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FAQs: CFA Program Partners

 

 

 

 

What is the CFA Program Partner initiative?

The CFA Program Partner initiative is a relationship between CFA Institute and select colleges and universities around the world that have embedded a significant percentage (70%) of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge into their degree programs. In addition, these institutions have committed to covering CFA Institute ethical and professional standards in these degree programs. Recognition as a CFA Partner provides a signal to potential students, current students, and the marketplace that the university curriculum is closely tied to professional practice and is well suited to preparing students to sit for the CFA exams.

 

We are pleased to announce that the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford is our first CFA Program Partner.

 

Why start the CFA Program Partner initiative?

From the viewpoint of academic institutions: For several years, numerous colleges and universities around the world have embedded all or part of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK) into their degree programs. Until this program was announced, there had been no formal recognition of such efforts, nor was there any verification made to any claims to that effect. The CFA Program Partner initiative establishes specific criteria and gives colleges and universities public recognition by CFA Institute that these degree programs are consistent with the CFA Program and provide students with a solid grounding in the CBOK. In surveys of academics from potential partner institutions, public recognition that their program has been reviewed and approved by a practitioner organization was cited as the most important benefit.

 

From the viewpoint of CFA Institute: We often find that CFA candidates underestimate the effort needed to be successful in the CFA Program. Fewer than one in five candidates enrolling in the program is ultimately successful in earning the CFA charter. We believe that candidates will be more successful if they are trained in the Candidate Body of Knowledge while they are enrolled in degree programs. What better way to ensure that more candidates successfully master the CFA Program curriculum and embrace the CFA Institute Code of Ethics than to have those topics be a major portion of their degree programs and to have these concepts taught in a classroom setting by trained educators?

 

The idea of a partnership is certainly not a new concept in higher education. For many years, academic disciplines such as accounting and the actuarial sciences have structured degree programs around the body of knowledge necessary to successfully complete certification exams in those fields.

 

How will the CFA Program Partner initiative benefit students?

Students in these degree programs will be exposed to the concepts and principles that practitioners around the world have deemed integral to global practice. Students earning degrees from CFA Program Partner institutions will have a solid grounding in the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK). The CBOK is the foundation of the CFA Program curriculum and is developed through extensive interviews with practitioners and employers throughout the world. In essence, the CBOK represents the knowledge, skills, and abilities that practitioners indicate they need to know to do their jobs well.

 

One of the other benefits of the program is the exposure that students will have to practitioners both in their local area and around the globe. CFA Institute is a global organization with members in 125 countries and local affiliated societies in 53 countries. The United Kingdom Society of Investment Professionals (UKSIP) is the local affiliated society in the United Kingdom. Society members will make themselves available as guest speakers for partner institutions, and partner institutions will encourage student candidates to join the local societies.

 

Will prospective employers benefit from the CFA Program Partner initiative? If so, how and why?

Employers are increasingly seeking job candidates with both advanced degrees and professional certification. Often, employers hire individuals with academic degrees and require them to complement their academic training by earning a professional certification. If students are trained in the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge in their academic coursework, they should be able to earn their CFA charter with less additional time and effort and should, in fact, have higher success rates on these exams. Perhaps most importantly, students earning degrees at CFA Program Partner institutions will have a solid grounding in ethical and professional standards – an increasingly important quality in today’s business environment.

 

Are there any fees charged to CFA Program partners?

No. Colleges and universities do not pay any fees or dues to CFA Institute to participate in the CFA Program Partner initiative. Read complete details about the program benefits and requirements.

 

Will CFA Program partners be required to renew their agreement?

No. There is no renewal requirement. However, each CFA Program Partner institution will be subject to periodic audits to ensure that the institution’s program continues to meet partnership requirements.  

 

Do students enrolled in CFA Program Partner institutions receive any special status or discounts in the CFA Program?

No. There may be, however, select CFA Program scholarships available to candidates through the institution’s partnership program.

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