Program Information: Associate’s Degree in Financial Planning
Majors Overview June 17, 2013A range of subject areas such as investments and corporate finance, as well as consumer and commercial credit is covered in the broad field of finance. Schools offer associate’s degree programs in financial planning in both on-campus and online formats; however, schools do not offer financial planning as a major area of specialization, but only within a common category of academics, like accounting or business.
Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Financial Planning Degree
Students enrolled in an Associate of Applied Science in Financial Planning degree program are primarily taught about the fundamental components of financial transactions as well as the operational techniques and methods that are employed by various financial institutions. Students who successfully complete this program can expect to learn basic modes of analyzing mutual funds, stocks and bonds. Typically, a student has to complete semesters’ coursework spanning sixty-four hours in order to finish a financial planning associate’s degree program that usually takes two years.
Education Requirements
Admission criteria usually require applicants to hold a general educational development (GED) certificate or a high school diploma. Students will be prepared to handle college-level coursework, if they register high scores in math courses.
Program Course Topics
Students are required to take a specific number of general academic courses as well as financial planning classes and electives to obtain the associate’s degree. The associate degree program course topics may include the following:
•Elder law and estate planning
•Financial planning for retirement
•Credit management
•Investments fundamentals
•Financial, banking, and money markets
•Finance principles
Career Options
Associate degree program graduates will be able to work as bookkeepers and track the financial operations within an organization or business. The average annual salary for bookkeepers was $34,000, according to Indeed.com.
Information on Continuing Education
Quite often, students who have completed an associate’s degree program choose to continue their education by enrolling in a four-year bachelor’s degree program in similar or same field. Most financial analyst jobs require individuals to hold a bachelor or master degree, along with professional certifications and licenses, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS – www.bls.gov).
