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Financial Planning

Program banner: Bachelor's degree in Financial Planning at Franklin University Program OverviewProgram DetailsWhy Choose Franklin
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Subsequent Degree: B.S.

Looking to earn an additional bachelor’s degree? This degree is specifically designed for students who have already completed a bachelor's degree or higher.

Prerequisite Competencies

  • ECON 220 - INTRO/MACROECONOMICS (4)

    ECON 220

    INTRO/MACROECONOMICS

    Course Description

    An introduction to economic theory involving the basic underlying causes and principles of the operation of an economic system. Emphasis is placed on studying the economy as a whole. Issues of inflation, unemployment, taxation, business cycles and growth are discussed in the context of the global economic system.
  • MATH 215 - STATISTICAL CONCEPTS (4)

    MATH 215

    STATISTICAL CONCEPTS

    Course Description

    This course introduces the student to statistics with business applications. The course covers both descriptive and inferential statistics. Topics included are: measures of central tendency; measures of dispersion; graphical displays of data; linear regression; basic probability concepts; binomial and normal probability distributions; confidence intervals; and hypothesis testing. These topics will be covered using a basic knowledge of algebra and Microsoft Excel.
  • PF 321 - LEARNING STRATEGIES (2)

    PF 321

    LEARNING STRATEGIES

    Course Description

    This course prepares students to be successful lifelong learners both academically and in their chosen careers. Franklin courses require a high level of self-directed learning and focus on skills required in the workplace and the classroom that are easily transferable between the two environments. The course includes strategies for advancing communication skills, including the use of electronic tools to participate in virtual environments. The assignments and activities in the course are created to closely simulate teamwork found in the workplace.

Business Core (28 hours)

  • ACCT 215 - FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING (4)

    ACCT 215

    FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING

    Course Description

    An introduction to accounting emphasizing how general purpose financial statements communicate information about the business corporation?s performance and position for users external to management. Approximately one third of the course emphasizes how the accountant processes and presents the information and includes exposure to recording transactions, adjusting balances and preparing financial statements for service and merchandise firms according to established rules and procedures. The balance of the course examines major elements of the statements such as cash, receivables, inventory, long?lived assets, depreciation, payroll, bonds, and other liabilities and stocks. Concepts of this course are applied to Managerial Accounting (ACCT 225). Students are advised to avoid any time lapse between these courses.
  • ACCT 225 - MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING (4)

    ACCT 225

    MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING

    Course Description

    The study of management accounting for internal reporting and decision-making. The course introduces a business-management approach to the development and use of accounting information. Major topics include cost behavior, cost analysis, profit planning and control measures. Accounting for decentralized operations, capital budgeting decisions, and ethical challenges in managerial accounting are also covered.
  • BSAD 220 - BUSINESS LAW (4)

    BSAD 220

    BUSINESS LAW

    Course Description

    A study of the everyday legal problems encountered in business with emphasis on the areas of legal procedure, contracts, agency, employment law, business organizations and torts, with cases relating to these and other areas.
  • ECON 210 - INTRO/MICROECONOMICS (4)

    ECON 210

    INTRO/MICROECONOMICS

    Course Description

    An introduction to economic theory involving the examination of how decision making by firms and individuals is shaped by economic forces. Emphasis is placed on demand, supply, market equilibrium analysis, and basic market structure models. The invisible hand as the driving force for economic decisions as well as market externalities are discussed. The class concentrates on providing a balanced approach to studying economic agents' behavior and the global implications and outcomes.
  • FINA 301 - PRINCIPLES OF FINANCE (4)

    FINA 301

    PRINCIPLES OF FINANCE

    Course Description

    This course is designed to survey the field of finance and provide the foundation for more advanced finance coursework. Topics include sources of business and financial information, financial statement analysis, the time value of money, the nature and measurement of risk, financial institutions, investments and corporate finance.
  • MGMT 312 - PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT (4)

    MGMT 312

    PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT

    Course Description

    This course explores the basic concepts and processes of management. Students will explore the functional roles and processes of planning, leading, organizing, and controlling comprising the manager role. Students develop skills related to the manager function and required in today's competitive environment.
  • MKTG 300 - MARKETING (4)

    MKTG 300

    MARKETING

    Course Description

    A general course in marketing theory and methods. Among topics discussed are the importance of marketing, the interrelationship of the different phases of marketing, the differences between the marketing of goods and services, wholesaling, retailing, pricing strategies, analysis of markets, and distribution.

Major Area (28 hours)

  • FPLN 300 - PRINCIPLES OF FINANCIAL PLANNING (4)

    FPLN 300

    PRINCIPLES OF FINANCIAL PLANNING

    Course Description

    An introduction to personal financial planning. Topics include the financial planning process, money management and investments, insurance needs, income tax planning, retirement planning and estate planning. Cases are used to illustrate important planning concepts, techniques and issues.
  • FPLN 405 - INVESTMENTS (4)

    FPLN 405

    INVESTMENTS

    Course Description

    An examination of investment markets, transactions, planning and information. Topics include investment risk and return measures, debt and equity instruments, evaluation techniques, hybrid and derivative securities, mutual funds, real estate investments, tax planning and the investment process, and portfolio management.
  • FPLN 430 - INCOME TAX PLANNING (4)

    FPLN 430

    INCOME TAX PLANNING

    Course Description

    An introduction to federal income taxation and the role of the tax code in financial planning for individuals, businesses, and business owners. Topics include the tax environment, fundamentals of income tax planning, the measurement of taxable income, the taxation of business income, individual income taxation, and the tax compliance process.
  • FPLN 440 - INSURANCE PLANNING (4)

