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Finance (B.S.) Financial Planning Concentration

Program Overview

A major in finance trains students to apply financial principles and create financial models to formulate solutions to case studies and current events in both personal and corporate finance. This program has two concentrations to choose from: Financial Analysis or Financial Planning. These concentrations focus on practical application using state-of-the-art techniques that will uniquely prepare and equip students to be effective leaders in the field of finance.

The Financial Planning concentration is registered with the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) and meets the CFP Board education requirement for students to be able to sit for the CFP® exam. Students earning this certificate will be prepared to take the Certified Financial Planning Exam. 

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates from Messiah’s Finance program can:

  1. Students will demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the required professional conduct and regulation for financial professionals. (ULO 4, ULO 5, ULO 6)
  2. Students will demonstrate the ability to develop a comprehensive financial plan for potential clients. (ULO 2, ULO 3)
  3. Students will use Microsoft Excel to create detailed budgets and long-term savings projections intended to achieve client retirement funding goals. (ULO 2)
  4. Recall, recognize, and interpret foundational content related to ACBSP accreditation Common Professional Component—disciplinary areas in which all business majors need to be proficient regardless of their major including Marketing, Finance, Accounting, Management, Law, Economics, Ethics, Information Systems, Global, Quantitative and Integrative (ULO 2)
  5. Apply business concepts, strategies and tactics (ULO 2)
  6. Conduct methodological secondary research into business issues. (ULO 3)
  7. Articulate how the Christian faith informs one’s work life, career, and daily business practices (ULO 4, ULO 5, ULO 6)

Major Requirements

Complete the following for your major:

ACCT 141Financial Accounting

3
ACCT 242Managerial Accounting

3
ACCT 301Intermediate Accounting I

3
BUSA 102Opportunities in Business

1
BUSA 120Principles of Management

3
BUSA 381Business Law

3
BUSA 459Strategic Management

3
CIS 190Strategic Use of Information Technology

3
ECON 120Principles of Macroeconomics

3
ECON 220Principles of Microeconomics

3
 
ECON 307Money and Financial Markets

3
OR
FINA 307Money and Financial Markets

3
 
FINA 305Financial Management

3
FINA 351Investments

3
MRKT 130Marketing Principles

3
STAT 281Applied Statistics for Management

3
BUSA 459: Writing in the major requirement.

Three to four credits from the following:

MATH 107Applied Mathematics for Management

3
MATH 108Intuitive Calculus with Applications

3
MATH 111Calculus I

4

Financial Planning Concentration (15 credits)

ACCT 347Federal Individual Income Taxes

3
FINA 340Estate Planning

3
FINA 345Education and Retirement Planning

3
FINA 440Insurance and Risk Management

3
FINA 445Financial Planning Capstone

3

QuEST Requirements

Experiential Learning requirement 0
QuEST requirements Credits
First Year Seminar 3
Oral Communication 3
Created and Called for Community (W) 3
Mathematical Sciences (MATH 107, 108 or MATH 111) met/major
Laboratory Science 3 or 4
Science, Technology & the World 3
Two of the following (six credits total):
   Social Science (ECON 120)
   European History
   United States History

met/major

3
Literature 3
Philosophy and Religion 3
Arts 3
First Semester of Language 3
Second Semester of Language 3
Third Semester of Language or Cross Cultural 3
Non-Western Studies 2-3
Bible 3
Christian Beliefs 3
Introduction to Wellness 2
Activity Course 1
Ethics, World Views, or Pluralism 3
QuEST requirements 50-52
Major requirements 61-62
Free Electives 12-9
Total 123