Governance
Design accountable decision rights, succession and oversight across a family-office system.
← Family Office programFamily Office &
Bachelor’s foundations.
Graduate program proposal · VR University
Family Office &
Private Wealth Management
Steward capital. Strengthen families. Build institutions that endure.
A proposed Master of Science combining rigorous investment analysis with family governance, inclusive leadership, resilient operations and original research. Each course produces evidence of professional judgment.
- Proposed award
- Master of Science
- Curriculum
- 36 proposed semester credits
- Study design
- 18–24 months · Part-time
Preliminary applications open. Degree enrollment awaits approval. Degree-awarding authority, faculty approval, tuition and launch arrangements are not yet verified or approved. This page does not assert accreditation, licensure eligibility or transferable academic credit.
From a conversation to a curriculum
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.
Research that meets practice
The Journal Opal supplies a living reading collection: preserved research, practical companions and source-passage agents. Students critique evidence, test assumptions and develop their own work. Source authors retain attribution; agents assist inquiry and never replace faculty judgment.
A coherent path to mastery
Eight core courses (24 credits), two electives (6 credits) and a research-and-practice capstone (6 credits). Proposed delivery combines asynchronous study, live case seminars, supervised research and simulation-based assessment.
Term 1 · 9 credits
Term 2 · 9 credits
Term 3 · 9 credits
Term 4 · 9 credits
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. At 15 weeks per term, 9 credits imply about 27 hours of total weekly study. Elective prerequisites determine sequencing; FO614 follows FO606 and is available in Term 4.
FO601 · Governance, Ethics & Family Office Architecturecore · 3 proposed credits
Compare single-family, multifamily and outsourced operating models; define decision rights, conflicts and accountability.
Assessed work: A family charter, service map, conflicts register and delegated-authority matrix.
Prerequisites: Program entry and readiness assessment
Outcome mapping: Governance · Ethics
FO602 · Financial Reporting, Treasury & Internal Controlscore · 3 proposed credits
Reconcile consolidated reporting, entity structures, cash controls, valuations and vendor oversight.
Assessed work: A consolidated reporting pack, cash forecast and dual-approval payment-control simulation.
Prerequisites: Program entry and readiness assessment
Outcome mapping: Operations · Analysis
FO603 · Portfolio Design, Liquidity & Riskcore · 3 proposed credits
Build goal-based allocations; model capital calls, distributions, concentration, inflation and liquidity stress.
Assessed work: A reproducible investment policy statement and scenario model with explicit assumptions.
Prerequisites: Program entry and readiness assessment
Outcome mapping: Analysis · Ethics
FO604 · Private Capital & Manager Due Diligencecore · 3 proposed credits
Distinguish investment diligence from operational diligence; examine fees, incentives, valuation and selection bias.
Assessed work: An investment-committee memorandum, manager scorecard and adverse-case analysis.
Prerequisites: FO602, FO603
Outcome mapping: Analysis · Operations
FO605 · Wealth Transfer, Trusts & Cross-Border Coordinationcore · 3 proposed credits
Map ownership, succession and advisor responsibilities across jurisdictions; identify issues requiring licensed counsel.
Assessed work: An entity and succession map with jurisdiction-specific questions for legal and tax advisors.
Prerequisites: FO601
Outcome mapping: Governance · Ethics
FO606 · Family Dynamics, Succession & Inclusive Leadershipcore · 3 proposed credits
Evaluate family systems, negotiation, next-generation development and barriers to women’s decision-making authority.
Assessed work: A succession pathway, facilitated family-council simulation and inclusion audit.
Prerequisites: FO601
Outcome mapping: Leadership · Governance
FO607 · AI, Data, Cybersecurity & Operational Resiliencecore · 3 proposed credits
Design access controls, data classification, continuity plans and human approval of AI-assisted work.
Assessed work: A tabletop incident exercise, AI-use register and tested recovery playbook using synthetic data.
Prerequisites: FO602
Outcome mapping: Operations · Ethics
FO608 · Research Methods & Evidence Assessmentcore · 3 proposed credits
Evaluate causal claims, qualitative designs, sampling, uncertainty, reproducibility and research ethics.
Assessed work: A preregistration-ready study protocol, literature review and reproducible pilot analysis.
Prerequisites: Program entry and readiness assessment
Outcome mapping: Research · Analysis
FO611 · Real Assets, Energy & Infrastructureelective · 3 proposed credits
Assess cash flows, maintenance, physical risks, concentration and long-horizon technology exposure.
Assessed work: A downside-first asset memorandum and sensitivity model.
Prerequisites: FO603
Outcome mapping: Analysis · Operations
FO612 · Philanthropy, Impact & Endowment Stewardshipelective · 3 proposed credits
Connect donor intent, spending policy, mission, impact evidence and accountability.
Assessed work: A grantmaking charter, spending-policy stress test and impact-evaluation plan.
Prerequisites: FO601, FO603
Outcome mapping: Governance · Research
FO613 · Venture, Deep Tech & University Commercializationelective · 3 proposed credits
Distinguish technical milestones, market validation, intellectual-property rights and financing risk.
Assessed work: A stage-gated diligence plan and milestone-based capital-allocation proposal.
