With the thriving of the financial sector, gaining a Master of Financial Planning degree puts you in a good spot for a career as a financial consultant, financial advisor, or financial planner. There are various schools and online programs available for gaining a Master of Financial
Planning degree. The various available program leads to difficulty in selecting
which program to opt for.
When trying to select a program for your Master of Financial Planning degree, ensure you make your choice from a carefully researched school that ranks high in the MBA program.
This article will focus on steps to getting your master’s in financial planning degree and the top best financial planning programs.
Who Is A Financial Planner?
A financial planner is instrumental to the success of your financial life. A financial planner is a person who employs various strategies like budgeting, saving, and investment to reduce the effect of your taxes and have a positive effect on your financial assets.
A financial planner helps you in creating a financial goal and drafting a plan suitable to achieving this goal. A financial planner explains and recommends potentially beneficial investments to clients. They give advice to their clients concerning retirement, taxes, estate plan, and savings.
The overall goal of a financial planner is to secure the financial freedom of his client, a life free
from financial dependency.
What Are The Steps To Becoming A Financial Planner?
A financial planning degree will provide the innovative and direct education is needed for giving financial advice strategies. Becoming a financial planner gets you the qualification needed for vying for the most
important spot on the finance ladder and grants you access to clients and
finance firms.
Below are the steps to becoming a financial planner:
Step 1- Research on financial planning
Good old google research will give you more insight into the roles of a financial planner in the finance sector. A financial planner assists the client in meeting financial preset goals by giving them strategies instrumental to achieving them.
A financial planner first pools the client’s data like income, cash flow statement, assets, liabilities, and investments in order to create a strategy that is tailored to a particular client and the attainment of their personal goal. Researching on financial planning gives you an insight
into the various branches of financial planning and enables you to determine which branch you would like to major in.
Step 2- Get a degree
To become a financial planner the minimum educational requirement is a bachelor’s degree. There are various bachelor’s degree programs that are pertaining to financial planning, they include accounting, business, finance, economics, and mathematics. Going through these programs, you will study courses like financial analysis, investments, and banking. These
courses are meant to prepare you for making the best decision when it comes to
financing.
Step 3- Apply for jobs
Fresh out of college, you can start applying for job opportunities in order to kick off your career in the finance sector. Most finance firm accepts graduates within two years of graduating from the degree program.
Some financial firms host a training program for newbies before they kick off their career hence giving them ropes to having a successful career.
Step 4 – Get your license
If your duty as a financial planner includes giving investment advice or selling stocks, bonds you will need to get a license. Obtaining your license helps to raise credibility and draw more clients to your clientele list. A common certificate sought by every financial planner is the certified financial planner credential (CFP).
The certified financial planner board of services is responsible for giving out ‘this certificate. The requirements needed before the board can give you the certificate include a bachelor’s degree, a few years of relevant work experience, obeying a code of ethics, and passing subsequent board
exams.
Step 5 – Enroll in a continuing education program
Your Certified financial planner credential will require you to engage in a continuing education program. The requirement for your credential maintenance is the completion of at least 30 hours of continuing education courses offered via the certified financial planner board every two
years.
Top 10 Master of Financial Planning Degree Programs
There is various Master of Financial Planning degree programs, a Master of Financial Planning degree is like a double win because it teaches both about finance and financial management.
A master’s in financial planning degree gives you an edge when applying for the most sought position in the financial sector.
This list of the top 10 masters of financial planning degree programs was compiled using national recognition and average annual tuition as top considerations.
1. University of Texas, Austin: Master of Science in
Finance
Annual average tuition: $11,998(Residents), $22,966(non-residents)
The University of Texas tops the list of the best Master of Financial Planning degree programs. They have the largest financial planning master’s degree program in America. The Texas financial planning master’s degree is unrivaled due to their superior faculty, positive career outcomes on
graduation, with job offers from finance powerhouses like Goldman Sachs and capital one. The university also offers professional development as it enables you to combine your financial planning degree with an accounting or law degree, this is an option offered in only very few financial planning programs. University of Texas, Austin offers the possibility of completion of the Master of Financial Planning in less than 20 months.
