Consumer Finance & Financial Planning BS
Bachelor of Science in Consumer Finance & Financial Planning
The Consumer Finance & Financial Planning BS is a flexible option that prepares you for a variety of careers in a growing industry.
Is this program right for you?
Do you have a knack for numbers and a desire to help others while working in a promising career field? If so, the Bachelor of Science in Consumer Finance & Financial Planning is the right program for you.
UW–Madison has offered education in family and individual financial health since 1903. With a strong history, this program combines an emphasis on financial management with the economic well-being of individuals and families. You will learn analytical and problem solving skills, communication and listening, and empathy, as well as financial industry skills.
Students will learn key concepts in the curriculum, including principles of financial planning and development, risk and insurance, taxation, investment planning, retirement and savings, and estate planning. All graduates who complete the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) required courses leave fully prepared to sit for the CFP exam.
By combining finance and problem-solving with helping people, the BS in Consumer Finance & Financial Planning prepares you for a rewarding career in a rapidly growing field. Students will graduate equipped to serve the needs of a variety of clients and work in a broad range of finance jobs, such as financial analyst, risk management specialist, community educator, investment associate, product manager, or business development consultant.
Is this program right for you?
Do you have a knack for numbers and a desire to help others while working in a promising career field? If so, the Bachelor of Science in Consumer Finance & Financial Planning is the right program for you.
UW–Madison has offered education in family and individual financial health since 1903. With a strong history, this program combines an emphasis on financial management with the economic well-being of individuals and families. You will learn analytical and problem solving skills, communication and listening, and empathy, as well as financial industry skills.
Students will learn key concepts in the curriculum, including principles of financial planning and development, risk and insurance, taxation, investment planning, retirement and savings, and estate planning. All graduates who complete the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) required courses leave fully prepared to sit for the CFP exam.
By combining finance and problem-solving with helping people, the BS in Consumer Finance & Financial Planning prepares you for a rewarding career in a rapidly growing field. Students will graduate equipped to serve the needs of a variety of clients and work in a broad range of finance jobs, such as financial analyst, risk management specialist, community educator, investment associate, product manager, or business development consultant.
Admissions requirements
To be considered for UW–Madison Online you must be a transfer student. A transfer student is anyone who has attended another college or university after graduating from high school and wishes to enroll in an undergraduate degree program at UW–Madison.
In order to be eligible for transfer admission for UW–Madison Online, you must have completed at least 12 transferable semester hours of college-level work. AP, A-Level, IB, and CLEP cannot be used toward the 12 transferable credit requirement. Freshman applicants are not eligible for admission to UW–Madison Online. A freshman includes anyone who is currently a student in high school or who has not taken college coursework since graduating from high school.
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UW–Madison Online Q&A
March 28
noon-1 p.m.
Join an enrollment coach to get your questions answered and receive advice and best practices to help you continue your educational journey. Registration is not required.
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UW–Madison Online Q&A
April 05
8-9 a.m.
Join an enrollment coach to get your questions answered and receive advice and best practices to help you continue your educational journey. Registration is not required.
Join Zoom Session
Program highlights
- One of the few schools in the nation to offer a Bachelor of Science in Consumer Science & Financial Planning, UW–Madison is named a top 35 great college for this program in Financial Planning magazine.
- A unique hybrid of financial planning and consumer finance, this degree is interdisciplinary, practical, and hands-on. Faculty engage with the UW–Madison Center for Financial Security, nationally recognized for its focus on vulnerable populations. The program provides the perfect place for students interested in numbers as well as impacting a greater good.
- All graduates who complete certain courses leave fully prepared to sit for the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) exam, which our students pass at a rate well above the national average. And students will be entering a growing field: The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 15 percent growth in consumer science and financial planning careers from 2016 to 2026.
The Bachelor of Science in Consumer Science & Financial Planning degree at UW–Madison is ranked #2 in top colleges for financial planning by WealthManagement.com.
How you'll learn
All courses are online so you can learn from anywhere in the world. Most courses have assignment deadlines, exams, quizzes and discussions throughout the term. Peer and instructor interaction varies based on the course, and discussion and engagement in the digital learning environment is encouraged. The program is designed for part-time students with multiple start dates and a mix of 8-week and 16-week course formats, so you can keep career and family commitments.
Sample curriculum
Bachelor of Science in Consumer Science & Financial Planning core
- Consumer Research & Analysis
- Consumer Finance
- Accounting Principles
- The Consumer and the Market
- Consumer Behavior
- Foundational Skills for Business Analysis
Financial planning courses
- Advanced Consumer Finance
- Estate Planning for Financial Planners
- Family Financial Counseling
- Household Risk Management
Professional development
- Financial Leadership Symposium
- Career & Leadership Development
The courses above are required for the Bachelor of Science in Consumer Finance & Financial Planning. In addition to these required courses, all students are required to fulfill a minimum set of general education requirements and a minimum of 120 total credits to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education.
Ready to learn more about Consumer Finance & Financial Planning BS?
View the UW-Madison Guide
Stay in touch
Connect with our enrollment coaches
Our friendly, knowledgeable enrollment coaches are here to answer your questions. Contact an enrollment coach to:
- Learn how this program can fit into your life
- Learn more about credit transfers
- Get help with your application
- Discuss financial aid options
We’re here for you.
Read more about NicoleIn my late 20s, I convinced myself that I would never get a degree. I had given up on my dream. I was so hesitant to come back to school because I felt like I was too old and it was past my time, but I am so glad that I did. I see myself becoming the person I always wanted to be.
Nicole Knutson, UW-Madison Online student, Consumer Finance and Financial Planning BS
