Master of Science in Financial Planning

Help Secure Futures with an MS in Financial Planning

The financial planning field is growing exponentially, and as a result, the demand for financial planners who help others strategize their financial future has greatly increased. 

This 30-credit financial planning degree, offered by the NYU SPS Division of Programs in Business, is certified by the Financial Planner (CFP®) Board of Standards and prepares students for financial advising jobs in private practice, banks, investment firms, and wealth management firms. 

With growing demand, financial advising offers strong career prospects, competitive pay, and the reward of helping others. An MS in Financial Planning from NYU equips you with the skills and prestige for success.

Help Secure Futures with an MS in Financial Planning

Tuition*

$2,785 Per credit
$27,562 Per term (10-12 credits)

# of Credits

30 credits

Study Options

Online | Onsite | Hybrid
Fall | Spring
Full-time | Part-time

Minimum Duration

18 months

*See NYU Bursar site for more info. 

10%

job growth 2024-2034

$125.3K

median salary

91%

working and/or in school

12,081

Global Division of Programs in Business (DPB) alumni

A bearded man works on a laptop whilse seated in an office, with a large plant behind him.

[1] Lightcast 2025
[2] Lightcast 2025
[3] NYU Life Beyond the Square: School of Professional Studies Graduate Class of 2024
[4] as of 1/2024

Why This Degree?

Learn from Financial Planning Experts

Our program faculty are industry experts with years of experience in the field. They impart knowledge in the form of immediately applicable skills, which students can readily apply on the job.

Degree Concentrations With a Professional Advantage

Meticulously researched to ensure relevancy in the evolving, data-driven financial industry, our graduate degree provides concentrations in the areas of behavioral finance and financial analytics—setting you apart by building skills and knowledge in emerging areas of the field.

Work in Corporate Settings and Private Practice

Work for a company or organization or start your own financial planning firm. This degree prepares you for both paths. Gain the skills to work on a larger team and the knowledge and business acumen to pursue a career that has the opportunity to choose your own hours and clients.

Succeed from Day One

We have a community committed to your success and career goals. One-on-one faculty advising, a dedicated team of career counselors, and a wide breadth of student services all come together to ensure that you have the tools to thrive on your post-graduate journey.

Advance Your Career

Earning this graduate degree is beneficial for both early career professionals and mid-career professionals, who will be prepared with strong analytical skills directly applicable to the industry. 

 

CFP® Certification

The MS in Financial Planning is certified by the Financial Planner (CFP®) Board of Standards. The CFP® certification is generally recognized as the highest standard in personal financial planning, qualifying professionals to provide clients with comprehensive fiscal advice. With the completion of the MS in Financial Planning, students will be eligible to take the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification examination.

What You’ll Study

Core Curriculum

In this program, you’ll learn from top experts in the field through courses in financial planning and risk management, investments and wealth management, income tax strategies, retirement planning strategies, estate planning, and research applications. 

 

Internships

Internships provide students with the opportunity to immerse themselves in the financial planning field. Students are responsible for securing their internships independently, which, upon approval, can be taken for course credit. The internship can include on-site work at a corporation, nonprofit or governmental organization, educational institution, or small- and medium-sized companies that provide professional experience related to financial planning.

Financial Analytics Concentration

In the financial analytics track, students will take three courses. Students will leave prepared to confront complex financial planning situations, equipped with the analytical knowledge and skills they need to make their mark on the industry.

Behavioral Finance Concentration

The behavioral finance concentration equips students with advanced training to create a more effective client-centered practice by leveraging the insights from psychology, behavioral finance, and social work.

Capstone

Learn to integrate each of the major aspects of financial advising in the context of a comprehensive financial plan using case studies that leverage an integrative, holistic approach. It also provides an overview of software and data gathering, and working with clients.

 

Where You’ll Go

With a master’s degree in Financial Planning, the finance industry is open to a wide range of career paths.

Companies Hiring for this Degree
  • Elevance Health
  • Deloitte
  • Citigroup
  • Amazon
  • PricewaterhouseCoopers
  • Johnson & Johnson
  • Robert Half
  • Northrop Grumman
  • KPMG
  • USAA
  • Humana
  • Bank of America
  • JPMorgan Chase
  • Accenture
  • Ryder
  • Raytheon Technologies
  • Capital One
  • University of California
  • UnitedHealth Group
  • Takeda Pharmaceutical Company
Top Roles for this Degree
  • Financial Analysts
  • Program Managers
  • Portfolio Managers
  • Treasury Analysts
  • Program Administrators
  • Technical Program Managers
  • Financial Planners

