Maynooth University has become the latest university to be welcomed into the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute University Affiliation Program. The CFA is a global community of investment professionals dedicated to high ethical and educational standards and efficient markets.
Maynooth University’s MA Finance has 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 programme. This program positions students to obtain the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation, which has become the most respected and recognised investment credential in the world.
Discussing the announcement, Dr Fabrice Rousseau, Head of Maynooth University’s Department of Economic Finance and Accounting, said: “This distinction recognises the quality and the breadth of teaching we provide for students looking to pursue a career in investment management. Through our collaboration with the CFA Institute, we will build on this success and ensure our offering continues to represent the best possible preparation for jobs in the investment sector.”
Entry into the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program signals to potential students, employers, and the marketplace that the curriculum at Maynooth University is closely tied to professional practice and is well-suited to preparing students to sit for the CFA examinations. Through participation in this program, Maynooth University is eligible to receive a limited number of student scholarships for the CFA Program each year.
“Students in these programs study the Candidate Body of Knowledge, which includes the core knowledge, skills, and abilities identified by practitioners worldwide as essential for successful practice,” said Neil Govier, CFA, Head of University Relations at CFA Institute. “By mastering the fundamentals of the CFA Program as well as the Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct, these future investment professionals gain a strong foundation that helps prepare them well to join the growing CFA Institute community dedicated to promoting the highest standards of ethics, education, and professional excellence for the ultimate benefit of society.”
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 148,000 members in 163 countries and territories, including 142,000 CFA charterholders.
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. Administered in English, the CFA curriculum and examinations are identical worldwide. 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.