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Assist individuals and families with their personal finances as a Certified Financial Planner.
Family Financial Planning – M.S. in Health & Human Development, Family Financial Planning Emphasis
The Family Financial Planning program at Montana State, offered through the Great Plains Distance Learning Alliance, is specifically designed for working graduate students to prepare for new careers in the financial planning sector. Through the Great Plains Distance Learning Alliance, Family Financial Planning students are able to take advantage of competitive tuition prices and the opportunity to study at fellow Great Plains Distance Learning Alliance institutions as the University of Missouri, Iowa State University, the University of Nebraska, North Dakota State University, Oklahoma State University and South Dakota State University – all from the comfort of your own home. At the end of the program, Family Financial Planning students will be eligible to take the Certified Financial Planner Certification Examination, a coveted certification in the field.
Family Financial Planning students have the opportunity to work with award-winning advisers such as Dr. M.J. Kabaci, 2018 winner of the Faculty Excellence Award from the Great Plains Distance Learning Alliance for her work in the program.
Great Plains Distance Learning Alliance
Through the Great Plains Distance Learning Alliance, Family Financial Planning students
are able to take courses from 7 midwestern and western land-grant universities while
paying the same affordable rate from MSU.
Learn On Your Terms
The Family Financial Planning program is specifically designed for busy professionals
who want to advance their careers while maintaining their current lifestyle.
NWCCU-Accredited
Montana State University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).
Fund Your Education
The Graduate School at Montana State is dedicated to helping students secure funding to support their time at MSU. Some resources the Department of Health & Human Development and the Graduate School offer includes:
- Scholarship opportunities through the College of Education, Health & Human Development
- Internal Fellowship and Funding Opportunities
- External Fellowship and Funding Opportunities
Please note that as Family Financial Planning is a self-supporting program, it is not eligible for faculty and staff fee waivers.
Online Learning
Montana State’s M.S. program in Family Financial Planning is a completely online program in partnership with the Great Plains Distance Learning Alliance designed for working students who already have a bachelor's degree and want to work in the area of family financial planning.
With this flexible model, students are able to continue their professional life while also working towards a future career in personal finances. By choosing Montana State University as your home university in the Great Plains Distance Learning Alliance, Family Financial Planning students are able to take advantage of MSU’s attentive faculty advisors, who place holistic care for their students’ well-being at the center of their mentorship.
Careers after Graduation
Masters alumni in Family Financial Planning embark on a wide range of careers within 10-years of their graduation.
Nearly 83% are working in for-profit and about 16% for government. Top industry employers include Abacus Wealth Partners and Firetower Financial.
Across all career paths the estimated salary of alumni within 10 years of graduation ranges from %75,000 to $85,000 with an average of $80,000 (source of data Academic Analytics).
Admissions Requirements
Note: no GRE Required.
Each program within the Graduate School at Montana State has its own particular requirements for admission, and the Family Financial Planning program is not different. To ensure that you start your application on the right foot, please review the admissions requirements for theFamily Financial Planning program. This includes any additional deadlines that the Department of Health and Human Development may have aside from the Graduate School, which does practice rolling admissions.