Finance, M.S.

The Master of Financial Planning and Analytics (MFPA) degree program prepares students for professional positions in financial planning and financial analytics. Our curriculum is also designed to help our students progress towards professional certifications, including the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER(TM) (CFP®) certification and the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) certification. Students with foundational courses in financial planning or financial analytics can further expand their existing knowledge by selecting relevant elective courses in new areas of study. With extensive connections to firms across the nation, we seek to provide the best graduate education possible in financial planning and financial analytics.

Matriculation Requirements

The university uses a selective admissions process for admitting students to graduate programs. Meeting minimum admissions criteria does not guarantee admission to the graduate program or to the University as a graduate student.

The minimum admissions criteria include the following:

1. Acceptance of an application to the Master of Financial Planning and Analytics program, including payment of the application fee by the established deadline.

2. Official transcripts from all universities attended properly submitted.

3. A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college/university, a nationally accredited program, or the international equivalent.

4. A 3.0 or higher cumulative undergraduate GPA or a 3.0 or higher GPA calculated on the last 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of undergraduate coursework.

5. For international students whose native language is not English, a TOEFL score of 80 iBT (550 pBT) or higher, or an IELTS band score of 6.5 or higher within the past two years.

6. For international students, all US government requirements for international students must be met.

Program Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Total Credit Hours		36
Discipline Core Requirements:		18 Credits
FIN 6130	Financial Statement Analysis and Modeling	3
FIN 6140	Regulatory Policy in Financial Services	3
FIN 6170	Investment Analysis and Portfolio Analysis	3
FIN 6340	Analytics and Advanced Statistics	3
FIN 6820	Research Methods	3
FIN 6840	Behavioral Finance Seminar	3
Elective Requirements		18 Credits
Select 18 semester credit hours from the following courses		18
Students preparing to sit for the CFP(R) exam will need to complete the following elective courses:
FIN 6060	Financial Planning for Professionals (3)
FIN 6210	Retirement Planning (3)
FIN 6260	Estate Planning (3)
FIN 6300	Income Tax Planning (3)
FIN 6800	Financial Planning Capstone and Case Analysis (3)
Students preparing to sit for the CFA(R) exam (Level 1) are strongly encouraged to take the following elective courses:
FIN 6510	CFA I Investment Products (3)
FIN 6520	CFA I Financial Markets (3)
FIN 6810	CFA Exam Preparation (3)
Additional elective courses:
FIN 6160	International Financial Management (3)
FIN 6350	Retirement Income Planning (3) (Can substitute for Retirement Planning for the CFP® certification)
FIN 6370	Wealth Management (3)
FIN 6380	Advanced Estate Planning and Asset Protection (3)
FIN 6390	Financial Technology (3)
FIN 6400	Managing Client Relationships (3)
FIN 6450	Planning for Financial Planning Business Owners (3)
FIN 6700	CFP Exam Preparation (3) Strongly recommended to prepare for the CFP® exam
FIN 679R	Special Topics in Finance (3)
FIN 689R	Internship (undefined)
FIN 690R	Independent Study (3)
Other graduate level courses as approved by the MFPA Program Director or Advisor

Graduation Requirements

1. Complete a minimum of 36 semester credit hours at the graduate level.
2. Earn a grade of C or higher for all courses used to satisfy the graduation requirement.
3. Achieve a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.
4. Complete a minimum of 24 of the graduate program credit hours at Utah Valley University.

Graduation Plan

This graduation plan is a sample plan and is intended to be a guide. Your specific plan may differ based on your Math and English placement and/or transfer credits applied. You are encouraged to meet with an advisor and set up an individualized graduation plan in Wolverine Track.

This Plan of Study is recommended for full-time students.

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
Semester 1		Credit Hours
FIN 6130	Financial Statement Analysis and Modeling	3
FIN 6840	Behavioral Finance Seminar	3
Select two elective courses:		6
FIN 6060	Financial Planning for Professionals
FIN 6300	Income Tax Planning
FIN 6380	Advanced Estate Planning and Asset Protection
FIN 6450	Planning for Financial Planning Business Owners
FIN 6510	CFA I Investment Products
FIN 6520	CFA I Financial Markets
	Credit Hours	12
Semester 2
FIN 6170	Investment Analysis and Portfolio Analysis	3
FIN 6340	Analytics and Advanced Statistics	3
Select two elective courses:		6
FIN 6260	Estate Planning
FIN 6210	Retirement Planning
FIN 6350	Retirement Income Planning
FIN 6370	Wealth Management
FIN 6810	CFA Exam Preparation
	Credit Hours	12
Semester 3
FIN 6140	Regulatory Policy in Financial Services	3
FIN 6820	Research Methods	3
Select two elective courses:		6
FIN 6160	International Financial Management
FIN 6390	Financial Technology
FIN 6700	CFP Exam Preparation
FIN 6800	Financial Planning Capstone and Case Analysis
	Credit Hours	12
	Total Credit Hours	36

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Apply financial and behavioral theories to investment analysis, portfolio construction, and other financial decisions.
2. Evaluate challenges and opportunities that financial professionals, individuals, and firms face using financial ratios and other analytics.
3. Develop research skills through appropriate methods and analytics for individual and institutional investors.
4. Communicate effectively as competent and ethical financial professionals.