Skip to content

 

The Department of Family and Consumer Studies now offers a major in Family, Community and Human Development with a Financial Planning Emphasis. This is a CFP® board registered program and fulfills the Education requirement.

What is a CFP®?

A Certified Financial Planner™ supports and guides individuals and families in creating long-term plans to meet their financial goals. They continue to advise clients when those goals change over time due to shifting life circumstances.

Clients range from the new graduate to growing families to those well into retirement. As a CFP®, you can help these individuals navigate investments, student loans, budgets, mortgages, retirement savings, insurance, taxes, bequests, estate planning, and many other financial situations.

Become a CFP® through the 4 E’s:

  • Education
  • Exam
  • Experience
  • Ethics

Detailed information about the 4 E’s can be found at www.cfp.net/get-certified/certification-process

Already have a bachelor’s degree? Check out the Professional Certificate in Financial Planning through the U: continue.utah.edu/proed/academy/certificate/financial-planning-certificate

At the University of Utah, our courses combine the flexibility of online teaching with the advantages and direct engagement of traditional teaching. Enjoy the benefit of studying online at your own pace while still engaging with classmates and instructors. This flexible way of teaching improves your overall experience and your ability to retain what you learn.

Interactive learning comes in a variety of ways:

  • Group assignments, where you collaborate via email or a discussion forum to answer a problem set.
  • Contributions to a discussion forum, where you directly respond to previous posts.
  • Peer reviews, where you review and comment on assignments from other students.

Our classes also offer multiple routes to stay connected and get help:

  • Communicate directly with the instructor via email.
  • Participate in and guide online discussions.
  • Attend online office hours in discussion threads or on the phone.
  • Instructors are available in “real” office hours for students on or near campus; for some courses we offer Q&A sessions in a classroom.

50 Credit Hours: 38 credits in FCHD-CHP, plus 12  allied credits in designated departments outside of economics. (This does not include gen ed/bachelor degree requirements or the university's 122 hour rule.)

A student who can manage 4 major classes each semester could finish the program in 4 semesters. For best course sequencing, plan to begin the major in a Spring or Summer semester.

There are no prerequisites to the FCHD major. Students will complete 38 credits in the FCS department and 12 allied credits (most students who come to our program with previous college coursework have already fulfilled this requirement)

Core Courses

FCS 1500

Lifespan Human Development

FCS 2400

Modern Families

FCS 3200

Research Methods

FCS 3210

Statistics (QR, QI)

FCS 3500

Financial Skills for Life (QI)


Community Courses (choose one). Online options are:

FCS 2180

Family School and Community Connections

FCS 3420

Housing Policy and Issues (fulfills upper division writing requirement)

FCS 3600

Consumer and Community Policy

FCS 4890

Internship (time spent at internship placement + online assignments)


Financial Planning Courses

FCS 3500 is prerequisite to these 4 courses
FALL ONLY:

FCS 5510

Building family Wealth: Investment and Life Insurance Planning

FCS 5520

Retirement and Benefits Planning for Families


SPRING ONLY:

FCS 5530

Income Tax Planning for Families

FCS 5540

Protecting Family Wealth: Insurance and Estate Planning


Financial Planning Capstone Course - 
SUMMER ONLY

Pre-reqs: FCS 3500, FCS 5510, FCS 5520, FCS 5530, FCS 5540

FCS 5550

Family Financial Planning Capstone


Elective Courses (choose one). Online options are:

FCS 2430

Family Health History

FCS 2600

Intro to Early Childhood Education

FCS 3215

Beginnings: Development in Infancy and Early Childhood

FCS 3370

Parenting Across Cultures (fulfills international requirement)

FCS 3380

Social Science and Medicine

FCS 3450

Family Economic Issues

FCS 5230

Adolescence

FCS 5380

Family Problems

FCS 5390

Gender and Minorities across the Lifespan (fulfills diversity requirement)

FCS 5430

Families, Consumers, and Health


Allied Requirement (12 credits)

The goal of this requirement is to foster a broader educational base for FCHD majors, consistent with the general aims of a liberal arts degree. Courses from 35 different departments can count towards this requirement. See catalog or Degree Audit for list. Class must be completed with a letter grade of C- or better to count. The allied requirement is waived with the completion of a second major or a minor from any department.

To calculate an estimate of tuition costs please use the University of Utah Tuition Estimator. Tuition for online courses is based on residency and is the same whether you take an online or on campus course. 

Please visit What Does It Cost? for more information about UOnline tuition.

Bachelor of Science in Family, Community, and Human Development - Financial Planning Emphasis

CFP® professionals may work at large financial firms, small boutique firms, or insurance companies. They can also start their own practices. No matter which path you choose, you can positively impact the lives of many as a trusted advisor, counselor, and coach.

If you choose not to pursue a career as a CFP®, here are some examples of careers that may interest you:

  • Human Resources
  • Customer Relations
  • Housing Counseling
  • Real Estate
  • Various positions at banks and credit unions
  • Tax counseling and VITA (volunteer income tax assistance) programs
  • Financial Aid
  • Financial Literacy (ex: U of U Financial Wellness Center, AAA Fair Credit Foundation)
  • Go on to Master’s in Business, Public Administration, Public Policy, etc.

More information can be found at: www.cfp.net/why-cfp-certification/why-get-certified

 
Last Updated: 1/18/23