The above data is sourced from Lightcast

Spring 2026

Deadlines

Round

Deadline

Decision Release

Priority

August 1, 2025

October 15, 2025

Regular

October 1, 2025

November 15, 2025

Final

November 15, 2025

December 20, 2025

Priority

Deadline

Decision Release

August 1, 2025

October 15, 2025

Regular

Deadline

Decision Release

October 1, 2025

November 15, 2025

Final

Deadline

Decision Release

November 15, 2025

December 20, 2025

Fall 2026

Deadlines

Round

Deadline

Decision Release

Priority 1

November 1, 2025

December 15, 2025

Priority 2

January 15, 2026

April 1, 2026

Regular

May 1, 2026

June 15, 2026

Final

July 1, 2026

July 15, 2026

Priority 1

Deadline

Decision Release

November 1, 2025

December 15, 2025

Priority 2

Deadline

Decision Release

January 15, 2026

April 1, 2026

Regular

Deadline

Decision Release

May 1, 2026

June 15, 2026

Final

Deadline

Decision Release

July 1, 2026

July 15, 2026

Real World Experiences

Your journey might begin in the classroom, but we ensure that you can learn through experience—rolling up your sleeves and taking your studies to the real world.
Panel discussion at NYU about internships and summer associate programs with several attendees.
Internships

Gain timely knowledge in the field through internships for credit. Some companies where students have interned include Unlimited Capital Advisors LLC (an affiliate of JMG CPAs), Northwestern Mutual, and Cathay Securities, INC.

 A diverse group of people stands together in the foreground of a large, tiered conference room with green and blue seating.
Real World Case Studies

A diverse group of people stands together in the foreground of a large, tiered conference room with green and blue seating.

Learn More About How You'll Learn
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Capstone

All MS in Financial Planning students must complete the capstone course using FinTech software, which requires them to develop a comprehensive financial plan based on the culmination of their graduate degree studies.

Learn more About Capstone

Frequently Asked Questions

The program is certified by the Financial Planner (CFP®) Board of Standards. The CFP Board is a nonprofit organization acting in the public interest by fostering professional standards in personal financial planning through its setting and enforcement of the education, examination, experience, ethics, and other requirements for CFP® certification.


The Certified Financial Planner™ certification is a well-known, internationally recognized certification in the financial planning industry. The certification implies that the holder has met rigorous requirements and immediately conveys expertise and credibility in the field. The CFP® certification is generally recognized as the highest standard in personal financial planning, qualifying financial planning professionals to provide clients with comprehensive financial advice. Students will be eligible to take the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM certification examination upon completion of their coursework.

Financial planning is the comprehensive process of helping individuals and families meet their lifetime financial goals through the proper management of their financial resources. Currently, financial planning is growing at a rate faster than many other industries. An increased number of financial planners will be necessary to meet the growing demand for future jobs in the industry, which is ranked 23rd by market size and is the 179th largest in the United States according to US News & World Report.

Financial planning professionals are trained and hired by clients to gather the necessary information to assess the clients’ financial situation, identify their financial goals and objectives, develop recommendations, communicate and implement those recommendations, and provide a written plan for continuous monitoring. Studies show that individuals who use the services of a comprehensive financial planner tend to do better financially.

The industry is faced with an aging workforce since 56% of financial planners are over the age of 50. Opportunities for individuals who want to build a lucrative and promising career in the industry have never been greater. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for a financial advisor in 2018 was $88,980 nationally, and in New York, the average annual salary was $164,260.

This 30-credit financial planning master's degree, offered by the NYU SPS Division of Programs in Business, is certified by the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) Board of Standards. This education prepares students with critical thinking, financial analysis, and investing skills for financial advising and services positions in private practice, banks, investment firms, non-profit organizations, and wealth management firms.

The Master of Science in Financial Planning is housed in the School of Professional Studies (SPS) at NYU. SPS has a long history of training students in applied disciplines where the emphasis is on providing them with the knowledge, hands-on experience, and the development of job skills pertinent to the industry, thus graduating the kind of students that employers seek to recruit.

Financial planning students can be expected to take courses in financial planning and risk management, investments and wealth management, income tax strategies, retirement planning strategies, estate planning, research applications, and a comprehensive capstone course, which combines all the areas of financial planning. 

In addition, students will be able to choose an area of concentration. Students that want to work directly with clients can take courses in behavioral finance, while those who wish to work in a more data-driven financial planning role can take courses in financial analytics. Students may be able to secure internship opportunities for practical experience.

One of the best things about a career in financial planning is the flexibility it offers. Many financial planners become entrepreneurs and establish their own practices; this affords the planners the most flexibility and control over their careers. Many others decide to work for a financial planning firm where they can interact directly with clients or in a research or analytics capacity. Others may wish to work for large financial service organizations or banks.

Financial planning has a direct impact on people’s lives by transforming their financial health. It is about helping individuals and families achieve financial well-being and helping people get out of debt, send their children to college, or retire comfortably. A career as a financial advisor was rated number nine by US News and World Report in their Best Business Jobs survey. The survey also ranked the career of financial advisor 44th on their list of the top 100 best jobs.