Whitworth University to Offer Master of Science in Financial Planning Degree
The MSFP is designed to advance the careers of a wide range of financial planning professionals, including bankers, client associates, stockbrokers, analysts, wealth advisors, insurance agents and estate planners. Whitworth’s financial planning degree addresses the need for more professionals, and more diverse professionals, in the financial planning industry, which has a rapidly aging workforce.
“The average age of a financial planner is 55 with 20 percent of financial planners nationwide being 65 or older,” says Sinead Voorhees, Whitworth’s assistant dean of Graduate Studies in Business. “When we looked at financial planning programs across the nation, we couldn’t find a graduate program being offered in the western region. We saw a great opportunity to impact this industry through Whitworth’s mind-and-heart approach to financial well-being and stewardship.”
Students in the MSFP program will build a strong foundation in financial planning principles using sound, ethical business practices, and will have the option to choose elective courses that include the biblical foundations of stewardship designed to prepare students to serve faith-based clientele. The curriculum will qualify students to sit for the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) national certification but will also focus on the communication skills needed for a thriving, relationship-oriented career, including effectively communicating value, building relationships with clients and understanding clients’ needs. The program is currently applying for CFP Board registration.
“The financial planning profession is looking for enthusiastic newcomers to the industry,” says Robin Henager, associate professor of economics and associate dean of Whitworth’s School of Business. “Whitworth is the place to build not only the skill set and knowledge to take the CFP® Exam and thrive in the profession, but also the relationship-building confidence to begin a successful journey in this growing field. Spokane’s financial planning community is equally excited to meet our students during networking events that will be held as part of our curriculum.”
The inaugural cohort will start in fall 2023 with a capacity of 20 students. Interested candidates can apply for the program at any time, but cohorts will begin every August and January with the start of fall and spring classes, respectively.
This is a flexible, low-residency program that follows an accelerated cohort model and is designed to be completed in 10 to 17 months. It incorporates online and on-campus residency learning formats to engage students across a multistate area. Students are given the option to take elective courses online or entirely in person at the university’s downtown Spokane location.
Whitworth believes the residency experiences are essential to this program because they will create a sense of community and networking among cohorts, allow for hands-on application of financial planning and counseling tools, and facilitate career opportunities with the firms that sponsor aspects of the program.
Click here for more information about Whitworth’s MSFP program and how to apply.
About Whitworth University:
Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The university, which has an enrollment of more than 2,500 students, offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
Contacts:
Trisha Coder, media relations manager, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or tcoder@whitworth.edu.
