Year 1 · 30 credits
← Family Office programFamily Office &
Practice with supervision.
Bachelor’s foundations.
Undergraduate program proposal · VR University
Family Office &
Private Wealth Management
Learn to steward wealth.
Prepare to lead with judgment.
A proposed Bachelor of Science that combines broad intellectual foundations with financial analysis, family governance, ethical judgment and original inquiry. Designed as a complete undergraduate education and a preparation pathway into the master’s program.
- Proposed award
- Bachelor of Science
- Curriculum
- 120 proposed semester credits
- Study design
- Four years · Eight semesters
Preliminary applications open. Degree enrollment awaits approval. Degree-awarding authority, academic approval, tuition and launch arrangements remain to be confirmed. No accreditation, transferable-credit or professional-licensure eligibility is asserted.
An education broader than investing
Students study writing, ethics, economics, science, culture and public institutions alongside accounting, investments and operations. They learn to ask whose interests a decision serves, what the evidence supports and when qualified professional advice is needed.
This undergraduate extension follows the graduate-program initiative developed from Elizabeth Gruber’s recommendation, as reported by Dr. Freedom Cheteni, at the Family Office Private Wealth Management Forum WEST in Napa Valley. It does not imply an appointment or endorsement.
Four years. A clear progression.
36
General education
30
Business foundations
30
Family office major
12
Four distinct electives
12
Research, practicum & capstone
Planning assumption: 45 total learning hours per proposed semester credit; 5,400 hours overall. A 15-credit, 15-week semester implies about 45 hours of total weekly study. Academic credit definitions remain subject to approval. The four elective slots must be filled with distinct approved courses. The sequence below satisfies listed prerequisites without relying on concurrent completion.
Year 2 · 30 credits
Institutions & professional context
Semester 3 · 15 credits
Year 3 · 30 credits
Analysis & family-office practice
Semester 5 · 15 credits
Year 4 · 30 credits
Leadership, research & transition
Semester 7 · 15 credits
Course descriptions & assessed work
Each course below carries three proposed credits. Expand a course to see its purpose, prerequisites, evidence of achievement and outcome mapping.
General education
GE101 · Academic Writing & Argument
Write evidence-based arguments with accurate attribution.
Assessed work: An argumentative essay with a documented revision record.
Prerequisites: Program entry and appropriate readiness assessment
Program outcomes: Inquiry
GE102 · Research Writing & Information Literacy
Evaluate source credibility, synthesize literature and distinguish evidence from inference.
Assessed work: An annotated review and source-verification log.
Prerequisites: GE101
Program outcomes: Inquiry
GE103 · Quantitative Reasoning & Financial Mathematics
Use algebra, functions, compounding and discounting to represent financial questions.
Assessed work: A transparent time-value-of-money model and explanation.
Prerequisites: Program entry and appropriate readiness assessment
Program outcomes: Inquiry
GE104 · Statistics & Uncertainty
Interpret probability, sampling, estimation and uncertainty without overstating causality.
Assessed work: A reproducible statistical notebook using public or synthetic data.
Prerequisites: GE103
Program outcomes: Inquiry
GE105 · Ethics & Moral Reasoning
Compare ethical frameworks and reason about duties, fairness and conflicts.
Assessed work: A structured ethical case analysis with competing arguments.
Prerequisites: Program entry and appropriate readiness assessment
Program outcomes: Inquiry
GE106 · Communication, Dialogue & Public Speaking
Present complex ideas clearly, listen critically and facilitate disagreement.
Assessed work: A recorded presentation and moderated dialogue with reflection.
Prerequisites: Program entry and appropriate readiness assessment
Program outcomes: Inclusive leadership · Inquiry
GE201 · Global History of Wealth & Institutions
Examine how property, trade and institutions shape wealth across societies.
Assessed work: A comparative historical inquiry grounded in primary sources.
Prerequisites: Program entry and appropriate readiness assessment
Program outcomes: Inquiry
GE202 · Psychology & Decision-Making
Evaluate individual and group decisions, bias and behavior in context.
Assessed work: A critical evidence review and decision-journal analysis.
Prerequisites: Program entry and appropriate readiness assessment
Program outcomes: Inclusive leadership · Inquiry
GE203 · Scientific Inquiry with Laboratory
Form hypotheses, collect observations and evaluate measurement uncertainty.
Assessed work: A supervised laboratory investigation and reproducible lab report.
Prerequisites: Program entry and appropriate readiness assessment
Program outcomes: Inquiry
GE204 · Environmental Science & Sustainability
Analyze environmental systems, resource constraints and climate evidence.
Assessed work: A systems-based environmental case study with uncertainty notes.
