CFA University Affiliation Program
The CFA Institute is an international organisation that codifies the skills and training of investment professionals. Its CFA Program is a global standard qualification and a prestigious addition to a student’s Curriculum Vitae when applying for top-tier finance firms.
The Institute collaborates with universities that have one or more approved programs with a curriculum that is closely tied to the practice of investment management. Aalto Business School’s M.Sc. in Finance program 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. This program positions students well to obtain the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.
Entry into the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program signals to potential students, employers, and the marketplace that the Department of Finance curriculum is closely tied to professional practice and is well-suited to preparing students to sit for the CFA examinations.
Through participation in this program, Department of Finance is also eligible to receive three Student Scholarships for the CFA Program each year. The scholarship waives the one-time CFA programme enrolment fee of 450 USD, and reduces the exam registration fee to USD 350 (usually between 650 USD and 1380 USD). Students also get access to the eBook curriculum, and to sample exams for all three levels of the CFA Program.
For more information on applying for the scholarship, please see https://www.cfainstitute.org/programs/cfa/scholarships/student. If you have further questions, please contact University Relations at [email protected].
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N.B. All scholarships for the academic year 2022-2023 have been awarded.
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As for the selection process at the Department of Finance, any student who has obtained a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) or undergraduates who are within 2 years of graduating may register for the CFA Program Level I/ Level II/ Level III exam. The scholarship recipient must be enrolled at Aalto University at the time the scholarship application is submitted to CFA Institute.
After having filled in the application in the CFA Scholarship system, the applicant should upload her/his CV and study transcript (in PDF format) directly to the Scholarship Platform. A motivation letter is optional. Both the CV and the study transcript of the applicant will be evaluated when selecting the scholarship recipients.
For more questions, please contact Department Secretary Sara Viitala, [email protected], +358 50 511 3290.
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 160 000 members in 166 countries and territories, including 153 000 CFA charterholders. For more information, visit www.cfainstitute.org.
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.
