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