Curriculum (5 courses, 15 credits)
The 15-credit advanced certificate in Financial Planning offered through The College of Saint Rose provides students and professionals with quality financial planning education that fulfills the requirements to sit for the CFP® Certification Examination, administered by the CFP Board. The curriculum includes study of income tax management, employee benefits, retirement planning, insurance, estate planning, and investments. The minimum length of time to complete the program is one calendar year including Fall, Spring and Summer sessions.

Who Should Apply
The Advanced Certificate in Financial Planning is ideal for:

• New graduates and experienced business professionals with a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university looking to earn a stand-alone advanced certificate with the option of applying the 15-credit certificate to the 45-credit M.B.A. Plus
• Saint Rose and other M.B.A. program graduates seeking to add a specialization to their degree

Admissions Requirements
At a minimum, an applicant must possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Applications require a Statement of Purpose, current resume, and all official academic transcripts. The minimum admission requirement is an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. Applicants with an undergraduate GPA below 3.0 are required to submit GMAT scores.

Required Courses
MBA 528 Income Tax Planning (3)
This course includes a study of the concepts of United States income tax laws and their impact on decision-making, individual behavior, business activity and society in general. The topics include an understanding of the evolution of taxation concepts as they relate to gross income, deductions, and credits and the system employed in the United States. Other topics include employee expenses and deferred compensation, tax depreciation, accounting period and methods, and sales of business assets.

MBA 641 Investment Theory (3)
This course is divided into three main topic areas: a description of institutional investors and their customers; risk management of investment portfolios; and the evaluation of derivative securities. Computer models will be used to evaluate: common stock; bonds with and without option features; and options on futures, spot commodities and common stock. Risk management is stressed. Prerequisite: the student is required to have passed MBA 640 (or its equivalent) with a grade of B or better.

MBA 644 Insurance Planning (3)
This course covers strategic analysis and practical applications of insurance planning. Topics include: principles of insurance; identification of life, health, homeowners’, and other property and liability risk exposure; legal aspects of insurance; insurance industry regulation; property and liability policy analysis; life insurance policy analysis; annuity policy analysis; health insurance policy analysis; taxation of insurance products; and selecting insurance companies and agencies. The course also includes an introduction to the personal, or family, financial planning process and standards of professional ethics.

MBA 645 Benefits and Retirement Planning (3)
This course covers employee benefits and retirement plans and strategies. Topics include: life, medical and disability plans in employee benefit programs; business applications of individual life and disability insurance; other employee benefits; social security, Medicare, and Medicaid; ethical considerations in retirement planning and employee benefits; types of retirement plans; qualified plan characteristics; distributions and distribution options; retirement needs analysis; recommendation of the most appropriate type of qualified retirement plan; and suitability of an investment portfolio for a qualified plan situation

MBA 646 Estate Planning (3)
This course focuses on detailed legal and practical issues of estate planning. Topics include: estate planning overview, federal gift and estate taxation, liquidity planning, trust, estate planning for marriage and nontraditional relationships, planning for charitable contributions, postmortem planning, and other special topics. Prerequisite: MBA 572.

Deadlines:
While Saint Rose Graduate School applications may be obtained from Graduate and Continuing Education Admissions, we encourage applicants to use our convenient
online application.

June 1:
Preferred Deadline for Fall Admission

October 15:
Preferred Deadline for Spring Admission

March 15:
Preferred Deadline for Summer Admission

There is no guarantee that applications received after deadlines can be reviewed in a timely enough manner to ensure matriculation and registration for the upcoming term.

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Financial Aid Opportunities The College of Saint Rose offers a variety of academic and some need-based scholarships for graduate students. Interested students should contact Graduate and Continuing Education Admissions for specific details. Academic, Cultural Diversity & International Scholarships Application deadline: June 30 for Fall October 30 for Spring Graduate Assistantships Application deadline: June 1 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Application deadline: May 1 Deferred Payment Plan Employer Assistance Internship in Special Education A full-year paid internship opportunity is available for those applicants who possess provisional or initial certification in elementary, secondary, or special education. We understand that earning an advanced degree is a serious investment. That's why we invite you to tour our campus and speak with an admissions counselor.