The 36 credit-hour master's degree program in Financial Planning consists of nine 3-credit core courses and 9 credits of elective course work. Students work with their academic advisor on appropriate course selection and sequence. To view the complete curriculum and when courses are being offered, visit the IDEA's Family Financial Planning Course Planner page.

Required Core Courses:

• HDFS 677 Financial Counseling (3 CREDITS)
• HDFS 762 Retirement Planning, Employee Benefits and the Family (3 CREDITS)
• HDFS 763 Personal Income Taxation (3 CREDITS)
• HDFS 765 Insurance Planning for Families (3 CREDITS)
• HDFS 766 Estate Planning for Families (3 CREDITS)
• HDFS 769 Financial Planning - Case Studies (3 CREDITS)
• HDFS 770 Fundamentals of Family Financial Planning (3 CREDITS)
• HDFS 771 Investing for the Family's Future (3 CREDITS)

Choose 6 electives 

• HDFS 740 Financial Theory and Research in Family Financial Planning 1  (3 CREDITS)
• HDFS 741 Theories and Research in Family Financial Planning II (3 CREDITS)
• HDFS 767 Prof. Practices in Family Financial Planning (3 CREDITS)
• HDFS 768 Housing/Real Estate (3 CREDITS)
• HDFS 772Military Personal Finacial Readiness (3 CREDITS)
• HDFS 794 Practicum (6 CREDITS) 
• Other elective approved by advisor

Total Credits: 30

Outlook

With a master's degree in Family Financial Planning, graduates will be prepared to enter the growing financial planning field. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employement for personal financial advisors is projected to grow 5% from 2020 to 2030. There are 21,500 projected job openings each year for personal financial advisors. U.S. News & World Reportstates that it's an exciting time to be in the field as there are now more opportunities than ever before. In the past, the majority of finance roles were stockerbrokers or community bankers, but over the past decade financial advisors have more options from small independent practices to large investment firms.

What Can You Do with a Master's Degree in Family Financial Planning?

Career opportunities available to persons with special training in Family Financial Planning include:

• Financial Planning: Financial planners or financial management consultants use their knowledge of investments, tax laws, and insurance to recommend financial options to individuals in accordance with the individual's short-term and long-term financial goals. Some of the issues that financial planners address are retirement and estate planning, funding for college, and general investment options.
• Financial Analysts: Financial analysts assess the economic performance of companies and industries for firms and institutions with money to invest.
• Insurance: Insurance agents specialize in life and health insurance or property and casualty insurance and a growing number of "multi-line" agents sell all lines of insurance.

Graduates of GP IDEA's online master's degree in Family Financial planning of gone on to work in numerous distinguished roles, including: 

• Wealth Strategiest/Analyst
• Reitrement Plan Administrator
• Mortage Loan Officer
• Manager of Financial Analysis and Planning
• Director of Family Wealth
• Financal Coach/Analyst
• Director of Finance
• Chief Finance Officer

The Online Master of Science in Financial Planning is offered through a partnership with the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance (GP IDEA). GP IDEA is a consortium of 19 public universities from across the United States, offering online degree and certificate programs in human sciences and agriculture. Through GP IDEA, students are able to take courses from any of the partner universities that all count towards their degree at their home institution.

The courses in this program are taught by the same instructors which teach on campus at the participating universities. Curriculum is specially adapted for the online environment to ensure students receive the same quality education as they would experience on campus. Course schedules are determined by the teaching institution, but do not have set class times, allowing students to access course content when it is convenient for them. Students meet deadlines as outlined by the instructor, and interact with instructors and other students through e-mail, chats, discussion boards, and other interactive methods. Students must have access to a computer, e-mail, and the Internet.

For information about graduate faculty for this program as well as their current research interests, visit the M.S. in Human Development and Family Science: Family Financial Planning catalog page.

To apply for this degree program, click the link below to start the application process. The application fee is $35.

The deadline to apply is one month before the beginning of the semester you choose to begin. Semester start dates can be found on NDSU One Stop's Dates and Dealines page.

The application process includes completing the following:

• Online application and fees
• Statement of purpose
• Three letters of recommendation
• Transcripts
• Test scores

The tuition and fee structure for this program is set by the GP IDEA consortium. Classes you take are charged at the same tuition rate regardless of which university is your home university. Books and supplies are not included in the tuition and fees. Please note that courses offered through GP IDEA are not eligible for NDSU tuition waivers.

