This is the preliminary (or launch) version of the 2025-2026 VCU Bulletin. Courses that expose students to cutting-edge content and transformative learning may be added and notification of additional program approvals may be received prior to finalization. General education program content is also subject to change. The final edition and full PDF version will include these updates and will be available in August prior to the beginning of the fall semester.
The concentration in financial planning prepares students for careers in financial planning by providing a comprehensive curriculum and experiential learning opportunities. The program is designed to equip students with the necessary knowledge and practical skills to meet the Certified Financial Planner board's educational requirements. Through a combination of coursework, case studies and hands-on experiences, students gain expertise in areas such as investment planning, tax strategies, risk management, estate planning and retirement planning. Graduates of the program will be well-prepared to sit for the CFP® exam upon completion of their degree, positioning them for success in the financial planning profession.
Learning goals
The program is designed to equip students with the comprehensive knowledge, analytical skills, and ethical framework necessary to develop and implement effective financial strategies for individuals and families. Students will be able to integrate advanced financial concepts with real-world applications, enabling them to make informed decisions that enhance clients' financial well-being and contribute to their long-term financial security..
Student learning outcomes
Upon completing this program:
- Students will be able to identify and use relevant data to calculate appropriate quantitative measures that help in making informed financial decisions.
- Students will be able to describe and expound on several financial solutions in a structured, organized and deliberate manner with comparisons, anecdotal evidence and descriptive analysis.
- Students will be able to express the analytic, quantitative and ethical dimensions of a business problem and proposed solutions in a clear, well-organized manner that is free of bias or distortions.
- Students will be able to identify and analyze ethical dimensions of a business situation and relate those dimensions to general and professional ethical standards.
Financial planning concentration-specific outcome
- Students will be able to identify, gather and apply relevant financial data to calculate key quantitative measures, enabling them to make well-informed and strategic financial planning decisions for client.
- Students will be able to articulate and compare various financial planning strategies in a structured and organized manner, using comparisons, case studies and descriptive analysis to present tailored financial solutions that meet clients' unique needs.
- Students will be able to evaluate financial planning scenarios by considering their analytic, quantitative and ethical aspects, and clearly communicate proposed solutions in a well-organized, unbiased and professional manner.
- Students will be able to identify and critically analyze the ethical dimensions of financial planning situations, applying both general and professional ethical standards to ensure responsible and client-focused decision-making.
Special requirements
The admission requirements for the School of Business detail the deadlines and other requirements for students to be admitted to one of these major programs of study. The following courses must be completed before the student may declare a specific business major: ACCT 203, ACCT 204, BUSN 201 or BUSN 205, BUSN 212 or MATH 200, BUSN 225, ECON 210, ECON 211, UNIV 111, UNIV 112 and UNIV 200.
The School of Business has special academic policies, including policies on transfer credits, that apply to all undergraduate degrees.
All baccalaureate degree programs in the School of Business require successful completion of the business knowledge exam as administered in BUSN 499.
Students may need to take additional mathematics courses as prerequisites to BUSN 212 or MATH 200. These credits will count as open electives in the degree program.
No more than six credits from the BUSN 16X Digital Literacy courses may be applied to the degree.
INTL 493 may not be counted toward a business degree.
Credit for SPCH 121 or SPCH 321 will substitute for BUSN 225, and no more than three credits of these courses may be applied toward a business degree. Students who earned a minimum grade of B in either ECON 203 or ECON 205 at VCU may substitute that credit for ECON 210.
The pass/fail grading policy may not be used for many course requirements. Students should check with their academic adviser before taking the pass/fail grading option.
Students must receive a minimum grade of C in FIRE 201, FIRE 317 and FIRE 463 (CAPSTONE) and must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the remainder of the financial planning concentration requirements.
Degree requirements for Finance, Bachelor of Science (B.S.) with a concentration in financial planning
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General education | ||
| Select 30 credits of general education courses in consultation with an adviser. | 30 | |
| Major requirements | ||
| • Major core requirements | ||
| FIRE 312 | Financial Modeling | 3 |
| FIRE 317 | Investments | 3 |
| • Concentration requirements | ||
| FIRE 309 | Risk Management and Insurance | 3 |
| FIRE 449 | Employee Benefit Planning | 3 |
| FIRE 453 | Estate Planning | 3 |
| FIRE 463 | Financial Planning Capstone | 3 |
| FIRE 201 | Personal Financial Planning | 3 |
| ACCT 301 | Federal Income Taxation for Individuals | 3 |
| Approved financial planning electives (choose two from approved list.) | 6 | |
| Ancillary requirements | ||
| • Ancillary core courses | ||
| ACCT 203 & ACCT 204 | Introduction to Accounting I and Introduction to Accounting II | 6 |
| BUSN 225 | Winning Presentations | 3 |
| BUSN 301 | Career and Professional Development | 1 |
| BUSN 323 | Legal Environment of Business | 3 |
| BUSN 499 | Business Knowledge Exam | 0 |
| ECON 210 | Principles of Microeconomics (satisfies general education BOK for social/behavioral sciences and/or AOI for global perspectives) | 3 |
| ECON 211 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| FIRE 311 | Financial Management | 3 |
| INFO 360 | Business Information Systems | 3 |
| MGMT 303 | Creativity and Ideation | 3 |
| MGMT 310 | Managing People in Organizations | 3 |
| MGMT 434 | Strategic Management | 3 |
| MKTG 301 | Marketing Principles | 3 |
| SCMA 301 | Business Statistics I | 3 |
| SCMA 320 | Production/Operations Management | 3 |
| • Additional ancillary requirements | ||
| BUSN 201 | Foundations of Business 1 | 3 |
| or BUSN 205 | Introduction to the World of Business | |
| BUSN 212 | Business Problem Solving and Analysis (either satisfies general education quantitative foundations) | 4 |
| or MATH 200 | Calculus with Analytic Geometry I | |
| Open electives | ||
| Select any course. 2 | 16 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
BUSN 205 satisfies general education AOI for global perspectives.