Prerequisites: Program entry and appropriate readiness assessment
Program outcomes: Inquiry
GE205 · Civic Institutions & Public Policy
Examine public institutions, accountability and policy trade-offs.
Assessed work: A policy brief comparing alternatives and affected communities.
Prerequisites: Program entry and appropriate readiness assessment
Program outcomes: Inquiry
GE206 · Arts, Culture & Human Meaning
Interpret cultural expression and reflect on value beyond financial measures.
Assessed work: A critical cultural analysis and reflective portfolio.
Prerequisites: Program entry and appropriate readiness assessment
Program outcomes: Inquiry
Business foundations
BUS101 · Microeconomics
Explain incentives, markets, competition and market failures.
Assessed work: An applied economic analysis of an industry or market.
Prerequisites: Program entry and appropriate readiness assessment
Program outcomes: Quantitative analysis · Professional judgment
BUS102 · Macroeconomics & Global Markets
Interpret growth, inflation, monetary systems and macroeconomic uncertainty.
Assessed work: A scenario brief distinguishing data, forecasts and assumptions.
Prerequisites: BUS101
Program outcomes: Quantitative analysis · Professional judgment
BUS103 · Financial Accounting
Read financial statements and reconcile transactions to reported results.
Assessed work: A statement-analysis workbook and reconciliation exercise.
Prerequisites: Program entry and appropriate readiness assessment
Program outcomes: Quantitative analysis · Professional judgment
BUS104 · Managerial Accounting
Evaluate costs, budgets and performance measures for operational decisions.
Assessed work: A budget, variance analysis and management recommendation.
Prerequisites: BUS103
Program outcomes: Quantitative analysis · Professional judgment
BUS201 · Business Law & Institutional Accountability
Identify legal issues in organizations and recognize when qualified advice is required.
Assessed work: An issue-spotting memorandum with jurisdiction and source checks.
Prerequisites: Program entry and appropriate readiness assessment
Program outcomes: Quantitative analysis · Professional judgment
BUS202 · Corporate Finance
Evaluate capital budgeting, financing choices and valuation assumptions.
Assessed work: A valuation model with a sensitivity analysis.
Prerequisites: BUS103, GE103
Program outcomes: Quantitative analysis · Professional judgment
BUS203 · Business Data Analysis
Prepare data, evaluate models and communicate analytical limitations.
Assessed work: A reproducible data pipeline and decision-focused report.
Prerequisites: GE104
Program outcomes: Quantitative analysis · Professional judgment
BUS204 · Organizations & Management
Analyze organizational design, incentives, teams and accountability.
Assessed work: An organizational diagnosis and proposed evaluation plan.
Prerequisites: Program entry and appropriate readiness assessment
Program outcomes: Quantitative analysis · Professional judgment
BUS205 · Operations & Digital Systems
Map workflows, access controls, service quality and system dependencies.
Assessed work: A process map, control test and operating dashboard.
Prerequisites: Program entry and appropriate readiness assessment
Program outcomes: Quantitative analysis · Professional judgment
BUS206 · Strategy & Entrepreneurship
Evaluate business models, competitive claims and implementation constraints.
Assessed work: A strategy case with explicit alternatives and measurable milestones.
Prerequisites: BUS202, BUS204
Program outcomes: Quantitative analysis · Professional judgment
Family office major
FW201 · Introduction to Family Offices & Private Wealth
Compare family-office models and the roles of owners, staff and external specialists.
Assessed work: A service map, stakeholder analysis and role-boundary charter.
Prerequisites: Program entry and appropriate readiness assessment
Program outcomes: Governance · Operations · Professional judgment
FW202 · Professional Ethics & Regulatory Literacy
Recognize conflicts, confidentiality duties and regulated activities requiring specialist review.
Assessed work: A conflicts register and ethical escalation simulation.
Prerequisites: BUS201, GE105
Program outcomes: Governance · Operations · Professional judgment
FW301 · Investments & Portfolio Foundations
Analyze diversification, fees, risk, liquidity and portfolio objectives.
Assessed work: A synthetic investment policy and downside scenario analysis.
Prerequisites: BUS202, GE104
Program outcomes: Quantitative analysis · Professional judgment
FW302 · Family Governance & Succession
Connect family councils, ownership rights, succession and professional management.
Assessed work: A governance charter and succession case analysis.
Prerequisites: FW201, BUS204
Program outcomes: Governance · Inclusive leadership
FW303 · Financial Planning & Tax Coordination
Map cash needs, protection, retirement and wealth-transfer questions for qualified advisors.
Assessed work: A fictional household planning brief and advisor question register.
Prerequisites: BUS103, FW202
Program outcomes: Quantitative analysis · Professional judgment
FW304 · Private Markets & Due Diligence
Differentiate business, investment and operational diligence; assess incentives and illiquidity.