2. Massachusetts institutes of technology (MIT): Master of finance
Average annual tuition: $53,450
According to the financial times, the MIT Master of Finance program is the top master program for financial planning in the United States.
The MIT Master of Finance program is specially adapted to meet specific requirements for the spectrum of career opportunities available in financial corporations, institutions, and financial tech companies.
3. University of Pennsylvania: Master of business Administration in finance – Wharton school of business
Average annual tuition: $36,254
The Wharton master of finance program provides a strong base for the application of modern finance, it combines finance with economics.
The major in finance program is well known for its specialization in Banking, portfolio management, and corporate finance. Over 80% Of graduates from the University of
Pennsylvania that majored in finance find profitable employment opportunities in financial departments, investment banks, and consulting financial firms. The University of Pennsylvania offers the students various finance and business organizations in the school.
4. Colombia University: Master of Science in Financial Economics
Average annual tuition: $47,600
Columbia University offers a two-year master’s degree program in financial economics. This is a two-year science, technology, economics, and mathematics-focused program. It grants students interested in the financial sector the ability to develop in-depth graduate-level finance and
financial planning wit.
The Master of Science and finance economics program has a special curriculum containing both master’s and MBA courses.
5. Indiana University – Bloomington: Master of Science in Finance
Annual average tuition: $9,501(residents), $31,932(non-residents)
The Indiana university school of business has a full-time Master of Science in finance program, which offers state-of-the-art technology for graduate students.
The university offers a flexible Master of Finance program. It has a direct online program that allows students to complete their master’s program within a short period of time (less than 15 months). The Indiana university imparts on its students the necessary skill for ensuring and
managing risk related to organizational finance and fiscal policy.
6. The University of Southern California: Master of Science in finance
Average annual tuition: $46,272
The University of Southern California offers a strong foundation in finance to its students, it gives them the advantage they require in applying to any financial field.
The main aim of the master of science in finance is to provide students with the skills and knowledge needed to analyze and properly plan everything relating to finance. The USC
enables its students to gain a master in financial planning degree in 16 months. It’s a full-time program.
7. University of Wisconsin- Madison: Master of Science in Finance
Average annual finance: $10,728 (residents), $24,054 (non-resident)
The University of Wisconsin offers a master’s in financial planning to undergraduates who have completed a major in economics or any related major.
The university grants students flexibility by allowing them to customize their education.
8. Arizona state university: Master of Science in finance
Average annual tuition: $11,720 (residents) $26,160 (non-residents)
The Arizona state university offers a Superb masters program in finance. They equip their students with appropriate acumen for dealing in the corporate finance world. The university curriculum is in sync with the certified financial analyst’s program.
9. Georgetown University: Master of Science in Finance
Average annual tuition: $51,336
Home to one of the most rated business schools in the United States “McDonough School of Business”. The Georgetown university offers both part-time and full-time formats for obtaining a master’s in financial planning.
10. University of Chicago: Master of Business Administration
Average annual tuition: $60,300
The University of Chicago offers a master of business administration program with a concentration in finance U of C is well known for its innovative and research education mode. It’s a full-time and on-campus program.
FAQs On Master’s Of Financial Planning
Yes, with a master’s in financial planning you can get access to the most sought-after jobs in finance.
Yes, some schools like Indiana University offer an online master’s degree program. There are various online programs to gain a master’s in financial planning too.
Yes, there are a lot of openings for graduates in the finance sector.
It’s very possible but totally dependent on the program and school you applied for.
The financial planner helps in achieving the financial goal of his clients by devising strategies suitable to achieving the goal.
Conclusion
Gaining a master’s degree in financial planning is a great achievement and puts you higher up on the finance sector ladder. With a master’s degree in finance, you get to work in big financial firms like Goldman Sachs and other big financial firms.
