Personal Financial Planning Degree

Personal financial planning is one of K-State's top earning majors and personal financial planning students boast a 100% employment rate. Graduates can expect to earn around $100,000 per year in their first 10 years of employment.

Demand for personal financial planners is high and is growing. In 2022, more than 228,000 jobs were open in the field. Over the next decade, the field is projected to grow nationally by 15% or more than 30,000 jobs. For Greater Kansas City, which has more than 20 financial planning and wealth management companies, this equates to an additional 5-6% projected job growth.

Graduates of the personal financial planning program are prepared for various careers including:

• Budget analyst
• Financial planner
• Investment advisor
• Personal financial advisor
• Wealth manager
• Trust officer
• Insurance specialist
• Retirement consultant
• Wealth advisor
• Banker
• Consumer affairs

View more options in personal financial planning and the salary data of recent graduates.

The program's curriculum is designed to prepare individuals through quantitative courses, as well as courses focused on learning how to understand and help people. A combined emphasis on understanding financial products and how they work, as well as the role of family in financial decisions, helps individuals build a solid foundation that prepares them to thrive in this in-demand profession. The undergraduate program offers classes in the CFP® core-content areas: tax, investments, estate planning, retirement and insurance. Students also will take classes in behavioral finance, financial counseling and human development, along with various business courses.

A summer internship with 250 clock hours is required. Exceptions may be available to working professionals and non-traditional students.

Course topics

• Retirement planning concepts
• Financial counseling and communication
• Business law
• Business and economic statistics
• Accounting for investing and financing
• The helping relationship

Tracks at K-State Olathe

• Entrepreneurship
• Family financial planning
• Optional concentration

What do classes look like at K-State Olathe?
Courses at K-State Olathe are a combination of in-person at the Olathe campus and online. In-person courses will be offered in the evenings to accommodate working professionals.

• Flexible curriculum designed for working professionals with in-person and online course options
• Working relationships with industry partners that are located within miles of the Olathe campus
• Immediate use of concepts and skills in your work environment
• Multiple events with industry partners and outside firms that promote networking, knowledge of industry and professional development
• Students experience a 100% career placement rate in the field

• Competitive, flat-rate tuition and fees, regardless of the state and city you live
• Scholarship opportunities
• Full-time faculty/advisors with experience as practitioners
• Graduates who receive their bachelor's degree are eligible to sit for the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ exam and the Accredited Financial Counselor® exam.

In this 12-credit hour certificate you will gain the knowledge and skills needed to begin a career in the insurance and financial services industry. You will develop a strong understanding of basic financial planning and insurance concepts, including health, life, property and casualty, annuities and insurance-related employee benefits. The courses required for this certificate also apply toward the core coursework for the K-State Olathe personal financial planning bachelor's degree or it can be completed independently.

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Transfer student scholarship
Undergraduate students who transfer to K-State Olathe are eligible for scholarships. Scholarships are either $3,000 over three years or $6,000 over three years, depending on GPA. Feb. 1 is the priority date for the fall semester for future transfer students. Dec. 1 is the priority date for the spring semester.

Students who transfer to K-State Olathe for the Personal Financial Planning bachelor's degree completion program are eligible for this transfer student scholarship.

Apply for an undergraduate transfer scholarship

New student scholarship
New students who are admitted to the Personal Financial Planning or Hospitality Management bachelor's degree programs at K-State Olathe may be eligible for a scholarship. Priority will be given to students based on their admitted date and will be awarded while funds remain available. These scholarships are non-renewable. Prospective students should email student services to inquire about scholarships. Newly admitted students will be contacted by student services after they are admitted and prior to the start of their first semester about their award.

Scholarship for Johnson County residents
Students who live in Johnson County and who are applying to this program may be eligible for a Johnson County resident scholarship of $500 - $5,000. Awarded amounts depend on fund availability, merit and need.

Apply for the Johnson County resident scholarship

Legacy scholarships
First-year undergraduate transfer students who have parents or grandparents who attended K-State can apply for a $2,000 K-State Alumni Association Legacy Scholarship. These legacy scholarships are awarded each winter for the following scholastic year.

Apply for a legacy scholarship

View all scholarships available at K-State Olathe.

Johnson County Community College students have two pathways into this bachelor's degree completion program. The first is transferring up to 73 credit hours. The second is dual enrollment.

Dual enrollment provides the opportunity for students to earn credits from two different institutions at the same time. Students can start dual enrolling with K-State Olathe once they have 24 transfer credits.

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