NDSU Department of Human Development and Family Science
Phone: (701) 231-7568
Email: jim.deal@ndsu.edu
Web: https://www.ndsu.edu/hdfs/

NDSU GP IDEA Coordinator
Email: ndsu.gpidea@ndsu.edu

NDSU Graduate School
Phone: (701) 231-5945
Email: melissa.j.ostby@ndsu.edu 
Web: https://www.ndsu.edu/gradschool

How long is the family financial planning master’s?
A student can earn the family financial planning master’s degree in two years as a full-time student taking nine credits a semester, with no summer classes. Students can take three, six, or nine credits a semester. Students, who also take summer classes, may be able to finish one semester early. 

Are students required to come to campus during the program?
No, the program is completely online.

Is a practicum or thesis required for this program?
Students enrolled in the master's program have the option to take a 3-credit practicum. A thesis is not required. 

Which university will I receive my degree from?
If you apply and are admitted to NDSU, you will receive a degree from NDSU even though some of your courses will be taught by professors from other institutions.

What is the difference between earning a graduate certificate and earning a master’s degree in family financial planning?
A certificate is a way of showing that you have completed a coherent set of courses within a certain field. Both the Financial Planning and the Financial Counseling Graduate Certificates cover a subset of courses that are included the master’s program. If you are interested in the certificate program and decide to continue on to the master’s program, the courses you take for the certificate program will apply to the master's degree.

Can I transfer previous graduate coursework into this program?
You can transfer up to nine credits into the family financial planning master’s program if they are relevant to the program. The syllabus of those courses will need to be provided to the Department of Human Development and Family Science graduate program in order to determine if the coursework is relevant.

I am employed full-time and have a family. How many credits would you recommend I take each semester?
For students with family and employment obligations we recommend taking three credits the first semester. Then students are able to see how it works with their schedule and can determine how many courses they are able to take each semester.

Can I take some family financial planning classes without being admitted to the program?
You can be admitted to the graduate school as a non-degree student and take family financial planning classes without being in the program. Class sizes are very limited and students who are in the program are able to register first. The instructor needs to agree to allow non-degree students into their class. If you want to register as a non-degree student you have to contact the NDSU GP IDEA Coordinator. Non-degree students cannot be registered until a couple weeks before the semester in order to allow students in the program to register.

Will this program prepare me for a Ph.D. program?
Most Ph.D. programs require or prefer that students have completed a master's thesis, which is not a part of this applied master's program. 

Is the program accredited?
There is no accreditation in the family financial planning field. Online degrees and classes offered through NDSU Distance and Continuing Education are accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and are approved through the academic departments and colleges at NDSU. The Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) Board of Standards has approved the FFP master’s program as sufficient preparation for students to take the CFP Certification examination.

Why go into the family financial planning field?
Family financial planning is an emerging area with job opportunities in areas related to insurance, real estate, investments, retirement, tax and estate planning. Financial planners are increasingly in demand as Americans seek advisers to help manage their income, assets, and debts. Financial service providers from insurance companies to banks to investment firms are extending their services to provide comprehensive financial assistance. Corporations are adding planners in their employee benefits and pension departments. The master's degree in family financial planning not only creates the opportunities associated with graduate education, it prepares the student to take the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) examination.

What impact can I have getting the degree when there are so many online options for families to use? Is the degree still valuable today?
Precisely because there is so much “free” information online for families, they need a way to distinguish experts in the field from scammers. Earning the certificate or degree in FFP and then the CFP designation is now more important than ever, because it is a marker for families that you have the necessary background and follow ethical standards of practice.

What is this degree called?
The degree is a Master’s of Science in Human Development and Family Science: Family Financial Planning option. The “Family Financial Planning” option title appears on the student’s transcript. It is an advantage to have the broader field of human development and family science also listed in the title of the degree, to signify that your education in FFP was grounded in a well-established discipline that provides depth of knowledge in the family and social context.

Is there a required degree to be admitted into the program?
There is not a required undergraduate degree to be admitted. Some experience as an undergraduate with social science courses (e.g. psychology, sociology) or business courses would be helpful.

What is the application process for the family financial planning program?
To be admitted to the program applicants must meet the Graduate School admission and application requirements.

What do I do after I am admitted to the program?
Students admitted by NDSU into the program will be contacted via email by the NDSU GP IDEA Campus Coordinator, Stacy Duffield. Stacy will register students in the GP IDEA database and for classes. Students will need work with their advisor to identify the classes they should register for and then will notify Stacy of those classes as soon as possible since class sizes are limited.