Financial Planning
Today’s business environment requires increasingly efficient management of a firm's assets. The Financial Planning major prepares students to plan and manage individuals' and institutions' financial interests. This can include portfolio management, estate planning, tax planning, strategic investing and planning, and financial consulting services.
Financial Planners do what many people don’t like doing for themselves: Figure out how to manage their money. By meeting with clients and then helping them determine budgeting plans, investing decisions, insurance needs, and other financial to-do’s, they get them on track to meet their money goals. This Major qualifies the student to sit for the CFP (Certified Financial Planning) Exam
Akron Advantage
All College of Business programs are accredited at the highest possible level by AACSB International, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. In addition, the College is one of only 171 schools that has earned separate accounting accreditation. The College has been consistently rated as one of the best business schools in the nation by the Princeton Review and ranked in the top 6 percent of all undergraduate programs by BusinessWeek magazine.
Our close ties to regional businesses provide many benefits for our students. Business executives share their expertise as mentors and guest lecturers in classes, and provide valuable advice on program and course content, helping to keep our curricula fresh, relevant and rigorous. Students gain valuable hands-on experience through group projects that assign them to solve problems for local businesses and by participating in co-op and internship programs at regional companies.
We are able to provide our students with training in cutting-edge technology as a result of our academic alliances with technology vendors such as Microsoft, and Oracle.
Our active student organizations enable our students to enrich their college experience by providing opportunities for them to apply knowledge and skills gained in the classroom, and by opening doors to new friendships, networking, professional growth, and even jobs. Many of our student organizations have excelled in regional and national competitions, often against highly regarded colleges and universities across the country.
Hands-on Research
Applications-based courses allow students to develop real world decision-making skills through the introduction of relevant business issues into the classroom and the use of expert guest speakers, case-based analysis and integration of current events.
Real-World Experience
Paid-for credit internship and cooperative work experience opportunities are available where students see how their education is applied in real-world settings. Guest speakers expose students to experiences of key members of the business community.
Recent Placements Include:
Corporate Financial Management
- The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
- The Timken Company
- Diebold, Inc.
- Burt Manufacturing
- The J.M. Smucker Company
Financial Services
- Merrill Lynch
- Ameriprise
- UBS
- PNC (formerly National City Bank)
- FirstMerit Bank
- KeyBank
- Northwest Mutual Insurance
- ValMark Securities, Inc.
- Capital Partners, Ltd.
- Scottrade
- Charles Schwab
Finance Student Organizations
The College of Business offers major-specific student groups as well as a variety of general business groups:
- Financial Management Association
- Financial Management Association Honors Society
- Beta Gamma Sigma — an honorary fraternity
- Delta Sigma Pi — a professional fraternity
- Student Speaking Association (SSA)
- International Business Association
- Financial Planning Association (FPA)
Sample Curriculum
Page maintained by the Department of University Communications and Marketing. Complete a Web Project Request if changes are needed to this page.