The Rawls College of Business, in association with the College of Human Sciences, offers this joint program, which enables a student to obtain both the Master of Science in Personal Financial Planning and the Master of Science with an emphasis in Finance.  The program is certified by the Certified Financial Board of Standards, INC.  Designed to save numerous semester credit hours in comparison to the total credit hours if the degrees were pursued separately, application must be made and approved by both the Rawls College of Business and the College of Human Sciences.

The ever-increasing demand for sophisticated management and accountability in the financial industry requires professionals whose education is strongly based in business principles.  This educational base is most appropriately provided by an International Association for Management Education (AACSB) accredited graduate degree in both business and financial planning. The Jobs Rated Almanac has ranked financial planning as the nation’s #1 job in 2001.

Graduates of the Personal Financial Planning Program have a very unique opportunity to participate in a wide variety of careers including those in

·        Mutual fund companies

·        Investment brokerage firms

·        Banks

·        Savings and loan associations

·        Counseling agencies

·        Insurance companies

·        Other financial and business institutions

The MS (FIN)/MS (PFP) program prepares students for the CFA exam while the MBA/MS (PFP) program is more geared toward the CFP exam. The Family Financial Program has become highly marketable and meets the standards for certification set forth by the CFP Board.  Texas Tech University is one of two approved institutions in the United States at the Master’s level. Also, the Master’s program in Personal Financial Planning is accredited by the Board for Certified Financial Planners. 

Only two universities in Texas offer graduate programs in financial planning, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Financial Services at the University of Dallas and the Master of Science (MS) in Personal Financial Planning at Texas Tech University.  The only CFP registered PhD program in the US is the PhD in Consumer Economics/Environmental Design (CEED), PFP minor at Texas Tech University.  None of these achievements would be possible without the presence of core courses in the areas of finance, accounting, economics and business law.  The three CFP-registered programs at Texas Tech University require the student to complete courses in investments, income tax accounting and business law (as well as all prerequisites to those upper division courses) in the Rawls College of Business.

Graduates of the Texas Tech Personal Financial Planning Program are educated in one of the leading degree programs in the field of financial planning.  They have the knowledge and experience to excel in the fast paced field of financial planning and counseling in private practice, financial institutions, and governmental and social agencies.

The program requires 22 hours of tool courses, 48 hours of core and required  courses, and a 3-hour capstone course. Students with a recent BBA may waive all tool courses with a grade of B or better in comparable undergraduate courses.