K-State’s New Personal Financial Planning Degree and Certificate Meet Growing KC-Area Business Needs

K-State Olathe took a bold step in meeting Johnson County and Kansas City regional business needs, thanks to support from the Johnson County Education Research Triangle Authority (JCERT).

Demand for personal financial planners is high and area firms are scrambling to find talent for open positions. Over the next decade, jobs at Kansas City metro financial-planning and wealth-management companies are projected to grow 5-6%. Collectively, nine Midwest states expect to add more than 30,000 jobs in that timeframe. More than 5,000 financial planning jobs were posted in the Kansas City region last year, while fewer than 750 degrees were even awarded nationally.

K-State Olathe aims to bridge the Kansas City-area gap through its new Bachelor of Personal Financial Planning (PFP) degree and Undergraduate certificate in Personal Financial Planning, funded through JCERT. K-State Olathe is bringing this degree-completion program to the area – and partnering with area community colleges, including Johnson County Community College – so students can pursue their academic endeavors locally.

Program curriculum includes courses in retirement planning, tax planning, financial counseling and insurance products. Those with PFP degrees can choose from opportunities in banking, wealth management, real estate, insurance, estate planning and investing. K-State personal financial planning graduates benefit from a 100% job placement rate.

Another benefit of K-State Olathe’s PFP degree is that it is CFP® Board Registered, so graduates are eligible to sit for the CFP® examination. The CFP certification indicates professionals have met standards of excellence in training, experience and ethics. K-State students completing a personal financial planning program have above-average passing rates for the CFP® exam.

Additionally, the program prepares students with a strong understanding of Kansas insurance concepts, enabling them to pursue an online insurance certificate.

Personal financial planning education doesn’t end at graduation. Each year, K-State Olathe offers a Personal Financial Professionals Summit that provides continuing education for attendees. The summit includes seminars and presentations on the SECURE Act 2.0, special needs planning, goal setting for clients, diversity and more. More than 150 professionals and students attended the 2023 summit, held April 20-21 at K-State Olathe.