Assessed work: A manager comparison and investment-committee memorandum.
Prerequisites: FW301
Program outcomes: Quantitative analysis · Professional judgment
FW305 · Treasury, Reporting & Internal Controls
Design reporting and cash controls across entities and service providers.
Assessed work: A consolidated reporting pack and tested payment-control workflow.
Prerequisites: BUS104, BUS205
Program outcomes: Governance · Operations · Professional judgment
FW306 · Women in Wealth & Inclusive Leadership
Critically evaluate evidence on leadership, succession, board authority and access to capital.
Assessed work: An evidence-linked inclusion audit and evaluation plan.
Prerequisites: GE202, FW302
Program outcomes: Inclusive leadership · Inquiry
FW401 · Technology, AI & Cybersecurity for Wealth
Assess data risks, AI limitations, human approval boundaries and operational resilience.
Assessed work: An AI-use register and synthetic-data cyber incident exercise.
Prerequisites: BUS203, BUS205
Program outcomes: Operations · Professional judgment
FW402 · Philanthropy, Impact & Stewardship
Connect mission, grantmaking, investment policy and credible impact evaluation.
Assessed work: A philanthropic strategy with an evidence and accountability framework.
Prerequisites: FW301, FW302
Program outcomes: Governance · Inquiry
Four distinct electives · Choose four of six
FW411 · Real Estate & Infrastructure Analysis
Assess cash flows, maintenance, concentration and long-term asset risk.
Assessed work: A real-asset case with a downside model.
Prerequisites: FW301
Program outcomes: Inquiry · Quantitative analysis
FW412 · Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital
Evaluate startup milestones, financing incentives and technical uncertainty.
Assessed work: A stage-gated venture diligence memorandum.
Prerequisites: FW304
Program outcomes: Inquiry · Quantitative analysis
FW413 · Cross-Border Wealth & Global Institutions
Map cross-border institutional and regulatory questions without substituting for professional advice.
Assessed work: A comparative jurisdiction research brief and specialist referral map.
Prerequisites: FW202, BUS102
Program outcomes: Inquiry · Quantitative analysis
FW414 · Behavioral Finance & Negotiation
Examine behavioral evidence and practice negotiation under uncertainty.
Assessed work: A negotiation simulation and decision-process audit.
Prerequisites: GE202, FW301
Program outcomes: Inquiry · Quantitative analysis
FW415 · Family Enterprise & Ownership Strategy
Compare ownership continuity, governance and enterprise strategy.
Assessed work: An ownership-transition case with alternatives and stakeholder consequences.
Prerequisites: FW302, BUS206
Program outcomes: Inquiry · Quantitative analysis
FW416 · Advanced Research & Public-Interest Finance
Develop reproducible research on finance and social outcomes.
Assessed work: A replication or secondary-data study with a transparent limitations statement.
Prerequisites: FW290, GE205
Program outcomes: Inquiry · Quantitative analysis
Research, practicum & capstone
FW290 · Research Design & Ethics Laboratory
Formulate a feasible question and choose an ethical qualitative or quantitative method.
Assessed work: A study protocol, data-management plan and pilot analysis.
Prerequisites: GE102, GE104
Program outcomes: Inquiry · Quantitative analysis · Governance · Professional judgment · Inclusive leadership · Operations
FW390 · Supervised Family Office Practicum
Apply professional knowledge within supervised boundaries and assess workplace evidence.
Assessed work: A faculty-assessed portfolio, supervisor feedback and reflective defense; an equivalent supervised simulation is available.
Prerequisites: FW202, FW301
Program outcomes: Inquiry · Quantitative analysis · Governance · Professional judgment · Inclusive leadership · Operations
FW491 · Capstone I: Question, Evidence & Design
Develop a defensible research question and integrated family-office case design.
Assessed work: A literature synthesis, approved protocol and prototype operating model.
Prerequisites: FW290, FW304, FW305
Program outcomes: Inquiry · Quantitative analysis · Governance · Professional judgment · Inclusive leadership · Operations
FW492 · Capstone II: Analysis, Application & Defense
Integrate analysis, operational design and ethical judgment in a defensible final project.
Assessed work: An original manuscript, operating portfolio, reproducibility record and oral defense.
Prerequisites: FW491
Program outcomes: Inquiry · Quantitative analysis · Governance · Professional judgment · Inclusive leadership · Operations
Achievement made visible
Inquiry
Evaluate sources, formulate a feasible question and communicate a defensible conclusion.
Quantitative analysis
Interpret financial statements, build transparent models and explain uncertainty.
Governance
Map decision rights, ownership, succession and accountability.
Professional judgment
Identify ethical conflicts, confidentiality risks and limits of professional competence.
