California State University, Northridge has been included among Financial Planning magazine’s “30 great schools for financial planning” in the nation.

Magazine officials said the schools were chosen based on numerous interviews with planning industry leaders and educators. The list appears in the magazine’s November 2013 issue. This is the second year in a row that Financial Planning has included CSUN on its list of great schools for students interested in financial planning.

CSUN’s College of Business and Economics

“This is a great honor,” said Kristine Beck, a professor in CSUN’s Department of Finance, Financial Planning and Insurance. “We work hard to ensure that the students in our program have the comprehensive wealth management skills they need to succeed.”

Among the items cited by magazine officials in the latest listing was the university’s decision in 2012 to register its two undergraduate planning programs with the Certified Financial Planner Board, which aims of improving financial literacy in Southern California. “The administrators hope students, many of whom are the first generation in their families to attend college, will become planners for underserved populations throughout the region,” the article said.

CSUN’s Department of Finance, Financial Planning and Insurance offers a bachelor’s of science in finance, a bachelor’s of science in business administration with an option in insurance and financial services and a minor in finance. Finance majors receive among the highest average starting salaries of business graduates. The department is located in CSUN’s College of Business and Economics, one of the largest business schools in the nation. The college offers a variety of undergraduate programs in accountancy, business administration, economics, information systems, management and marketing, in addition to finance.

The College of Business and Economics is home to several nationally recognized programs where students gain valuable hands-on experience working alongside faculty members and business professionals in a variety of areas. Among its acclaimed programs is the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program in which CSUN students provide free tax preparation assistance to low income families and individuals. The college is also home to the San Fernando Valley Economic Research Center where students work with faculty in collecting, assembling, analyzing, and disseminating economic, social and demographic data pertaining to the Valley.

College of Business and Economics, Financial Planning