Financial Planning and Wealth Management Concentration

Note: this concentration is only appropriate for students who plan to work in the US long-term, since its curriculum focuses on financial planning subjects and rules specific to the US financial planning industry and US tax law.  It would not be appropriate for students who will work long-term in a country other than the US.

Consumers increasingly seek professional advice on managing their finances from professionals with wide-ranging knowledge from taxes and estate planning to insurance and retirement planning to portfolio management. In a recent article title, Forbes described Financial Planning as “One of the Fastest Growing Careers” and noted that the field “is in Desperate Need of Young Talent.” The article went on to explain that the field is expected to grow at a 32% rate over the next decade according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics while the average growth rate for all occupations is 14%.” (Touryalai, 2012). The field of financial planning includes several certifications including the Certified Financial Planner certification (CFP) through the CFP Board and Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) certification through the AICPA. The national CFP Board and regional FPA leadership have reached out to Mason to work with us to develop a CFP-registered program in Financial Planning due to the significant need in our region for graduates with this specialization.

Opportunities

All students have opportunities to

  • conduct independent research
  • engage in globally-related activities through coursework and language study at Mason and abroad
  • participate in many forms of public service
  • prepare for their future careers through internships, career-focused minors and other college-to-career activities