Loughborough University has been welcomed into the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Institute University Affiliation Program for both its MSc Finance and MSc Finance and Investment programmes, which provides a route for its students to work towards Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

The MSc Finance and MSc Finance and Investment have been acknowledged as incorporating at least 70 percent of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK) and placing emphasis on the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice within the program.

Students on these programmes will now be well positioned to obtain the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation, which has become the most respected and recognized investment credential in the world

Entry into the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program signals to potential students, employers, and the marketplace that the curriculum on Loughborough’s MSc Finance and MSc Finance and Investment is closely tied to professional practice and is well-suited to preparing students to sit for the CFA examinations.

In addition, as a member of the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program, Loughborough University is eligible to award a number of scholarships to its MSc students for the CFA Program each year.

Dr Giovanni Calice – Loughborough University’s Principal Contact of the University Affiliation Program with the CFA Institute – commented:

“This is excellent news for our students on both our MSc Finance and MSc Finance and Investment programmes. The strength of this endorsement is that the CFA Institute is the leading global association of investment and financial professionals. Becoming CFA-affiliated in this way demonstrates the professional and practical relevance of our courses in preparing our students for a wide range of professional careers in finance. It also offers our students an excellent opportunity to pursue Chartered Financial Analyst® designation, further helping our graduates stand out to employers.”

About CFA Institute

CFA Institute is the global association of investment professionals that sets the standard for professional excellence and administers the industry gold standard CFA charter. The organization is a champion for ethical behavior in investment markets and a respected source of knowledge in the global financial community. The end goal: to create an environment where investors’ interests come first, markets function at their best, and economies grow. CFA Institute has more than 176,000 members in 166 countries and territories, including 164,000 CFA charter holders.

About the CFA Program

The CFA Program sets a standard for developing the skills, 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. Fewer than one in five candidates who begin the program successfully complete it and go on to earn the coveted CFA charter, the “gold standard” for investment professionals.