Prerequisites: FO604
Outcome mapping: Analysis · Research
FO614 · Women in Wealth & Capital Leadershipelective · 3 proposed credits
Critically synthesize evidence on succession, ownership, boards and access to capital without treating gender as a proxy for competence.
Assessed work: An evidence-linked leadership intervention, baseline measures and evaluation design.
Prerequisites: FO606, FO608
Outcome mapping: Leadership · Research
FO699 · Family Office Design & Research Capstonecapstone · 6 proposed credits
Integrate governance, investment analysis, operations and original inquiry in an independently examined portfolio.
Assessed work: An operating blueprint, auditable model, original manuscript, implementation plan and oral defense.
Prerequisites: FO601, FO602, FO603, FO604, FO605, FO606, FO607, FO608
Outcome mapping: Governance · Ethics · Operations · Analysis · Leadership · Research
What graduates must demonstrate
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.
Assessment design
Proposed course weighting: applied portfolio 50%, analytical case examination 25%, oral defense or simulation 15%, and evidence-based seminar contribution 10%. Faculty assess evidence quality, analytical validity, ethical judgment, implementation feasibility and communication on a four-level rubric: emerging, developing, proficient, advanced.
Completion would require all required credits, a proposed minimum 3.0/4.0 cumulative GPA, a proficient rating on every program outcome, and a passed capstone. Unresolved integrity, privacy or safeguarding failures require remediation regardless of numerical averages. A documented reassessment and appeal route must be approved before launch.
FO699 · Six-credit capstone
Build a family office. Defend every decision.
Use a synthetic family or an explicitly authorized, de-identified case. Integrate an ownership and governance map, investment policy, liquidity model, reporting pack, succession plan, vendor controls and cyber-response exercise. Submit an original research manuscript and reproducible evidence package alongside the operating blueprint.
- Weeks 1–3: question, literature review, feasibility and ethics/data-access approval.
- Weeks 4–7: protocol, pilot and analysis plan; record any deviations.
- Weeks 8–11: analysis, adverse scenarios and implementation testing.
- Weeks 12–15: manuscript, operating portfolio and oral defense before two qualified assessors, including an independent examiner.
Proposed capstone weighting: operating blueprint 35%, research manuscript 35%, reproducibility and ethics record 15%, oral defense 15%. Secondary-data analysis is labeled accurately; simulated findings are never presented as observed results. Human-participant work requires the appropriate prior review.
A successful manuscript may be submitted to the journal through authenticated authorship and independent human review. Graduation does not depend on journal acceptance. Publication, DOI registration and ORCID updates are not automatic; they require editorial eligibility, accurate attribution and the author’s authorization. Confidential family records are never placed in public 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 undergraduate curriculum →A professional cohort, selected for potential
Proposed entry requirements: a recognized bachelor’s degree or an equivalency route approved by the academic authority; evidence of quantitative and written readiness; a statement of purpose; a résumé; and two professional or academic references. Relevant professional experience informs selection. Family wealth, investment commitments and donor status are not admission criteria.
Applicants needing preparation would complete a diagnostic-based bridge in accounting, statistics and spreadsheet modeling. English-language readiness, accessible assessments, international qualifications and recognition of prior learning require published policies. No credit is awarded solely for personal wealth or work experience.
Faculty & student support
Recruit an academically qualified program director, research-methods faculty, experienced family-office practitioners, and appropriately qualified legal, tax and cybersecurity specialists. Appointments are not yet made. Plan academic advising, accessible learning materials, library support, private research storage and conflict-sensitive complaints handling.
Tuition & access
Tuition, scholarship funding, refund terms and any application fee or waiver policy must be costed and approved before admissions open. Preliminary applications are accepted through the private application portal. They do not constitute admission or enrollment; no payment is collected. A scholarship may be advertised only when its funding and award criteria are established.
The path to an accountable launch
- Verify degree-awarding authority and applicable jurisdictional approvals; publish accurate accreditation and authorization disclosures.
- Obtain faculty, academic-governance and registrar approval of curriculum, credit definitions, assessment and degree requirements.
- Appoint qualified faculty and independent examiners; approve research ethics, privacy, accessibility, student rights and complaints policies.
- Approve sustainable costs, tuition, funded aid, staffing, library access, systems and teach-out arrangements.
- Pilot the cases and assessments, moderate grading, test student support and record external-review findings.
- Authorize the first cohort only after the preceding evidence is accepted. Review completion, outcome attainment, student experience and external examiner findings annually.
All launch gates remain unverified in this proposal. This curriculum does not claim CFP, CFA or other professional credential eligibility. Existing university approval workflows remain in force.
External curriculum benchmarks
Reviewed October 21, 2026. These are comparison sources, not affiliations, endorsements or copied curricula.
- Columbia University: Wealth Management curriculum — a 30-credit, four-term program provides a reference for structured graduate study.
- Pepperdine: Financial Management for the Family Office — budgeting, reporting, governance and investment decisions inform practice coverage; its executive certificate carries no academic credit.
- Women in Wealth Leadership research collection — 25 preserved CC research articles paired with practical companions support critical analysis of governance, succession and access to capital.