# Course Curriculum Guide > A detailed online course curriculum with 6 modules, learning outcomes per module, lesson lists with durations, and main exercises. Pre-filled with a personal finance course example. Source: https://buildpdfs.com/templates/course-curriculum-guide Category: Education A detailed online course curriculum with 6 modules, learning outcomes per module, lesson lists with durations, and main exercises. Pre-filled with a personal finance course example. ## What's included - Course overview: audience, outcomes, format, and total duration - 6-module structure with title and learning objectives per module - Lesson list per module with individual durations - Main exercise or deliverable per module - Pre-filled "Personal Finance for Freelancers" example ## Sample content Course Curriculum Guide A self-paced course for independent professionals Personal Finance for Freelancers Master budgeting, taxes, pricing, and investing — even when your income changes every month. Created by Nina Vasquez, CFP Certified Financial Planner · Freelancer Finance Specialist Modules 6 Lessons 23 Video \~6 Hours Format Self-Paced Course Overview ### About This Course #### What You Will Achieve By the end of this course, you will have a complete financial system built for how freelancers actually earn money — variably, seasonally, and without employer-provided safety nets. You will understand your taxes, price your services with confidence, build an emergency fund even while managing debt, and have a retirement investment account open and funded. This is not a course about frugality or cutting lattes. It is about building durable financial infrastructure for a career you love. 6 Modules 23 Lessons \~6h Video Content 6 PDF Workbooks ##### Who This Course Is For ✓ Freelancers, consultants, and independent contractors at any income level who want to get serious about their finances ✓ Side-hustlers who recently went full-time freelance and feel financially unmoored by the shift from steady paycheck to variable income ✓ Creative professionals (designers, writers, photographers, developers) who are great at their craft but uncomfortable with money ✓ Anyone who has ever filed taxes as a freelancer and felt completely lost — or has never filed quarterly estimates ✗ This course is NOT for salaried employees. The content is specifically designed for self-employment tax structures and irregular income. ##### What You Will Need to Get Started | Item | Why You Need It | Free Option | | ------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | | Last 12 months of income data | Module 1 requires calculating your average and minimum monthly income | Spreadsheet or bank statements | | Last year's tax return (if available) | Module 2 uses this to understand your prior-year SE tax liability | Download from IRS.gov (free) | | List of monthly expenses | Module 1 builds your baseline budget | Bank statement + spreadsheet | | Your current service/project rates | Module 3 requires your current pricing to calculate your MVR | Your own notes | | A calculator | Several lessons include real-time calculations | Phone calculator or spreadsheet | Curriculum ### Module 1 & 2 01 Your Money Baseline 5 lessons · PDF workbook included \~55 min 1.1 How irregular income changes everything Video 12 min 1.2 Building a baseline budget for variable income Video 15 min 1.3 The freelancer's essential accounts (and why you need separate ones) Video 10 min 1.4 Tracking income and expenses — your simple system Video 10 min 1.5 Module review and workbook exercise: build your first baseline budget Exercise 8 min 02 Freelancer Tax Fundamentals 4 lessons · Tax savings calculator included \~48 min 2.1 Self-employment tax explained — what it is and why it's higher Video 14 min 2.2 Quarterly estimated taxes — how to calculate and when to pay Video 16 min 2.3 The top 12 deductions freelancers miss every year Video 12 min 2.4 Setting up your tax savings account — the "pay yourself taxes" system Exercise 6 min Curriculum ### Module 3 & 4 03 Pricing Your Services 4 lessons · Rate calculator spreadsheet included \~50 min 3.1 Pricing models compared: hourly vs. project vs. retainer — which wins? Video 15 min 3.2 Calculating your Minimum Viable Rate — the floor beneath your pricing Video 12 min 3.3 How to raise your rates without losing your best clients Video 14 min 3.4 The pricing script — role-play exercise with sample scenarios Exercise 9 min 04 Emergency Fund & Cash Flow 3 lessons · 3-account system worksheet \~35 min 4.1 How big should a freelancer's emergency fund actually be? Video 10 min 4.2 The 3-account system for smooth cash flow between feast and famine Video 12 min 4.3 Building your emergency fund while still carrying debt Video 13 min Curriculum ### Module 5 & 6 05 Investing for Freelancers 4 lessons · Retirement account comparison guide \~50 min 5.1 Solo 401(k) vs. SEP-IRA vs. SIMPLE IRA — which is right for your situation? Video 16 min 5.2 The case for index funds — a beginner's honest guide Video 12 min 5.3 Setting your first investment allocation: a simple framework Video 12 min 5.4 Automating contributions when your income is unpredictable Exercise 10 min 06 Long-Term Financial Planning 3 lessons · 5-year roadmap template \~42 min 6.1 Health insurance without an employer: your real options in 2026 Video 14 min 6.2 Disability and life insurance — what freelancers actually need Video 14 min 6.3 Your 5-year financial roadmap: putting it all together Exercise 14 min ##### Full Course Summary | Module | Topic | Lessons | Duration | Includes | | ------ | ---------------------------- | ------- | -------- | -------------------------------- | | 1 | Your Money Baseline | 5 | \~55 min | Baseline budget workbook | | 2 | Freelancer Tax Fundamentals | 4 | \~48 min | Tax savings calculator | | 3 | Pricing Your Services | 4 | \~50 min | Rate calculator + pricing script | | 4 | Emergency Fund & Cash Flow | 3 | \~35 min | 3-account system worksheet | | 5 | Investing for Freelancers | 4 | \~50 min | Retirement account comparison | | 6 | Long-Term Financial Planning | 3 | \~42 min | 5-year roadmap template | Resources & Support ### Resources, Instructor & FAQ #### Recommended Resources Book Profit First — Mike Michalowicz The book that inspired the 3-account cash flow system in Module 4\. Read alongside Module 4 for maximum impact. Book The Self-Employed Tax Solution — June Walker The most approachable guide to freelance taxes. Pairs directly with Module 2. Tool QuickBooks Self-Employed or Wave (free) Use one of these to track income and expenses from Day 1\. Wave is entirely free and sufficient for most freelancers. Tool IRS.gov — Self-Employed Individuals Tax Center Free resource. Bookmark the Estimated Tax page and the Schedule SE instructions for Module 2. Podcast The Independent Business Podcast — Paul Jarvis Practical, non-hustle-culture discussions about running a sustainable freelance business. Recommended alongside Module 3. #### About the Instructor NV Nina Vasquez, CFP Certified Financial Planner · 12 Years Experience Nina Vasquez is a Certified Financial Planner who specializes in working with freelancers, creatives, and independent professionals. After spending 8 years at a traditional wealth management firm advising high-net-worth clients, she left to build a practice specifically for self-employed individuals — people who, in her words, "have been completely underserved by the financial advice industry." Nina has taught personal finance workshops at 14 universities, has been featured in Forbes, Business Insider, and The Freelancer's Union, and manages her own independent practice from Portland, Oregon. She has been a freelancer herself since 2018. #### Frequently Asked Questions Do I need to live in the United States to take this course? The tax modules (Module 2) are US-specific — covering SE tax, quarterly estimates, and US retirement accounts. All other modules (budgeting, pricing, cash flow, investing principles) are universally applicable. International students: consider the tax modules as frameworks rather than exact rules for your country. How long do I have access to the course? Lifetime access. All future updates to modules (for tax law changes, etc.) are included at no extra charge. You will receive email notification when modules are updated. Is there a community or place to ask questions? Yes — all students get access to the private community forum where Nina answers questions weekly. You can also ask questions within each lesson's comment section. I've been freelancing for 5+ years. Is this too basic for me? Modules 1 and 2 may cover familiar ground. However, Modules 3 (pricing), 5 (retirement accounts), and 6 (insurance) are consistently the most valuable for experienced freelancers who have never systematically addressed these areas. Most 5-year veterans find at least 2 modules genuinely revelatory. ## Frequently asked questions ### What should a course curriculum document include? A complete curriculum guide covers: course overview and target audience, learning outcomes, module breakdown with lessons and durations, main exercises per module, and prerequisites or materials needed. ### How many modules should an online course have? Most successful online courses have 5–8 modules. Fewer than 5 feels thin; more than 10 overwhelms students. Each module should represent one coherent learning unit that takes 30–90 minutes to complete. ### Is this curriculum template free? Yes — free to use. Describe your course topic, audience, and module ideas to the AI and it will build out the full curriculum. [Use this template](https://buildpdfs.com/signup?templateId=course-curriculum-guide) — free, no credit card required.