The Program
Participation
Program Recommendations
Qualified Activities
Credit Calculation
Recognition
The Program
What is the purpose of the CE Program?
The CE Program was designed to provide a formal and credible means of recognizing our members’ ongoing commitment to lifelong learning. A top priority of this new program is to provide a framework that enables members to take charge of their own education, trusting them to self-select, shape, and tailor the program to meet their unique needs. This focus reflects our faith in a membership whose continuing educational activities far exceed the requirements typical for most mandatory programs. For more details on the program, read the CE Program Guidebook (PDF).
Participation
No, the program is voluntary.
Who is eligible to participate?
The program is open to all CFA Institute members who are in good standing.
Beginning in 2009 (for calendar year 2008 reporting), members can attest to completion of the recommended hours on a yearly basis as part of the member dues and Professional Conduct Statement process.
How can I track my CE credits?
Although documentation is not a necessary component for member participation in the CE Program, CFA Institute offers the online CE Diary for members as a convenient resource to track credits earned. Members who take advantage of this resource will provide valuable feedback on the efficacy of our products as well as inform future product development. Member data stored in the CE Diary will solely be used by CFA Institute in aggregate form for the express purpose of product development/improvement.
Program Recommendations
What are the CE Program recommendations?
In order to maintain and improve their professional competence, CFA Institute recommends members complete a minimum of 20 hours of CE activities, inclusive of a minimum of 2 Standards, Ethics, and Regulatory (SER) content hours, each calendar year.
Qualified Activities
How do I determine the types of activities that qualify for CE credit?
Members have broad latitude in selecting activities that are individually appropriate, relevant, and valuable. Members can use the following criteria to determine eligibility of any CE activity in which they are engaged:
- The activity should be educational in nature and geared toward increasing the knowledge, skills, and abilities of an investment professional.
- The educational content should relate to one or more of the Topics for Investment Professionals (TIPs) or a topic that a member deems individually relevant for their unique professional responsibilities.
The goal of the 2-hour recommended minimum in SER content is to ensure that members understand and stay current in the areas of ethics and professional conduct, standards, and laws and regulations relevant to investment professionals. As a reference, the following TIPs are related to SER content:
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Advocacy, Regulatory, and Legislative Issues
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Advocacy Issues
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Regulatory and Legislative Activities
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- Corporate Governance
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Ethics and Professional Standards
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CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct
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Global Differences
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Global Investment Performance Standards
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Interpreting or Analyzing Ethical and Professional Standards
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Other CFA Institute Standards and Guidelines
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Professional and Supervisory Responsibilities
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Soft Dollar Standards and Issues
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Standards Compliance Programs in the Firm
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In order to fully serve our members, CFA Institute is committed to providing high-quality and accessible content in the SER topical areas. As a member convenience, CFA Institute products eligible for SER credit will be noted as such.
What is the Approved-Provider Program?
CFA Institute is committed to providing a high-quality and comprehensive suite of CE products to meet our members’ diverse needs. Realizing that individual members’ needs, learning styles, and preferences differ, we have complemented our product offerings with the Approved-Provider Program. This program was designed to provide an expanded number and variety of relevant CE opportunities available to CFA Institute members at the local level through partnerships with member societies and select third-party organizations.
Providers participating in the Approved-Provider Program (societies and third parties alike) advertise applicable CE credit amounts for prequalified educational programs, and members can easily identify these by looking for the CE Qualified Activity logo.
As a member convenience, CFA Institute will automatically populate members’ CE Diaries with applicable credit for these prequalified programs. Members will receive an e-mail notification when their online CE Diary has been updated. Participating providers must have member ID numbers to properly report attendance.
Members should check with their local society leadership to determine if they are active participants in the Approved-Provider Program. A current listing of third-party Approved Providers can be accessed on our website.
Credit Calculation
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1 CE credit hour is equal to one hour (60 minutes) of educational activity.
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Credit hours can be earned in half-hour increments (rounded to the nearest half hour).
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SER credit is a subset (either in part or whole) of the total credit for an educational activity.
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Note: Credit earned for prequalified activities such as certain CFA Institute products, events, and volunteer activities and Approved-Provider Program offerings, is automatically populated in members’ CE Diaries.
Members can calculate credit hours earned by using either of the following methods:
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Clock Time: Actual time spent engaged in the educational activity is used to calculate credit.
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Recommended Reference Times: Member feedback has demonstrated a strong desire for a simple credit calculation process and demand for a reference list of recommended credit amounts for a variety of activities. As a member convenience, all eligible CFA Institute products will clearly note the recommended credit amount, including SER credit where applicable.
Recommended reference times for some other typical CE activities are listed below:
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Completing a university course |
20 credits |
| Earning a designation/certification in addition to the CFA charter | 20 credits |
| Generalist readings (books, articles, etc.) | 2 minutes per page |
| Highly technical/specialized readings (books, articles, etc.) | 4 minutes per page |
Recognition
Will I receive recognition for my participation?
CFA Institute recognizes our members who have demonstrated their commitment to “maintain and improve their professional competence” by attesting to completion of the minimum recommended hours on an annual basis. These CE Program participants will be recognized in the following ways:
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Certificates: Members will receive a certificate of participation for each year of program participation. If the participation year marks a “milestone” (5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 consecutive years of participation), the certificate will note this significant achievement. These certificates are suitable for framing and can be displayed in your office to demonstrate to your clients and employer alike your continued dedication to learning.
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Listing in CFA Institute Publications: A list of members marking significant milestones for a given calendar year will be published in one or more CFA Institute publications.
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Special Offers: Members will receive special offers and discounts for CFA Institute products each year they participate in the program.