Students may choose electives to reach the minimum total of 120 credits.
The minimum number of credit hours required for this degree is 120.
Approved financial planning electives
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT 410 | Advanced Tax Accounting | 3 |
| BUSN 400 & BUSN 401 | Principles of Consulting and International Consulting Practicum (must get credit for both courses to count toward degree completion) | 6 |
| ECON 307 | Money and Banking | 3 |
| ECON 402 | Business Cycles and Forecasting | 3 |
| ECON 403 | Introduction to Mathematical Economics | 3 |
| FIRE 305 | Principles of Real Estate | 3 |
| FIRE 315 | Real Property Management | 3 |
| FIRE 316 | International Financial Management | 3 |
| FIRE 319 | Financial Mathematics | 3 |
| FIRE 320 | Actuarial Probability Concepts | 3 |
| FIRE 359 | Issues in Risk Management and Insurance | 3 |
| FIRE 417 | Security Analysis and Portfolio Management | 3 |
| FIRE 429 | Property and Liability Insurance | 3 |
| FIRE 441 | Funds Management in Financial Institutions | 3 |
| FIRE 445 | Real Estate Investment Analysis | 3 |
| FIRE 451 | Options, Futures and Swaps | 3 |
| FIRE 461 | Cases in Financial Management | 3 |
| FIRE 469 | Advanced Property/Casualty Insurance: Alternative Markets | 3 |
| FIRE 491 | Topics in Finance, Insurance and Real Estate | 1-3 |
| FIRE 492 | Independent Study in Finance, Insurance and Real Estate | 1-3 |
| FIRE 493 | Internship in Finance, Insurance and Real Estate (requires departmental approval) | 3 |
| MKTG 442 | Services Marketing | 3 |
| MKTG 335 | Professional Selling I: The Art of Persuasion | 3 |
| Freshman year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall semester | Hours | |
| MATH 151 | Precalculus Mathematics (counts toward open electives) | 4 |
UNIV 111  Play course video for Introduction to Focused Inquiry: Investigation and Communication | Introduction to Focused Inquiry: Investigation and Communication (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) | 3 |
| General education course | 3 | |
| General education course | 3 | |
| General education course | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 16 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| BUSN 225 | Winning Presentations | 3 |
| MATH 200 or BUSN 212 | Calculus with Analytic Geometry I (satisfies general education quantitative foundations) or Business Problem Solving and Analysis | 4 |
| UNIV 112 Play course video for Focused Inquiry II | Focused Inquiry II (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) | 3 |
| General education course | 3 | |
| General education course | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 16 | |
| Sophomore year | ||
| Fall semester | ||
| ACCT 203 | Introduction to Accounting I | 3 |
| BUSN 201 or BUSN 205 | Foundations of Business 1 or Introduction to the World of Business 1 | 3 |
| ECON 210 | Principles of Microeconomics (satisfies general education BOK for social/behavioral sciences and/or AOI for global perspectives) | 3 |
| UNIV 200 | Advanced Focused Inquiry: Literacies, Research and Communication (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) | 3 |
| FIRE 201 | Personal Financial Planning | 3 |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| ACCT 204 | Introduction to Accounting II | 3 |
| BUSN 301 | Career and Professional Development | 1 |
| ECON 211 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| MKTG 301 | Marketing Principles | 3 |
| SCMA 301 | Business Statistics I | 3 |
| Open elective | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 16 | |
| Junior year | ||
| Fall semester | ||
| FIRE 311 | Financial Management | 3 |
| MGMT 310 | Managing People in Organizations | 3 |
| SCMA 320 | Production/Operations Management (Open elective) | 3 |
| FIRE 309 | Risk Management and Insurance | 3 |
| Open elective | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| FIRE 312 | Financial Modeling | 3 |
| FIRE 317 | Investments | 3 |
| MGMT 303 | Creativity and Ideation | 3 |
| ACCT 301 | Federal Income Taxation for Individuals | 3 |
| Open Elective | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Senior year | ||
| Fall semester | ||
| BUSN 323 | Legal Environment of Business | 3 |
| FIRE 449 | Employee Benefit Planning | 3 |
| INFO 360 | Business Information Systems | 3 |
| FIRE 453 | Estate Planning | 3 |
| Approved Financial Planning elective | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| BUSN 499 | Business Knowledge Exam | 0 |
| MGMT 434 | Strategic Management | 3 |
| FIRE 463 | Financial Planning Capstone | 3 |
| Approved Financial Planning elective | 3 | |
| Open elective | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 12 | |
| Total Hours: | 120 | |
BUSN 205 satisfies general education AOI for global perspectives.
The minimum number of credit hours required for this degree is 120.