Inclusive leadership
Work across generations and perspectives using evidence, dialogue and fair decision processes.
Operations
Design and test reporting, treasury, data and technology controls.
Proposed assessment combines analytical assignments, supervised examinations, presentations, simulations and a cumulative portfolio. Course rubrics evaluate evidence, reasoning, ethical judgment, implementation and communication at four levels: emerging, developing, proficient and advanced. Every program outcome must reach proficient level at graduation; a numerical average cannot compensate for an unresolved integrity or confidentiality failure.
Faculty moderation, accessible alternatives, documented feedback and a published reassessment and appeal procedure must be in place before teaching begins. Students may use permitted AI tools for brainstorming and analysis support, disclose their use, verify citations and defend their own reasoning.
Practice with supervision.
Research with integrity.
A supervised practicum
FW390 plans 135 hours of supervised learning, including preparation, practice, faculty seminars and assessment. Placement availability is not guaranteed; an equivalent faculty-supervised simulation ensures students can meet the same outcomes. Students do not trade, handle client funds or give regulated advice as a course requirement.
A written learning agreement defines supervision, confidentiality, accessibility, safeguarding, evaluation and escalation. Client or family information enters coursework only with authorization and appropriate protection.
A two-semester capstone
FW491 develops the question, literature synthesis, protocol and prototype. FW492 completes analysis and a defensible operating portfolio: governance, investment policy, liquidity model, reporting controls, succession and data protections. Students use synthetic, public or explicitly authorized de-identified data.
Proposed final assessment: analytical portfolio 35%, research manuscript 35%, evidence and reproducibility 15%, oral defense 15%. Appropriate prior ethics review is required for human-participant research; simulations and secondary analysis are labeled accurately.
The journal’s research and practical companions provide material for critique and replication. A suitable student manuscript may enter independent editorial review with authenticated ORCID authorship. Publication, DOI registration and ORCID updates require separate eligibility and authorization; journal acceptance is not a graduation condition. Private records are excluded from public paper agents.
A connected academic pathway · Proposed
Bachelor’s foundations.
Master’s depth.
01 · Bachelor of Science
120 credits · Four years
Foundations, specialist study, supervised practice and an original research capstone.
02 · Graduate readiness
Advising at 60 credits
A portfolio review at 90 credits identifies remaining preparation and a possible graduate research direction.
03 · Master of Science
36 additional credits
Advanced governance, capital allocation, operational design and independently examined research.
Proposed progression requirements
- Complete the approved 120-credit bachelor’s degree before master’s enrollment.
- Meet proposed minimum GPAs of 3.0 overall and 3.25 in the major.
- Earn B or better in research methods and both capstone courses.
- Submit the research portfolio, statement of purpose and two references; complete a faculty readiness interview.
- Meet the master’s current admissions requirements, including any diagnostic-based bridge work.
- Receive a separate graduate admissions decision after both programs are authorized.
An advising and readiness pathway, not guaranteed admission. No undergraduate course automatically earns graduate credit or reduces the 36-credit master’s requirement. Any future accelerated option requires a separately approved articulation agreement. The standard pathway totals 156 credits and approximately 5½–6 years at the proposed study pace.
Explore the master’s curriculum →Entry, support & completion
Proposed admission
A secondary-school diploma or recognized equivalent, academic records, a statement of purpose and evidence of writing and mathematics readiness. Diagnostic-based preparation supports students who need a bridge. No family-office connection, personal wealth, donation or investment commitment is required.
Transfer and prior learning require an approved course-level evaluation, documented equivalence and published residency rules. Credit is not awarded solely for wealth, employment or unverified experience. International qualifications, language readiness, accessibility and support for any under-18 students require approved policies.
Proposed graduation
Complete 120 credits in the defined distribution, with no duplicated elective credit; achieve at least a 2.0 overall GPA and a 2.5 major GPA; earn C or better in each required major and experiential course; demonstrate all program outcomes at proficient level; and pass the capstone defense. Entry to the master’s pathway uses the higher standards above.
Tuition, scholarships, refund terms, faculty appointments and cohort dates remain unapproved. A private preliminary application may now be submitted. It does not grant admission, reserve a seat or enroll a student; no payment is collected. Academic advising, library access, research support and complaints procedures must be funded and published before launch.
Approval & curriculum record
The undergraduate degree and its progression agreement require degree-awarding authorization, independent academic and registrar approval, qualified faculty, approved credit and transfer policies, sustainable resources and evidence from a supervised pilot. Existing university approval controls remain in force. No professional credential eligibility or accreditation is claimed.
Curriculum benchmark reviewed October 21, 2026: University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton undergraduate curriculum combines business study with broad arts-and-sciences requirements. It informed the breadth of this original proposal; no affiliation, endorsement or credit equivalence is implied.