The FFP Program consists of 42 credit hours, including 36 required Great Plains IDEA credit hours and six credit hours required by Oklahoma State University. At this time, all courses are to be taught at least once every year.

• DHM 5503* - Housing and Real Estate for Family Financial Planning
• HDFS 5203 - Family Systems
• HES 5253 - Family Economics
• HES 5303* - Fundamentals of Family Financial Planning
• HES 5353 - Financial Counseling for Family Financial Planning
• HES 5403* - Estate Planning for Families
• HES 5453* - Retirement Planning, Employee Benefits & the Family
• HES 5553* - Insurance Planning for Families
• HES 5603* - Investing for the Family’s Future
• HES 5653* - Personal Income Tax for Family Financial Planning
• HES 5703 - Professional Practices in Family Financial Planning
• HES 5803 - Family Financial Planning – Case Studies
• REMS 5953 - Elementary Statistical Methods
• HES 5240 - Master’s Creative Component (Practicum)
  * Graduate Certificate Required Courses

Course Descriptions:

DHM 5503* - Housing and Real Estate for Family Financial Planning.
Overview of the role of housing and real estate in financial planning process from a theoretical perspective. Taxation, legal aspects, mortgages and financial calculations related to home ownership and real estate investments. New and emerging issues in the context of housing and real estate. Role of ethics in financial planning including housing and real estate.

HDFS 5203 - Family Systems.
Research and theory related to family functioning throughout the life cycle, especially financial decision making during crisis and conflict. Factors that shape family values, attitudes and behaviors from multicultural perspective. New and merging issues critical to family functioning.

HES 5253 - Family Economics.
Issues related to the economics of families, household production and human capital development; economics of crises public policy and family life cycle spending, saving and borrowing; special attention to the role of ethics in family economic issue. A theoretical and a research perspective used to illuminate the concepts in the course.

HES 5303* - Fundamentals of Family Financial Planning.
The nature and functioning of financial systems, including currencies, markets, monetary and fiscal policy and supply and demand for land, labor and capital. Focus on the impact of global financial interdependence on individuals and families in the U.S. Current and merging issues, as well as current research and theory relative financial systems.

HES 5353 - Financial Counseling for Family Financial Planning.
Theory and research regarding the interactive process between client and practioner, including communication techniques, motivation and esteem building, counseling environment, ethics, and data intake, verification, and analysis. Legal issues, compensation, technology to identify resources, information management and current or emerging issues.

HES 5403* - Estate Planning for Families.
Fundamentals of estate planning process, estate settlement, estate and gift taxes, property ownership and transfer, and powers of appointment. Tools and techniques in implementing effective estate plan, ethical considerations in providing estate planning services, new and emerging issues in the field. Experience with case studies in developing estate plans for varied family forms.

HES 5453* - Retirement Planning, Employee Benefits and the Family.
Study of micro and macro considerations for retirement, planning. Survey of various types of retirement plans, ethical considerations in providing retirement planning services, assessing and forecasting financial needs in retirement and integration of retirement plans with government benefits.

HES 5553* - Insurance Planning for Families.
Study of risk management concepts, tools, and strategies for individuals and families, casualty insurance; liability insurance; accident, disability, health, and long-term care insurance; and government-subsidized programs. Current and emerging issues and ethical considerations. Relationships between investment options and employee/employer benefit plan choices.

HES 5603* - Investing for the Family’s Future.
Evaluation of investment markets for the household. Analysis of how families choose where to put their savings. Using the family’s overall financial and economic goals to help make informed decisions about which investments to choose.

HES 5653* - Personal Income Tax for Family Financial Planning.
Information on income tax practices and procedures including tax regulations, tax return preparation, tax audit processes, appeals process, preparation for an administrative or judicial forum and ethical considerations of taxation. New emerging issues related to taxation. Family and individual case studies practice in applying and analyzing information and recommending appropriate tax information and recommending appropriate tax strategies.

HES 5703 Professional Practices in Family Financial Planning
Challenges of managing financial planning practices including, business valuation, personnel, marketing, client services, ethics and technological applications. Relying on theoretical as well as applied approach, analysis of case studies applied approach, analysis of case studies that provide relevant, practical exposure to practice management issues, with strong emphasis on current research findings.

HES 5803 Case Studies in Family Financial Planning.
Prerequisites: 5303, 5403, 5453, 5553, 5603, 5653 or consent of adviser. Professional issues in financial planning including ethical considerations, regulation and certification requirements, communication skills, and professional responsibility. Utilization of skills obtained in other courses and work experiences in the completion of personal finance case studies, the development of a targeted investment policy, and other related financial planning assignments.

REMS 5953 Statistical Methods in Education.
Statistical methods needed by conductors and consumers of research in education and the behavioral science. Introduction to interpretation and application of descriptive and inferential statistics.

HES 5240 Creative Component.
Prerequisite: consent of associate dean. An in-depth application of theoretical models and philosophies related to area of specialization.
* Graduate Certificate Required Courses

Tentative Course Rotation:

Certified Financial Planner

On completion of the program, our courses provide you the education to meet the requirements to become a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. The mission of Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc., a professional regulatory organization, fosters professional standards in personal financial planning so that the public values, has access to and benefits from competent financial planning. CFP Board requirements for certification are:
1. Education
2. Examination
3. Experience
4. Ethics
The Great Plains-IDEA Family Financial Planning online degree curriculum is registered with CFP Board and satisfies the CFP Board's topic requirements. Successful completion of the curricula meets the education requirements prerequisite to the CFP® Certification Examination. This is not a guarantee you will pass the exam, only that you will meet the education requirements to take the exam.
After completing your educational requirements, you will work with the CFP Board on examination, experience and ethics requirements for CFP® certification. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, you will have the satisfaction of helping people solve their financial problems and reach their financial goals.
CFP Board website at www.CFP.net has extensive CFP certification information. We advise students admitted to the Great Plains IDEA online degree program to obtain the Guide to CFP Certification. The guide includes an application for the exam, exam fee information, exam procedures and information on the required work experience.
Offices of CFP Board are located at:
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc.
1700 Broadway Street, Suite 2100
Denver, Colorado 80290
Phone: 303-830-7500
Fax: 303-860-7388
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
“ Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and CFP (with flame logo)®, which it awards to individuals who successfully complete initial and ongoing certification requirements.” Oklahoma State University does not certify individuals to use the CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and CFP (with flame logo)® marks. CFP certification is granted solely by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. to individuals who, in addition to completing an education requirement such as this CFP Board-Registered Program, have met ethics, experience and examination requirements.