Financial Planning & Wealth Management
Imagine crafting your financial future with precision and purpose. With the Financial Planning & Wealth Management undergraduate certificate, you can complement your major by delving into crucial areas such as Financial Principles, Insurance, Taxation, Retirement Strategies, Estate Planning, and the art of crafting comprehensive financial plans while still pursuing another major. This certificate is designed for undergraduate students looking to develop job-ready skills to prepare for a career in the financial field.
Program Overview
Required Courses
To complete this certificate, students will take three required courses, either:
- FINC 310 Core Financial Management (2 cr) OR FINC 300 Finance for non-business majors (4 cr)
- FINC 304 Principles of Investments (2 cr) OR FINC 325 Investments (4 cr)
- FINC 201 Personal Financial Planning (2 cr) OR FINC 401 Finance Advising (2 cr)
Students will gain foundational knowledge about the financial field, investing, and financial advising.
Elective Courses
Students will also choose elective credits as needed to satisfy the 12 credit requirements from the following courses:
- REAL 200 Real Estate Principles (4 cr)
- ECON 251 Principles of Macroeconomics (4 cr)
- FINC 301 Life Insurance (2 cr)
- FINC 302 Property and Causality Insurance (2 cr)
- FINC 303 Employee Benefits (2 cr)
Why Add a Certificate?
When combining your major with this certificate, you will take classes that, in many cases, will simultaneously count towards your major or minor degree requirements. You can learn to assess investment goals, define risk tolerance, and construct robust portfolios that withstand market challenges. Join the workforce with an advanced level of knowledge to provide financial advice and insights that will brighter financial futures for individuals and businesses.
Certificate Awarded
Once you have completed the courses needed, you will receive a “Financial Planning & Wealth Management” certificate.
Required Courses
Required Courses
To complete this certificate, students will take three required courses, either:
- FINC 310 Core Financial Management (2 cr) OR FINC 300 Finance for non-business majors (4 cr)
- FINC 304 Principles of Investments (2 cr) OR FINC 325 Investments (4 cr)
- FINC 201 Personal Financial Planning (2 cr) OR FINC 401 Finance Advising (2 cr)
Students will gain foundational knowledge about the financial field, investing, and financial advising.
Elective Courses
Elective Courses
Students will also choose elective credits as needed to satisfy the 12 credit requirements from the following courses:
- REAL 200 Real Estate Principles (4 cr)
- ECON 251 Principles of Macroeconomics (4 cr)
- FINC 301 Life Insurance (2 cr)
- FINC 302 Property and Causality Insurance (2 cr)
- FINC 303 Employee Benefits (2 cr)
Why Add a Certificate?
Why Add a Certificate?
When combining your major with this certificate, you will take classes that, in many cases, will simultaneously count towards your major or minor degree requirements. You can learn to assess investment goals, define risk tolerance, and construct robust portfolios that withstand market challenges. Join the workforce with an advanced level of knowledge to provide financial advice and insights that will brighter financial futures for individuals and businesses.
Certificate Awarded
Certificate Awarded
Once you have completed the courses needed, you will receive a “Financial Planning & Wealth Management” certificate.
Faculty Highlight
Dave Vang, PhD, lead faculty for the Financial Planning & Wealth Management Certificate
Dave Vang, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Finance at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business. He has been at St. Thomas since 1988.
Vang graduated summa cum laude from St. Cloud State University and received a PhD in economics from Iowa State University. Besides being an award-winning professor and a former department chairperson, he has performed more than 90 consulting assignments for organizations, ranging from small businesses to Fortune 100 corporations. He was the CFO for a technology firm that began as a start-up and eventually went public, which led him to co-author the textbook Entrepreneurial Finance: An Applied Approach, 4th edition, published by Routledge.
He has taught more than two dozen undergraduate and graduate courses across the areas of managerial finance, corporate finance, financial statement analysis, investments, derivatives, financial institutions, international finance, managerial economics, real estate and industrial engineering.
Career Paths
- Portfolio management
- Hedge fund management
- Research
- Trading
- Marketing
Take the Next Step
There is more to learn about St. Thomas; including our ranking as a Best Value School by U.S. News & World Report, the many classroom and extracurricular activities that will be part of your student experience and so much more. Schedule a visit to see our beautiful campus or start your application today.