The Eli Broad College of Business is providing a new financial planning and wealth management program at Michigan State University, after gaining approval from the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. (CFP Board). The program launched this fall.

“We are extremely pleased that the CFP Board has approved our program. As the need for financial planning continues to increase, our program will provide additional opportunities for our students to contribute to the growth of the wealth management industries,” said Stephen Schiestel, the program’s director at the Broad College.

Stephen Schiestel

Stephen Schiestel

The program is aimed at undergraduate finance majors. It requires the completion of six classes, two of which are required for a finance major. Upon graduation, students will be able to sit for the CFP exam.

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 PLANNER (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 Michigan State University will have met the education requirement for CFP® certification examination administered by CFP Board.

CFP Board currently oversee 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.

“CFP Board is pleased to approve the program at Michigan State University as a CFP Board registered program,” said Richard Salmen, CFP®, chair of CFP Board’s Board of Directors. “As student interest in financial planning as a career continues to grow, we anticipate that Michigan State’s program will contribute significantly to the number of qualified candidates seeking to attain the CFP® certification, the standard of excellence for competent and ethical financial planning.”

Accredited by AACSB International, the Broad College is consistently ranked among the top business schools in the country. Our undergraduate and graduate supply chain management programs are currently ranked #1 by U.S. News & World Report. In addition, our Full-Time MBA Program is ranked #1 in percentage increase on pre-MBA salary by the Economist and #25 for return on investment by Forbes, which noted that our students are able to pay back the cost of their degree in just 3.6 years, the shortest time in the country.

Persons interested in the program should send inquires to Stephen Schiestel at 810-516-3277 or schiestel@broad.msu.edu.