ing on plans to launch its first online
certificate program for roughly 20
to 35 students, to be drawn from the
local Provo-Orem and Salt Lake Valley areas, and is discussing whether
online students should be required
to attend their first classes in person.
“We’ve seen a demand for such a program grow,” Sybrowsky says. “It’s
coming from mid-profession career
changers, banks, wirehouses and a
few business-related fields that want
to come into financial services.”
Awareness of financial planning as a career
track, especially in academia, remains so low
that many students transfer into it only after
entering college.
gram, which began in January, already
has 25 students enrolled, but antici-
pates a rapid increase in enrollment,
says program director Fran Lawrence.
“There’s extremely high interest,” she
says, adding that she hopes LSU may
ultimately add a Ph.D. The fact that
the program is located in the finance
department of a business school offers
a competitive advantage and visibil-
ity that benefits the entire planning
profession, Lawrence believes. “Some
other business schools are small,” she
says, “but LSU is known nationwide.”
Purdue plans to add a new practitio-
ner-focused online master’s program
in financial planning. “The CFP board
in Washington is extremely excited
about our move to the online mas-
ter’s program because they feel that,
with our academic underpinnings
in consumer behavior, our program
will stand out,” Chakravarty says.
He expects the first class next fall to
attract a small class of 40 students
and then expand rapidly.
Purdue university
West Lafayette, Ind.
CFP Board-registered programs:
Undergraduate and Ph.D. programs,
online program coming soon
Enrollment: More than 300
Faculty: About 15 full-time and
1 adjunct
Student-to-faculty ratio: 20: 1
Tuition: For Indiana residents,
$20,000 a year, including room and
board, food and other expenses;
$40,000 a year for nonresidents.
FPA student chapter: No
Profile: Fundamental research into
consumer behavior defines Purdue
University’s Ph.D. track in planning,
which prepares students for academic
careers. “We make no apology for it,”
says Sugato Chakravarty, head of the
department of Consumer Science.
“Our masters’ students are trained
to be in the corporate world and our
Ph.D.s. are trained to be academics.”
The university also has a large undergraduate degree program, and now
utah valley university
Orem, Utah
CFP Board-registered programs
(online and in person): B.S. in financial planning
Enrollment: 68
Faculty: 2 full-time, 6 from other
departments, 2 to 3 adjuncts
Student-to-faculty ratio: 6: 1 (
including full-time and adjuncts)
Tuition: For Utah residents $2,400
per semester, $6,800 for nonresidents.
FPA student chapter: Yes
Profile: Following the launch last
year of its CFP Board-registered financial planning programs, Utah Valley
has managed to nearly double it student enrollment. Its inaugural three
graduates, set to receive degrees next
month, already have full-time job
offers, says program director Jacob
Sybrowsky, as do most members of
the senior class. “We have a number
of juniors and even a number of sophomores who are working full-time as
well,” he adds. “That’s just great for
the students.” The university is work-
virginia tech university
Blacksburg, Va.
CFP Board-registered programs
(online and in person): B.S. applied
economic management, B.S. finance
Enrollment: 155 combined
Faculty (full-time and adjunct):
6 full-time, 2 adjuncts
Student-to-faculty ratio: 15: 1
Tuition: For Virginia residents $4,593
per semester, $11,787 per semester for
nonresidents.
FPA student chapter: Yes
Profile: Virginia Tech University offers
two full-time bachelor’s programs that
are registered with the CFP board. With
70 members, the country’s largest student FPA chapter is very active, organizing speaker forums and inviting industry professionals to campus, says Derek
Klock, professor of practice in finance.
Recently the chapter launched a series
of philanthropic activities, including
teaching financial literacy to junior high
school students. “The Virginia Tech
programs also have a history of doing
very well in competition against other
schools,” Klock adds. In the past year,
the school won the national iOMe (for “I
owe me”) Challenge, a national competition offering college students a platform
to talk about financial problems and
the future. Students also took second
place in the National Collegiate Financial Planning Championship held jointly
by FPA, Ameriprise and the CFP Board.
