Major in Business Administration, Financial Planning Concentration

This program is designed to prepare undergraduate students to enter the financial planning profession. The program is a Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards registered program, and students are eligible to sit for the CFP^® Exam upon graduation.*

Learning Objectives

Students will demonstrate the ability to:

1.   Analyze a client’s current financial position.
2.   Review a client’s risk management needs.
3.   Estimate the current capital and future savings needed to fund goals.
4.   Prepare and present recommendations for meeting goals.
5.   Consider the impact of income and estate tax law on achieving goals.

The Financial Planning concentration has required classes in Financial Planning, Risk Management, Investments, Income Tax, Estate Tax, Retirement Planning, and Financial Plan Development.

This curriculum covers all the major areas of financial planning, including retirement, employee benefits, income tax, estate planning, and risk management. The option is most appropriate for those who intend to enter the financial planning profession as credit counselors, financial advisors, financial planners, wealth managers, or financial product representatives.

Accelerated Program

The Financial Planning concentration includes an accelerated program option for students to graduate on a faster schedule. Accelerated Programs typically include 15-16 credits each fall and spring semester for three years, plus 6-9 credits over two to three summer sessions. Students who enter CSU with prior credit (AP, IB, transfer, etc.) may use applicable courses to further accelerate their graduation. Visit the Office of the Provost website for additional information about Accelerated Programs.

Potential Occupations

Financial Planning students are prepared for a number of different careers in business. Internships and volunteer experiences enhance skills and marketability.

Examples of financial-planning-related occupations include, but are not limited to: financial planner, investment advisor, consumer credit counselor, personal banker, investment wholesaler, insurance agent, and trust advisor.

*Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.

The College of Business requires a minimum grade point average of 2.000 in business and economics courses as a graduation requirement. 

Effective Fall 2024

¹

BUS 220 and BUS 225 will fulfill the AUCC 3B requirement. If BUS 201 is selected, 3 additional credits in AUCC 3B must be completed before graduation.

²

Students who have taken FIN 305 and/or MKT 305 prior to admission to the College of Business may substitute those courses to satisfy the category 4A and 4B requirements. All other students are required to take FIN 300 and MKT 300 to satisfy categories 4A and 4B.

³

Select enough elective credits to bring the program total to a minimum of 120 credits, of which at least 42 must be upper-division (300- to 400-level).

Students are not to utilize the satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) grading option for any Business concentration course (Business and non-Business subject codes) except when a course only allows S/U grading.

Distinctive Requirements for Degree Program:

To Declare this Major: Direct entry as a new freshman or transfer to the College of Business is highly selective and only those students meeting academic requirements will be accepted. For details contact the Office of Admissions.

CSU and the College of Business use holistic review when determining eligibility for admission to the College of Business as a new freshman. An example of a strong candidate for admission to the College of Business is one who is actively involved in their high school and community, has at least a 3.200 GPA with a 1200 or higher on the SAT or a 27 or higher on the ACT. For current admission criteria, contact the CSU Office of Admissions. New freshmen admitted to CSU but not directly to the College of Business will be admitted as “Undeclared Business Interest” and must meet the requirements below. To be eligible for admission to the College, CSU students (including Undeclared Business Interest) must have a 3.000 cumulative GPA on a minimum of 15 graded credits at Colorado State and a grade of B- or higher in ECON 202 and a grade of C- or higher in each course (total of 3 credits) from the following: MATH 117, MATH 118, MATH 124, MATH 125, MATH 126, MATH 141, or a higher level calculus course.

External transfer students who have completed a minimum of 15 graded credits with a 3.000 cumulative GPA and a grade of B- or higher in ECON 202 and a grade of C- or higher in each course (total of 3 credits) from the following: MATH 117, MATH 118, MATH 124, MATH 125, MATH 126, MATH 141, or a higher level calculus course. External transfer students who do not meet the above criteria will be admitted to Undeclared and must complete the requirements stated above.

