Brian Mairs
CFA Institute - Europe, Middle East, Africa
+44 (20) 7712-6511
brian.mairs@cfainstitute.org
Clare Fisher
Saïd Business School
+44 (18) 6528 8851
clare.fisher@sbs.ox.ac.uk
CFA Institute Partners With Oxford University's Saïd Business School To Raise Students' Skills, Job Prospects
CFA Program Partner Initiative launched with one of world’s most prestigious business schools
(Read more about the CFA Program Partner Initiative)
London, U.K., April 4, 2006 − Business students seeking the highest qualifications for a career in finance can now combine their academic studies with preparation for a professional credential in a new educational partnership announced today.
CFA Institute today announced its partnership with Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, U.K. − the first such agreement under its new CFA Program Partner initiative. As a CFA Program Partner, Saïd Business School will include in its M.Sc. in Financial Economics curriculum more than 70 per cent of the study required for all three levels of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Program.
The CFA Program sets a globally recognised standard for developing the skills and standards, competence and integrity of financial analysts, portfolio managers, investment advisers, and other investment professionals worldwide. It is widely considered the investment profession’s most rigorous credentialing program. Administered in English, the CFA curriculum and examinations are identical worldwide. Fewer than one in five candidates who begin the rigorous program successfully complete it and go on to earn the coveted CFA charter. Saïd Business School’s M.Sc. in Financial Economics students in effect will be studying for their academic qualification and their professional designation at the same time.
“Competition for the best jobs in finance has never been tougher,” said Bob Johnson, CFA, Managing Director of the CFA Program. “Today more than 100,000 candidates worldwide are studying for the CFA examinations, and we know increasing numbers of recruiters are looking for candidates who have the CFA letters after their name. Graduates of Saïd Business School already enjoy a high status in the job market. This agreement sets them well on the way to earning a globally-recognised professional designation.”
John Stannard, CFA, FSIP, chair of the CFA Institute Board of Governors, said: “It is an honour to announce that our first CFA Program Partner is with this prestigious business school in one of the world’s most revered seats of learning. We look forward to working with Saïd Business School to build further opportunities for its graduates as they enter the business world.”
As well as providing training for the CFA Program, the initiative offers students at Saïd Business School access to CFA Institute textbooks, journals, webcasts, and other educational resources. Students will also benefit from professional development events held in conjunction with the UK Society of Investment Professionals, the UK membership body for CFA Institute candidates and charterholders.
Anthony Hopwood, Dean of Saïd Business School, said: “We are delighted to become the first CFA Program Partner. The CFA charter has long been the gold standard among professional finance qualifications. Our new nine-month Masters in Financial Economics program combines the highest academic standards with rigorous practical application. The Saïd Business School’s partnership with CFA Institute is testament to this exceptional combination. Our students have a unique opportunity to study for outstanding academic and professional qualifications.”
About CFA Institute
CFA Institute is the global, non-profit professional association
that administers the Chartered Financial Analyst®
(CFA®) curriculum and examination program worldwide, publishes
research, conducts professional development programs, and sets voluntary,
ethics-based professional and performance reporting standards for the
investment industry. CFA Institute has more than 81,000 members in 126
countries and territories, including the world’s 67,000 CFA
charterholders, as well as 132 affiliated professional societies in 53
countries and territories. CFA Institute is headquartered in the USA in
Charlottesville, Virginia, with regional headquarters in London, Hong
Kong, and New York. More information may be found at www.cfainstitute.org. (Bloomberg users
can find CFA Institute at 497458Z).
About Saïd Business School
Established in 1996, the Saïd Business School is one of Europe’s
newest and fastest growing business schools. An integral part of the
University of Oxford, the School embodies the academic rigour and forward
thinking that has made Oxford a world leader in education. The School has
an established reputation for research in a wide range of areas,
including finance and accounting, organisational analysis, international
management, strategy and operations management. It is dedicated to
developing a new generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs and
conducting research not only into the nature of business, but the
connections between business and the wider world. For more information,
see www.sbs.ox.ac.uk.