Background

At the Institute of Personal Financial Planning at Kansas State University, our mission is to build the finest personal finance program in the nation. We believe in achieving this goal one individual at a time, by helping each student strive for personal success. We are committed to giving ambitious, dedicated students the tools to excel academically and professionally. We can provide you with the knowledge, skills and support you need to build a rewarding career in financial counseling and planning.

Housed in the School of Family Studies and Human Services within the College of Human Ecology, we offer undergraduate, graduate and graduate certificate programs that are registered with the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. (CFP Board). Our certificate and master’s distance programs are conducted entirely online, making it possible for you to complete your program at your convenience from virtually anywhere. Once you graduate from any of our programs, you will have met the educational requirements you need to sit for the CFP® Certification Examination, preparing you to create and shape your own professional success.

What does a personal financial planner do?

Personal financial planners help families and individuals understand financial products, how they work, and the role of the family in making financial decisions, such as saving for college or retirement. The emphasis on how money management affects families and their futures gives our programs a human dimension — and graduates an edge.

What career options are available for a personal financial planner?

Our programs prepare students for careers in industry, banking, retirement planning, estate planning, personnel benefits, real estate, insurance, investments and consumer affairs. Graduates often find rewarding work in corporations or independent firms.

What sets K-State’s Institute of Personal Financial Planning apart?

• Distance certificate and master’s programs are conducted online.
• All programs are CFP Board-Registered, qualifying graduates to sit for the CFP® Certification Examination.
• Students have an above-average pass rate in the CFP® Certification Examination.
• The program has won the National Collegiate Financial Planning Competition — sponsored by Ameriprise Financial, Inc. — four times in the last seven years.
• All faculty are Ph.D. holders and CFP® certificants.
• Students benefit from the advice and expertise of the Advisory Board, a group of distinguished industry professionals.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and CFP (with flame logo)®, which it awards to individuals who successfully complete initial and ongoing certification requirements. K-State does not certify individuals to use the CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and CFP (with flame logo)® certification marks. CFP® Certification is granted only by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. to those persons who, in addition to completing an educational requirement such as this CFP Board-Registered Program, have met its ethics, experience and examination requirements.