Financial Planning (BBA) Curriculum

This introductory financial accounting course introduces the student to the important role of financial accounting in modern business. The key role of financial accounting is to provide useful information to external users in order that a wide variety of economic decisions can be made. The course covers the theory and practice of accounting applicable to the recording, summarizing and reporting of business transactions. Topics include the different types of financial statements and accounts, asset valuation, revenue and expense recognition and appropriate accounting for asset, liability and capital accounts.

This introductory course provides students with a practical and concrete explanation of the concepts of business. Concepts, principles and operations of the private enterprise system are identified in this course. Students compare and contrast sole proprietorships, partnerships and corporations, and they learn the advantages and disadvantages of each. This course also discusses the functions of modern business management, marketing, and ethics and social responsibility. Human resource management is described, as well as how employers can motivate their employees. Bookkeeping, accounting, financial management and financial statements are also examined.

In this course, students will analyze and evaluate the fundamentals, major concepts and theories of bargaining and negotiation. Case studies will provide an experiential approach to learning the strategies and tactics of negotiation while examining power and emotions in interpersonal conflict and its resolution. International and cross-cultural negotiations and ethical standards will be covered in this course.

This course provides the student with a sound foundation in economic thinking that is central to business. Topics that are covered include: supply and demand, opportunity costs, elasticities, utility theory, the economic concept of the firm, the relationship between costs and capital in the short-run, and in the long-run, competition, monopoly, anti-trust laws, and public and private goods.

This introductory course provides an overview of current and traditional concerns and methods of macroeconomics. Topics that are covered include: economic growth, unemployment inflation, government deficits, monetary policy, investment and capital, the role and methods of the Federal Reserve, Keynesian and monetarist theories and comparative advantage.

This course will provide a basic introduction to the ethical and professional considerations in the field of financial planning. The financial planning process will be evaluated along with business objectives, regulatory framework and evolution of the profession. Technical aspects such as time value of money calculations will also be covered. Although a specific sequence is not required, the course is generally taken as the first of seven courses necessary to sit for the Certified Financial Planner' exam.

This course will provide a basic introduction to the field of insurance as well as the place of various insurance products within the financial planning process. Students will examine the professional, ethical, regulatory and technical aspects of a number of insurance products and place the knowledge in a relevant financial planning context through various course requirements including a sample plan. Although students with other objectives may also benefit from the course, students frequently take this course as one of the seven Prerequisites requirements for those who wish to sit for the Certified Financial Planner™ exam. * Textbook materials change periodically due to the nature of this course. Students need to be prepared to purchase new materials.

Investment Planning will expose the student to security analysis and portfolio management, with a focus on investments within the context of comprehensive financial planning. Concepts of risk and reward, investment selection criteria, client objectives and current views in economics such as behavioral finance and efficient market hypothesis will be addressed. Although potentially useful for students with other objectives, the course is one of seven Prerequisites classes required to sit for the Certified Financial Planner™ exam. * Textbook materials change periodically due to the nature of this course. Students need to be prepared to purchase new materials.

This course introduces students to the basic principles and laws of income taxation for individuals, employees and business owners. Topics include income tax calculations for individuals and businesses, compliance and accounting methods, taxation of trusts and estates, basis, depreciation, sale of assets, alternative minimum tax, charitable contributions and tax management.

This course is designed to provide students with knowledge of both public and private retirement plans. The public plans include Social Security, while the private plans include defined benefit and defined contribution plans and their regulatory provisions. The specifics of the various plans are analyzed as well as non-qualified deferred compensation plans. Finally, issues that individuals face in retirement, such as life-style choices, are discussed.

This course provides an introduction to Estate Planning. The focus of this course is on purpose, documentation and process required to create an estate plan that is consistent with the client's goals and objectives. The course is designed to give students a practical understanding of the Federal Estate and Gift tax code. It covers topics such as property titling, the probate process, forecasting the estate settlement cost and gifting strategies. Students will be exposed to the financial and non-financial aspects of the planning process that takes place before the actual wealth and asset distribution discussed in Estate Planning II. The course also emphasizes legal, tax and liquidity issues that a CFP professional needs to address with the client in order to create an effective estate plan.

At the completion of Estate Planning module II students are expected to have a good understanding of the Estate, Gift and Generation Skipping tax consequences of property transfers and how to structure them.

This course integrates the academic coursework contained in the six core areas of the financial planning process with actual practice management, This course is the Capstone for the financial planning concentration by introducing students to the skills and tools needed for developing a comprehensive financial plan for a client. The purpose of the course is to require the financial planning student to demonstrate the ability to integrate and apply knowledge of financial planning topics. The case-study class structure differs from the traditional lecture class structure in that students must take a more active role in the learning process. Students will complete many segmented financial planning cases related to fundamentals, insurance, investing, taxation, retirement planning and employee benefits and estate planning topics covered in the individual core courses. Students will develop both basic and complex comprehensive financial plans by following the CFP Board's six-step financial planning process. Students will complete individual and group work and will participate in the presentation of a comprehensive financial plan to the class.

This course is designed to provide the student with a basic understanding of the law that affects business operations including the topics of torts, contracts, commercial paper, and sales. New developments that affect the legal environment of business are presented from all three sources of law: statutes, regulations, and case law. The student will gain a thorough understanding of law that governs business and will gain an understanding of how new developments in technology affect business law.

This course provides students with an understanding of the law affecting business operations, including the topics of debtor-creditor relationships, business organizations, government regulation, property and its protection, and the international legal environment. New developments on those topics are presented from three sources of law: statutes, regulations and case law.