Financial Counseling and Planning

Purdue University in West Lafayette

This program is ranked by WealthManagement.com as one of the Top 20 Colleges for Financial Planning. In financial counseling and planning, you'll learn how to combine your financial aptitude with communication skills to help others achieve financial security. If you’re interested in helping individuals and families improve their lives through financial literacy this program may be the perfect fit for you. 

Courses are taught by faculty who bring a combination of theory, research, and the most up-to-date business practices into the classroom. The program is registered with the Certified Financial Planner Board, and successful completion of the program satisfies the education component of the CFP® certification process.

Within financial counseling and planning, students have the opportunity to complete many hands-on opportunities that prepare graduates to succeed in the workforce. Students use the latest industry software and technology, complete an internship, and compete in case study competitions; many students also join the "Financial Planning Association" student chapter at Purdue. The Division of Consumer Science hosts a career fair each year, drawing more than 60 employers to campus.

The major coursework for the financial counseling and planning major includes personal finance, consumer investments and savings decisions, estate planning, ethics in financial planning, federal tax law, retirement planning, and risk management, along with accounting consumer behavior, business law economics, leadership, marketing, and statistics.