Business Administration – Financial Planning Degree

Are you looking to major in financial planning? Our Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Financial Planning degree program combines the triple bottom line of business—people, planet, profit—with the key knowledge you’ll need to become a trusted financial advisor. You’ll be ready to help others make important financial decisions in their investments, savings, mortgages, insurance, estate planning, retirement and more.

Our financial planning concentration is registered with Certified Financial Planner (CFP)® Board of Standards and is an approved program of the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education (AFCPE)®.

Students who successfully complete the concentration may sit for the CFP Certification Examination that leads to the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification.

The degree fulfills the educational requirement to sit for the Accredited Financial Counselor® exam, which is offered through the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education®.

You’ll take five financial planning concentration courses (15 credit hours) in addition to the general requirements of the BS in Business Administration (see our BSBA – Financial Planning program sheet):

• ACC 315: Tax 1
• FIN 210: Foundations of Personal Finance
• FIN 410: Risk Management & Estate Planning
• FIN 466: Investments & Retirement Planning
• FIN 481: Financial Plan Development

Most of our School of Business courses can be taken either on campus or online.

All of our financial planning courses are offered in Spalding’s unique six-week block schedule, giving you the flexibility to work, play college sports, do an internship and more while earning your bachelor’s degree.

Financial planning careers are on the rise and projected to grow 7 percent from 2018 to 2028 (US Dept. of Labor).

Financial planning remains steady despite the economic downturn and COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, Americans report feeling more prepared working with a financial advisor during a recession, and CFP professionals report a rise in prospective clients during COVID-19 (CFP Board).

You can take your career in a variety of directions with a bachelor’s degree in financial planning. As a graduate of Spalding’s School of Business, you’ll be qualified and ready to accept a job offer for a number of positions, including the following:

• Financial counselor
• Financial planner
• Risk analyst
• Estate planner

Since our program is CFP® board certified, you’ll be on the right track to further your specialization and sit for the CFP® examination. Alternatively, you may choose advanced study. Many of Spalding’s School of Business students choose to combine their bachelor’s with a Master of Science in Business Communication, earning their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years or less