M.S. in Human Environmental
Sciences
Family Financial Planning and
Counseling
Program Description
In this 30-hour Master of
Science degree program, students will study economic and social influences on
the family and learn how to help individuals and families achieve their
financial goals. By taking two courses each semester, students may complete
this degree in less than two years.
Careers
Family financial planning is
predicted to be one of the fastest growing career tracks of the next decade.
Financial planners may consider working in the following areas:
private practices insurance companies community
action programs
accounting firms family service agencies
consumer credit counseling services
brokerage firms financial planning firms
employee benefits, estate planning, or
banks bankruptcy courts
retirement planning departments
Curriculum
Students must earn 30 hours
of coursework including 21 hours in the area of family financial planning and
counseling and 9 hours of electives in the area of specialization. The
following required courses are available online as well as on the UA campus:
Required Courses:
CSM 500 Personal Insurance Planning and
Management (3 hours)
CSM 504 Personal Investment Planning and
Management (3 hours)
CSM 510 Personal Retirement Planning and
Employee Benefits (3 hours)
CSM 520 Personal Estate Planning (3 hours)
CSM 554 Personal Income Tax Management and
Planning (3 hours)
CSM 559 Counseling Skills (3 hours)
CSM 560 Personal Financial Planning and
Counseling Techniques (3 hours)
Suggested
Electives (select 9 hours):
CSM 525 Consumer Conflict Resolution (3 hours)
CSM 575 Entrepreneurship (3 hours)
CSM 581 Practicum/Internship (1-6 hours)
CSM 586 Consumer Management Human Capital (3
hours)
*Prerequisite undergraduate
courses: CSM 204 Introduction to Personal Financial Planning, EC 110, EC 111,
and ST 260 or BER 345 (BER 540 may be taken for graduate level credit).
Students also must conduct a
culminating experience prior to graduation.
This may be done through internships, jobs, comprehensive final exam, or
an in-depth research report.
Admission
Admission to this program
requires one of the following:
§
3.0/4.0
GPA, three letters of recommendation,
and a statement of professional goals
§
An
acceptable MAT or GRE entrance examination score, three letters of
recommendation, and a statement of professional goals
The application process
begins by being admitted to The University of Alabama’s
CFP Certification
Students completing the family
financial planning and counseling program are taking an
important step toward establishing professional credentials.
This program is registered with the Certified Financial Planner Board of
Standards, Inc., so that students who successfully complete the concentration
will be eligible to sit for the CFP® certification examination that leads to
the professional certification as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM professional
and CFP®. The
Contact Information
Jan Brakefield, M.S., CFP,
Assistant Professor
The
(205) 348-6178
jbrakefi@ches.ua.edu
Please visit www.ches.ua.edu/CSM for
more information on this program.
CFP® and
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM are certification marks owned by the Certified
Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board). These marks are awarded to individuals who
successfully complete the CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification
requirements. The