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Financial Counseling and Planning

This is an archived copy of the 2020-2021 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.iastate.edu.

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Administered by the Department of Human Development and Family Studies. Leading to the degree bachelor of science.

The Financial Counseling and Planning curriculum prepares students for careers in family financial services. Financial Counseling and Planning is a growing career field and appeals to students who want to work with individuals and families to help them meet their financial goals and improve their financial capability to better meet financial challenges. Coursework provides students with the family resource management and interpersonal skills needed to help families remain financially secure. Based on individual specific career goals, students may select courses that lead to fulfilling the education requirements for the leading designations and certifications in financial counseling and planning. Graduates of the program are prepared for employment in personal banking, financial services, insurance, financial counseling and planning, and human service organizations. Laboratory and practicum opportunities exist in the Iowa State University Financial Counseling Clinic and with industry partners. A field experience encourages students to apply their studies and to experience the profession in real-world settings.

Total credits required: 120 

 Financial Counseling and Planning core (AFC exam ready): 24 credits

HD FS 102Individual and Family Development, Health, and Well-being3
HD FS 239Consumer Issues3
HD FS 270Family Communications and Relationships3
HD FS 283Personal and Family Finance3
HD FS 317Field Experiences3
HD FS 341Household Finance and Policy3
HD FS 383Fundamentals of Financial Planning3
HD FS 489Financial Counseling2
HD FS 489LFinancial Counseling Laboratory1
Total Credits24

Emphasis: 15-16 credits from courses listed below.

HD FS 234Adult Development3
HD FS 249Parenting and Family Diversity Issues3
HD FS 360Housing and Services for Families and Children3
HD FS 369Research Methods in Human Development and Family Studies3
HD FS 377Aging and the Family3
HD FS 378Retirement Planning and Employee Benefits *3
HD FS 395Children, Families, and Public Policy3
HD FS 449Program Evaluation and Proposal Writing3
HD FS 479Family Interaction Dynamics3
HD FS 482Family Savings and Investments *3
HD FS 484Estate Planning for Families *3
HD FS 485Capstone: Family Financial Planning *3
HD FS 491Internship4
FIN 361Personal Risk Management and Insurance *3

 * Required elective to meet CFP® education requirements.

Communications and Library: 13 credits

ENGL 150Critical Thinking and Communication3
ENGL 250Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition3
LIB 160Information Literacy1
One of the following:3
Fundamentals of Public Speaking
Interpersonal Communication
Conflict Management
One of the following:3
Business Communication
Proposal and Report Writing
Technical Communication
Total Credits13

 Natural Sciences and Mathematical Disciplines: 10 credits

STAT 101Principles of Statistics4
Computer Science course3
ACCT 284Financial Accounting3
or MATH, STAT, or Natural Sciences course from approved HD FS list
Total Credits10

Social Sciences: 9 credits

ECON 101Principles of Microeconomics3
SOC 134Introduction to Sociology3
ANTHR, ECON, POL S, PSYCH, or SOC course3
Total Credits9

 Humanities: 6 credits

Humanities course from approved HD FS list6
Total Credits6

 HD FS orientation: 1 credit

HD FS 110Freshman Learning Community Orientation1
or HD FS 111 New Transfer Student Seminar
Total Credits1

Electives: 41-42 credits as needed to equal 120 total credits

Courses from accounting, community and regional planning, economics, finance, gerontology, human development and family studies, journalism, management, marketing, political science, psychology, and sociology are suggested.

Total credits: 120 credits

U.S. Diversity and International Perspectives Requirement: Students fulfill the U.S. Diversity and International Perspectives Requirement by choosing three credits of coursework from each of the university-approved lists.

Financial Counseling and Planning

Freshman
FallCreditsSpringCredits
HD FS 1023ACCT 2843
HD FS 1101SOC 1343
HD FS 2833Computer science course**3
LIB 1601Humanities course**3
ENGL 1503Emphasis course3
RELIG 205 (humanities course)3PSYCH 131 (recommended elective)1
 14 16
Sophomore
FallCreditsSpringCredits
HD FS 2393Emphasis course3
HD FS 3413ECON 1013
STAT 1014SP CM 212, COMST 211, or COMST 2183
ENGL 2503Humanities Course**3
HD FS 3833Elective*3
 16 15
Junior
FallCreditsSpringCredits
HD FS 2703HD FS 3173
Emphasis course3HD FS 4892
Emphasis course3ENGL 302, 309, or 3143
Electives3Emphasis course3
Humanities3Electives*6
 15 17
Senior
FallCreditsSpringCredits
Emphasis course3HD FS 4914
ANTHR, ECON, POL S, PSYCH or SOC (social sciences)3Electives*10
Electives*7 
HD FS 489L1 
 14 14