Graduate Course Descriptions

The time when the student works with committee members to complete the dissertation.Students must register for consecutive semesters of dissertation. EDL 800 involves preparation of the final document and the dissertation defense. See Dissertation Handbook for further details.

This course addresses the importance of planning for insurance needs and covers the basic concepts in risk management and insurance. Topics include health and disability insurance, life insurance and annuities, long-term care, property and casualty insurance.

This course reviews federal tax law and explains income tax fundamentals for individuals, businesses, and trusts and estates. Topics include income tax fundamentals, AMT, tax reduction techniques, property transactions and passive activity, and charitable contributions and deductions.

This course focuses on retirement savings and income planning for individuals and businesses. Topics include retirement needs analysis, Social Security and Medicare, types of retirement plans, qualified plan rules and options, key factors affecting plan selection for businesses, distribution rules and strategies, and business succession planning.

This course discusses the characteristics, uses, and taxation of investment vehicles. Also addressed are the types of investment risk, calculating investment returns, asset allocation and portfolio diversifications, and portfolio development and investment strategies.

This course provides an overview of the gift and estate tax system and basic estate planning strategies. Topics include characteristics of property titling and strategies to transfer property, critical estate planning documents, gift and estate tax calculations, sources for estate liquidity, types and features of trusts, and estate planning for nontraditional relationships.

This capstone course applies the knowledge gleaned during the program in areas of risk, tax, retirement, investment, and estate financial planning through the use of case study analysis.

This course provides an overview of the financial planning process, including the role and responsibilities of a financial planner and the analytical tools required for effective decision making. Topics include professional conduct and ethics, regulatory issues, economic concepts, time-value-of money, debt management, and education planning.

This course provides opportunities for students to understand and appreciate the developmental experiences of all people across the lifespan. This course includes: development theories related to the human growth process, and salient biological and environmental factors which affect the process of human growth and development.