{ "schema": "research-university.degree-blueprint/1.0", "status": "proposed—not open for enrollment", "title": "Master of Science in Family Office and Private Wealth Management", "code": "MS-FOPWM", "institution": "VR University · The Research University", "version": "2026-10-21", "credits": 36, "coreCredits": 24, "electiveCredits": 6, "capstoneCredits": 6, "duration": "18–24 months proposed, part-time", "creditBasis": "Planning assumption: 45 total learning hours per proposed semester credit; 1,620 hours overall. Subject to academic approval. No transferable credit or degree authority asserted.", "origin": "Developed following a recommendation reported by Dr. Freedom Cheteni from Elizabeth Gruber, COO of Gruber Partnerships, at the Family Office Private Wealth Management Forum WEST in Napa Valley. This records the reported origin, not an appointment, partnership or institutional endorsement.", "outcomes": { "Governance": "Design accountable decision rights, succession and oversight across a family-office system.", "Ethics": "Identify conflicts, protect confidential information and distinguish professional advice from educational analysis.", "Operations": "Build testable financial controls, resilient workflows and service-provider oversight.", "Analysis": "Defend portfolio and private-capital decisions using transparent assumptions, downside scenarios and uncertainty.", "Leadership": "Facilitate inclusive family governance and evaluate leadership development fairly.", "Research": "Conduct ethical, reproducible inquiry and communicate findings with traceable evidence." }, "courses": [ { "code": "FO601", "title": "Governance, Ethics & Family Office Architecture", "type": "core", "credits": 3, "prerequisites": [], "description": "Compare single-family, multifamily and outsourced operating models; define decision rights, conflicts and accountability.", "assessment": "A family charter, service map, conflicts register and delegated-authority matrix.", "outcomes": [ "Governance", "Ethics" ] }, { "code": "FO602", "title": "Financial Reporting, Treasury & Internal Controls", "type": "core", "credits": 3, "prerequisites": [], "description": "Reconcile consolidated reporting, entity structures, cash controls, valuations and vendor oversight.", "assessment": "A consolidated reporting pack, cash forecast and dual-approval payment-control simulation.", "outcomes": [ "Operations", "Analysis" ] }, { "code": "FO603", "title": "Portfolio Design, Liquidity & Risk", "type": "core", "credits": 3, "prerequisites": [], "description": "Build goal-based allocations; model capital calls, distributions, concentration, inflation and liquidity stress.", "assessment": "A reproducible investment policy statement and scenario model with explicit assumptions.", "outcomes": [ "Analysis", "Ethics" ] }, { "code": "FO604", "title": "Private Capital & Manager Due Diligence", "type": "core", "credits": 3, "prerequisites": [ "FO602", "FO603" ], "description": "Distinguish investment diligence from operational diligence; examine fees, incentives, valuation and selection bias.", "assessment": "An investment-committee memorandum, manager scorecard and adverse-case analysis.", "outcomes": [ "Analysis", "Operations" ] }, { "code": "FO605", "title": "Wealth Transfer, Trusts & Cross-Border Coordination", "type": "core", "credits": 3, "prerequisites": [ "FO601" ], "description": "Map ownership, succession and advisor responsibilities across jurisdictions; identify issues requiring licensed counsel.", "assessment": "An entity and succession map with jurisdiction-specific questions for legal and tax advisors.", "outcomes": [ "Governance", "Ethics" ] }, { "code": "FO606", "title": "Family Dynamics, Succession & Inclusive Leadership", "type": "core", "credits": 3, "prerequisites": [ "FO601" ], "description": "Evaluate family systems, negotiation, next-generation development and barriers to women’s decision-making authority.", "assessment": "A succession pathway, facilitated family-council simulation and inclusion audit.", "outcomes": [ "Leadership", "Governance" ] }, { "code": "FO607", "title": "AI, Data, Cybersecurity & Operational Resilience", "type": "core", "credits": 3, "prerequisites": [ "FO602" ], "description": "Design access controls, data classification, continuity plans and human approval of AI-assisted work.", "assessment": "A tabletop incident exercise, AI-use register and tested recovery playbook using synthetic data.", "outcomes": [ "Operations", "Ethics" ] }, { "code": "FO608", "title": "Research Methods & Evidence Assessment", "type": "core", "credits": 3, "prerequisites": [], "description": "Evaluate causal claims, qualitative designs, sampling, uncertainty, reproducibility and research ethics.", "assessment": "A preregistration-ready study protocol, literature review and reproducible pilot analysis.", "outcomes": [ "Research", "Analysis" ] }, { "code": "FO611", "title": "Real Assets, Energy & Infrastructure", "type": "elective", "credits": 3, "prerequisites": [ "FO603" ], "description": "Assess cash flows, maintenance, physical risks, concentration and long-horizon technology exposure.", "assessment": "A downside-first asset memorandum and sensitivity model.", "outcomes": [ "Analysis", "Operations" ] }, { "code": "FO612", "title": "Philanthropy, Impact & Endowment Stewardship", "type": "elective", "credits": 3, "prerequisites": [ "FO601", "FO603" ], "description": "Connect donor intent, spending policy, mission, impact evidence and accountability.", "assessment": "A grantmaking charter, spending-policy stress test and impact-evaluation plan.", "outcomes": [ "Governance", "Research" ] }, { "code": "FO613", "title": "Venture, Deep Tech & University Commercialization", "type": "elective", "credits": 3, "prerequisites": [ "FO604" ], "description": "Distinguish technical milestones, market validation, intellectual-property rights and financing risk.", "assessment": "A stage-gated diligence plan and milestone-based capital-allocation proposal.", "outcomes": [ "Analysis", "Research" ] }, { "code": "FO614", "title": "Women in Wealth & Capital Leadership", "type": "elective", "credits": 3, "prerequisites": [ "FO606", "FO608" ], "description": "Critically synthesize evidence on succession, ownership, boards and access to capital without treating gender as a proxy for competence.", "assessment": "An evidence-linked leadership intervention, baseline measures and evaluation design.", "outcomes": [ "Leadership", "Research" ] }, { "code": "FO699", "title": "Family Office Design & Research Capstone", "type": "capstone", "credits": 6, "prerequisites": [ "FO601", "FO602", "FO603", "FO604", "FO605", "FO606", "FO607", "FO608" ], "description": "Integrate governance, investment analysis, operations and original inquiry in an independently examined portfolio.", "assessment": "An operating blueprint, auditable model, original manuscript, implementation plan and oral defense.", "outcomes": [ "Governance", "Ethics", "Operations", "Analysis", "Leadership", "Research" ] } ], "terms": [ [ "FO601", "FO602", "FO603" ], [ "FO604", "FO605", "FO608" ], [ "FO606", "FO607", "Elective 1" ], [ "Elective 2", "FO699" ] ], "enrollmentOpen": false, "tuitionApproved": false, "degreeAuthorityVerified": false, "accreditationClaim": null, "undergraduatePathway": { "code": "BS-FOPWM", "url": "/university/programs/family-office-private-wealth-bs", "credits": 120, "admissionGuaranteed": false, "doubleCountedCredits": 0 }, "preliminaryApplicationOpen": true, "preliminaryApplicationPath": "/university/apply/family-office?program=ms", "preliminaryApplicationNotice": "Preliminary applications only. Submission is not admission or degree enrollment. No payment is collected; degree approval, terms and launch remain unverified." }