    FPLN 440

    INSURANCE PLANNING

    Course Description

    An introduction to the techniques and issues of risk management and insurance for businesses and individuals. Topics include legal principles in risk and insurance, insurance contracts, personal property and liability risk, life and health risks, social insurance, insurance companies and product markets, insurance pricing, insurance taxation, government regulation of insurance, and professional ethics and market conduct.
  • FPLN 450 - RETIREMENT PLANNING (4)

    FPLN 450

    RETIREMENT PLANNING

    Course Description

    An introduction to retirement planning concepts, procedures, and issues for individuals, businesses, and business owners. Topics include understanding and evaluating client retirement objectives, qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, tailoring retirement plans to client needs, funding retirement plans and investing plan assets, retirement planning for individual clients, post-retirement monetary needs, tax considerations in retirement planning, and retirement plan distributions.
  • FPLN 460 - ESTATE PLANNING (4)

    FPLN 460

    ESTATE PLANNING

    Course Description

    An introduction to the principles and techniques in estate planning. Topics include the use of living and testamentary trusts, joint ownership of property, life insurance, charitable dispositions, inter vivos gifts, and the marital deduction to efficiently conserve and transfer wealth, consistent with the client's goals.
  • FPLN 495 - FINANCIAL PLANNING SEMINAR (4)

    FPLN 495

    FINANCIAL PLANNING SEMINAR

    Course Description

    This course is designed to provide a capstone experience, challenging students to apply financial planning techniques, procedures and practices to actual problems and cases.

Major Electives (4 hours)

Select 4 hours from:

  • ACCT 390 - FED INCOME TAX I (4)

    ACCT 390

    FED INCOME TAX I

    Course Description

    An introduction to the federal income tax structure with emphasis on the individual taxpayer, including employee, sole proprietor and investor. This course also provides exposure to basic concepts that apply equally, or with slight modification, to taxpayers other than individuals. Major topics include filing status, exemptions, excludable and includable income, business and non-business deductions, disallowances, technical tax research, and computer problem applications.
  • FINA 340 - MONEY, BANKING & FINANCIAL MARKETS (4)

    FINA 340

    MONEY, BANKING & FINANCIAL MARKETS

    Course Description

    This course provides an overview of the financial system. The roles of money, financial intermediaries, financial markets, and central banks are discussed in the context of global economy.
  • FINA 403 - ADVANCED FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT (4)

    FINA 403

    ADVANCED FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

    Course Description

    An introduction to advanced concepts and methods of financial management. Topics include risk and return, asset evaluation, capital budgeting, capital structure, business financial planning and working capital management.
  • FINA 450 - GLOBAL FINANCE (4)

    FINA 450

    GLOBAL FINANCE

    Course Description

    An examination of financial management in the global economy. Topics include international financial markets, exchange rates, interest rates and inflation, exchange rate risk management, working capital management, capital budgeting, country risk analysis, long-term financing, and global strategic planning.
  • FINA 480 - ST: FINANCE (1 - 4)

    FINA 480

    ST: FINANCE

    Course Description

    This course is designed to address significant issues of current interest outside the regular Financial Management curriculum. The course topic will vary. The topic description will be published online in the Course Schedule each trimester the course is offered.
  • FPLN 410 - FINANCIAL PLANNING INTERNSHIP (1 - 4)

    FPLN 410

    FINANCIAL PLANNING INTERNSHIP

    Course Description

    This course provides qualified students with an opportunity to receive academic credit for supervised professional training and experience in an actual work environment. This Internship is an ongoing seminar between the student, the faculty member and the employment supervisor. It involves an Internship Application and Learning Agreement, periodic meetings with the faculty representative, professional experience at a level equivalent to other senior-level courses and submission of material as established in the Internship Application and Learning Agreement. Participation cannot be guaranteed for all applicants.
  • FPLN 499 - INDEPENDENT STUDIES IN FINANCIAL PLANNING (1 - 4)

    FPLN 499

    INDEPENDENT STUDIES IN FINANCIAL PLANNING

    Course Description

    Independent studies courses allow students in good academic standing to pursue learning in areas not covered by the regular curriculum or to extend study in areas presently taught. Study is under faculty supervision and graded on either a Pass/No Credit or a letter grade basis (See the "Independent Studies" section of the Academic Bulletin for more details).
  • PSYC 310 - THE PSYCHOLOGY OF PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT (4)

    PSYC 310

    THE PSYCHOLOGY OF PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

    Course Description

    This psychology based course provides evidenced-based information and application strategies for improving personal and professional adjustment and effectiveness. The purpose of this course is to enable students to address and utilize more of their inherent potential. Students will use a self-coaching model to apply principles and methods taken from a variety of current sources, i.e. emotional and social intelligence, multiple intelligences, and positive psychology and executive coaching. The primary course outcome will be a plan for effecting improved adjustment and performance in students' personal and professional lives.

Additional Requirements

Each candidate for a subsequent degree must successfully complete in residence at Franklin University a minimum of 30 credit hours of 200 level courses or above, of which a minimum of 16 credit hours must be in major area courses at the 300 or 400 level. If the student is a previous Franklin bachelor of science degree graduate, the 30 credits must be earned after the first Franklin B.S. degree was awarded. If the required courses for a subsequent degree total less than 30 credit hours, the student may take Free Elective courses to achieve residency. Either PF 121 or PF 321 must be taken prior to the first BLF course, or it may be taken concurrently with the first 15-week BLF course. Students also must meet the University algebra competency requirement

A minimum GPA of 2.25 is required in the major area, and each major area course must be completed with a grade of “C” or better to count toward degree requirements.

Please see the Academic Bulletin for the complete list of degree and residency requirements.

View Academic Bulletin

Additional Curriculum

Bachelor of Science

View Curriculum

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