Financial Planning, MS
Program at a Glance
Program
Financial Planning, MS
Format
Online, Hybrid
Total Units
30
Requirements
No GMAT or
GRE Required
Summer ’25 Early Application Deadline
March 9
Program Overview
The Master of Science in Financial Planning is designed for students who aspire to become financial planners, investment advisers or money managers, or who may be interested in one of the many elements – estate planning, insurance, taxes, real estate, for example – of this broad and rapidly growing field. Golden Gate offers the oldest accredited Master of Science in Financial Planning degree in the country, having offered our first courses in 1980.
At the heart of this degree is a core of courses that examine the key functions of financial planning: financial planning principles, income tax planning, risk management, estate planning, investments, employee benefits, retirement planning, and the psychology of money. Not only do these courses provide the academic foundation of the discipline, they also satisfy the educational requirements necessary for the premier Certified Financial Planner™ designation; thus, students can prepare to sit for the CFP® exam while they are earning an advanced academic degree in financial planning.
Skills to Improve the Lives of Your Clients
The work of the financial planner is best viewed through a “quality of life” lens: How can one assist one’s clients in achieving their life goals and realizing their dreams? There are important technical issues to be addressed: What tax structure is best suited for my client? What asset allocation provides the desired risk/return profile?
Many of the critical questions have to do with the kind of life the client envisions, and how the client’s emotional and psychological predispositions facilitate or obstruct the development of successful financial plans. It is the overarching objective of the Master of Science in Financial Planning to ensure that our graduates have both the technical skills and the relationship skills needed to create and deliver financial strategies that will support their clients’ progress towards their most important life goals.
Online courses allow students to pursue a strictly online financial planning degree. Students can apply for admission, sign up for classes, communicate with professors and other students, and access all course information online at any time. This allows you to study financial planning from the comfort of your home, rather than having to find a financial planning school nearby that fits in your schedule.
Admission Requirements
- Applicants should hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or the equivalent from a recognized foreign institution (outside the United State), and provide official transcripts.
- Master’s degree holders only need to submit transcripts from previous graduate programs. However, applicants are encouraged to submit all transcripts to maximize transfer credit.
- All applicants will need to submit a Statement of Purpose (SOP) and a resume.
- For applicants with a GPA under 3.0, the Statement of Purpose should address the circumstances that led to the applicant’s academic performance, what has changed, and why they think they’ll be more successful now.
- Applicants whose native language is not English must meet the English Language Proficiency Admission Requirements.
Proficiency Requirements
Math Proficiency
Intermediate Algebra (Math 20); See Graduate Mathematics Proficiency Requirement for more information.
Writing Proficiency
Students are expected to possess proficiency in writing to ensure they can be successful in their course of study. Students may meet this requirement by satisfying one of the screening criteria listed under Graduate Writing Proficiency Requirement.
Waiver of Proficiency Requirements
The standard proficiency requirements above for the MS in financial planning will be waived for students who have completed the GGU Financial Planning Graduate Certificate within the last two years. In their place, the student is required to submit an official transcript of a completed undergraduate or graduate degree from a regionally accredited university of an English speaking country, and to have earned a minimum GPA of 3.0. The student’s transcript from the certificate program will also be considered in the admissions decision.
Curriculum
OR
Take three 300- or 400-level graduate courses with FI or FP prefixes.
Students who satisfy their electives by taking FP 447, FP 440, and FP 449, will also satisfy the course requirements for the Graduate Certificate in Financial Life Planning.
For the most up-to-date program information and course listings, visit GGU’s catalog.
Graduate Tuition
The tuition for most graduate degree programs at Golden Gate University is $1,090 per unit, covering the cost of high-quality, career-focused education led by experienced faculty. This investment supports essential resources, including personalized academic advising, state-of-the-art technology, and student services designed to help adult learners succeed.
Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the master of financial planning degree program will possess:
- The skills and knowledge of financial planning that are represented in the full range of topics covered by the CFP™ examination.
- Interpersonal skills necessary to maintain successful client relationships and to work effectively with colleagues, individually or in teams.
- The quantitative, analytical, and technical skills needed to address complex financial situations.
- The ability to apply their knowledge to real-world problems in financial planning.
- Knowledge of the legal and regulatory environment in which financial planning occurs and familiarity with relevant licensing, reporting, and compliance requirements.
- The ability to recognize the ethical dilemmas that may arise in financial planning practice and familiarity with appropriate responses to those dilemmas, as reflected in the CFP™ Board’s Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility.