To Prepare for First Semester: The Curriculum for the Business Administration-Financial Planning concentration assumes students will be able to successfully complete the College of Business Math requirement within the first year.

The College of Business requires a minimum grade point average of 2.000 in business and economics courses as a graduation requirement.

A second concentration in International Business may be taken in conjunction with the Financial Planning concentration. Upon graduation, both concentrations will be noted on a student’s official transcript.

Effective Fall 2024

The College of Business requires a minimum grade point average of 2.000 in business and economics courses as a graduation requirement.

Interdisciplinary: International Business Group 2 – Global Focus (6 credits)

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Select 6 credits from the following:		6
AM 430	International Retailing	3
ANTH 200	Cultures and the Global System (GT-SS3)	3
ECON 317	Population Economics	3
ECON 332/POLS 332	International Political Economy	3
ECON 440	Economics of International Trade and Policy	3
ECON 442	Economics of International Finance and Policy	3
ECON 460	Economic Development	3
GR 320	Cultural Geography	3
HIST 470	World Environmental History, 1500-Present	3
IE 450/SOWK 450	International Social Welfare and Development	3
IE 470	Women and Development	3
IE 471	Children and Youth in Global Context	3
IE 472	Education for Global Peace	3
IE 478	Managing International Development Programs	3
JTC 412	International Mass Communication	3
NRRT 320	International Issues-Recreation and Tourism	3
POLS 232	International Relations (GT-SS1)	3
POLS 362	Global Environmental Politics	3
POLS 431	International Law	3
POLS 433	International Organization	3
POLS 437	International Security	3
POLS 442	Environmental Politics in Developing World	3
POLS 462	Globalization, Sustainability, and Justice	3
SOC 364	Food, Agriculture and Global Society	3
SPCM 434	Intercultural Communication	3

Immersion: International Business Group 3 – Experiential Learning Requirement (6 credits)

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Select at least one from the following:		6
Education Abroad experience
Internship with global focus
L*** language course

Students are not to utilize the satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) grading option for any Business concentration course or any Business core course (Business and non-Business subject codes) except when a course only allows S/U grading.

¹

BUS 220 and BUS 225 will fulfill the AUCC 3B requirement. If BUS 201 is selected, 3 additional credits in AUCC 3B must be completed before graduation.

Distinctive Requirements for Degree Program:

To Declare this Major: Direct entry as a new freshman or transfer to the College of Business is highly selective and only those students meeting academic requirements will be accepted. For details contact the Office of Admissions.

CSU and the College of Business use holistic review when determining eligibility for admission to the College of Business as a new freshman. An example of a strong candidate for admission to the College of Business is one who is actively involved in their high school and community, has at least a 3.200 GPA with a 1200 or higher on the SAT or a 27 or higher on the ACT. For current admission criteria, contact the CSU Office of Admissions. New freshmen admitted to CSU but not directly to the College of Business will be admitted as “Undeclared Business Interest” and must meet the requirements below. To be eligible for admission to the College, CSU students (including Undeclared Business Interest) must have a 3.000 cumulative GPA on a minimum of 15 graded credits at Colorado State and a grade of B- or higher in ECON 202 and a grade of C- or higher in each course (total of 3 credits) from the following: MATH 117, MATH 118, MATH 124, MATH 125, MATH 126, MATH 141, or a higher level calculus course.

External transfer students who have completed a minimum of 15 graded credits with a 3.000 cumulative GPA and a grade of B- or higher in ECON 202 and a grade of C- or higher in each course (total of 3 credits) from the following: MATH 117, MATH 118, MATH 124, MATH 125, MATH 126, MATH 141, or a higher level calculus course. External transfer students who do not meet the above criteria will be admitted to Undeclared and must complete the requirements stated above.

To Prepare for First Semester: The Curriculum for the Business Administration-Financial Planning concentration assumes students will be able to successfully complete the College of Business Math requirement within the first year.

The College of Business requires a minimum grade point average of 2.000 in business and economics courses as a graduation requirement.