Finance also offers a Resources Center that has texts – including review materials – and calculators available to students.

Full-time CoB academic advisers are dedicated to supporting students who need questions answered and help navigating class schedules. Visit the Undergraduate Advising page for additional information.

Internships and Careers

The CoB also has a full-time staff member who finds and coordinates quality student internships. And, when you're ready to find full-time employment, the University has a robust Career Center.

CFP Board Career Center Web Site Available

The CFP Board Career Center serves as a valuable tool to link graduates and students to a broad selection of jobs and internships in financial planning all across the country. It's also a dynamic clearinghouse offering vital career, professional development and industry information to those pursuing or considering a career in financial planning.

Financial Planning Student Association

Almost without exception, in interviews of graduating seniors students cite their involvement in student-run organizations as one of their most meaningful co-curricular activities. The student-run Financial Planning Student Association (FPSA) gives students the opportunity to learn about financial planning, meet practicing financial professionals, obtain internships and employment, and develop interpersonal and leadership skills. The organization holds regular meetings and manages yearly national conference participation.

Certified Financial Planning Board and Examination

The link to CFP Board website and its many useful resources is https://www.cfp.net/. You also can create a Board account for yourself, by going to www.cfp.net/become-a-cfp-professional/create-your-online-cfp-board-account.