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Husson University Now Offers a CFP Board-Registered Undergraduate Degree Program in Financial Planning

Published on: September 28, 2017

A faculty member and student in a classroom.
J. Douglas Wellington, JD, LLM, an associate professor in Husson’s School of Business and Management helps explain investment concepts to student Kimberly L. Boyle at the university’s Ronan Center for Financial Technology. (2015) Shortly after this photo was taken, Boyle completed her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in management.
BANGOR, MAINE - Husson University announced today that it has been approved by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) to offer a new Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in financial planning degree program.

“Husson University students who complete our financial planning program will now be able to sit for the CFP® certification examination,” said College of Business Dean Marie E. Hansen, JD, PhD. “The CFP® mark is generally considered the ‘gold standard’ of financial planning credentials and is often required by firms that specialize in dispensing investment advice. This recognition is a testament to the quality of education offered through Husson University’s College of Business.” 

“CFP Board is pleased to approve the program at Husson University as a CFP Board Registered Program,” said Blaine Aikin, CFP®, chair of CFP Board’s Board of Directors. “More and more students are interested in financial planning as a career. We anticipate that Husson University’s program will contribute significantly to the number of qualified candidates seeking to attain CFP® certification, the standard of excellence for competent and ethical financial planning.”

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook, the “employment of personal financial advisors is projected to grow 30 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations. As the population ages and life expectancies rise, demand for financial planning services should increase.[1]” As of May 2016, the median annual wage for personal financial advisors was $90,530.[2]

This classroom and online financial planning degree program will consist of 13 courses, comprising a total of 39 credit hours. The program contains all of the required 72 topics specified by CFP Board and is taught at the baccalaureate level.

“As Maine’s largest College of Business, we are the natural choice for professionals who want an education that will enhance their ability to provide informed financial planning services and advice to clients,” said J. Douglas Wellington, JD, LLM, an associate professor in Husson University’s School of Business and Management. “Financial planning professionals need a comprehensive education in investments, budgeting, insurance, taxes and retirement planning, as well as a strong ethical foundation. Here in Maine, Husson University is the best place to get that essential knowledge.” 

“The new concentration in financial planning complements student work on the Husson Stock Index, a measurement that tracks and analyzes 27 companies that are considered to have an effect on the Maine economy. The investment knowledge required by the CFP® certification program can only enhance the accuracy and relevance of this effort,” continued Wellington. “Husson students can also apply their studies toward CFP® certification to the James and Carol Carlisle Fund, a student-managed investment fund designed to provide real life investment management experience.”  The James and Carol Carlisle Fund is currently valued at more than $250,000, thanks in part to shrewd student-recommended investments. 

For more information about Husson University’s Bachelor of Science in business administration with a concentration in financial planning degree program, visit http://catalog.husson.edu/collegeofbusiness/undergraduate/busadmin/financialplanning/

 

About CFP Board 

CFP Board is a Washington, D.C.-based independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to benefit the public by granting, upholding and promoting the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM (CFP®) certification. Those who earn the certification are distinguishing themselves among their peers by meeting CFP Board’s education, examination, experience and ethics requirements. Students completing the financial planning program at Husson University will have met the educational requirement for the CFP® Certification Examination administered by CFP Board.

The CFP Board currently oversees more than 300 programs at more than 200 institutions. CFP Board registered programs are financial planning education programs at the college or university level that meet specific criteria for educating individuals who wish to fulfill the education component for obtaining CFP® certification.

The mission of Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. is to benefit the public by granting the CFP® certification and upholding it as the recognized standard of excellence for competent and ethical personal financial planning. The Board of Directors, in furthering CFP Board's mission, acts on behalf of the public, CFP® professionals and other stakeholders. CFP Board owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER, CFP® (with plaque design) and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements. CFP Board currently authorizes nearly 80,000 individuals to use these marks in the U.S.

 

About Husson University

For more than 100 years, Husson University has prepared future leaders to handle the challenges of tomorrow through innovative undergraduate and graduate degrees. With a commitment to delivering affordable classroom, online and experiential learning opportunities, Husson University has come to represent superior value in higher education. Our Bangor campus and off-campus satellite education centers in Southern Maine, Wells and Northern Maine provide advanced knowledge in business; health and education; pharmacy studies; science and humanities; as well as communication. In addition, Husson University has a robust adult learning program. For more information about educational opportunities that can lead to personal and professional success, visit Husson.edu

[1] United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook. “Personal Financial Advisors,”  https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/personal-financial-advisors.htm 

[2] Ibid

 

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