Personal Finance, BS

Personal Finance at UW–Madison has been ranked #2 in the nation by Wealthmanagement.com.

The Personal Finance major is interdisciplinary with an emphasis on financial management and the economic well-being of individuals and families. The program offers two tracks: (1) the Financial Planning concentrations, a CFP Board-Registered program, for careers in financial advising, coaching, and wealth management, or (2) the Consumer Finance concentration with an emphasis on financial product development, financial technology, and consumer behavior.

Named a top 35 great college for the program by Financial Planning magazine, UW–Madison is one of a few schools in the nation offering this Bachelor of Science degree. By combining finance and problem-solving with helping people, the Personal Finance major prepares students for a rewarding career in a rapidly growing field. Hands-on learning opportunities include internships and peer educator positions.

Inside the Degree

Coursework & Careers

The School of Human Ecology’s Personal Finance major is a Bachelor of Science program registered with the Certified Financial Planner® Board of Standards. Our coursework is interdisciplinary with an emphasis on financial management and the economic well being of individuals and families.

Students can take one of two tracks: the more traditional Financial Planning Concentration for careers in counseling, coaching, and wealth management, or the Consumer Finance Concentration working on financial product development, financial technology, and consumer behavior. All graduates who complete the Financial Planning Concentration leave fully prepared to sit for the prestigious Certified Financial Planner® exam, which SoHE students pass at a rate well above the national average.

In the Personal Finance program, you’ll learn to design financial products and craft polices to meet people’s needs, preparing you for employment in a variety of growing fields.

Careers in Personal Finance

Financial Advisors
Financial Coach
Credit Analysts
Investment Fund Manager
Financial Analysts
Investment Underwriters
Risk Management Specialists

Download Curriculum Checksheets

Year entering major:

2023-2024
2022-2023
2021-2022
2020-2021
2019-2020
2018- 2019
2017-2018

Download Financial Planning Curriculum Checksheets

View a map of where Personal Finance graduates have worked recently.

Median National Salaries (U.S. Department of Labor)

$89330 Personal Financial Advisors

$134810 Investment Fund Managers

$83660 Financial and Investment Analysts

Professional Development

Personal Finance Stories

The following section includes a carousel of 5 stories. You may advance through the carousel by clicking on the buttons below.

What do you love most about Human Ecology?

"The thing I love most about SoHE is how everyone is committed to creating a better world through what they choose to study. Ranging from textile design to family psychology to finance, SoHE feels like a pantry full of innovation and positivity- and I’m just very fortunate to be on one of the shelves."

– Walker Rowe, majoring in Personal Finance

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Alexa outdoors, wearing a red, Wisconsin shirt

What do you love most about Human Ecology?

"The atmosphere and friendly environment that is felt throughout the school. At SoHE, there is a sense of community, you are able to connect with professors on a personal level, and your peers are there to help one another strive for success."

– Alexa Tellez, majoring in Personal Finance

Connect with a student ambassador like Alexa

Meet former intern Albert Elston BS’21

Elston, a Los Angeles native and Posse Foundation scholarship recipient, switched from the Wisconsin School of Business into the School of Human Ecology’s Personal Finance for its smaller class size structure and emphasis on the communication aspect of money management. In 2020, Elston also founded Impact VC, the university’s flagship venture capital student organization.

Read the story

Charlie Anthony Genis-Dominguez, a Mexican-American, smiling at the Mall of America while wearing a Virgen de Guadalupe shirt

Charlie Genis-Dominguez: one of only 20 students around the country to win a $10,000 Envestnet scholarship

“The 2021 Envestnet scholarship award has not only helped me financially, it has given me something even more — networking opportunities and the right tools and resources to prepare for the CFP exam after I graduate. Being a first generation Latine student in my family this means so much. I want to use what I learn in the personal finance program to further expose and educate the importance of financial planning to the Latine community and other underrepresented groups in Madison, WI.”

UW South Madison Partnership Intern Daniel Bautista

Daniel Bautista merges his major with community impact

17 percent of UW–Madison’s class of 2020 self-identified as first-generation students. Junior Daniel Bautista is a first-gen student majoring in personal finance and health promotion and equity. Bautista notes that being a first-gen student gives him a different perspectives on how to engage with the community and what public service and civic issues are.

Meet Daniel Bautista