In early August, it was announced that after a rigorous process George Mason University’s Master of Science in Finance (MSF) program became officially affiliated with the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Institute, making it the first and only CFA affiliated master’s in finance program in Virginia, and among only 104 total CFA affiliated master’s programs nationwide.
The CFA Institute is a global professional organization that sets the standard in the financial industry. Because of the prestige that the CFA recognition brings, MSF students at Mason will immediately reap benefits. In a competitive geographic region, Mason students are separating themselves from their peers at other schools by showing employers that they are meeting and exceeding the standards of the financial industry as recognized by the CFA Institute. For individuals interested in completing the CFA Exam, they can have confidence knowing that Mason’s MSF program covers 90 percent of the content mandated by the CFA Institute, 5 percent more than what is required to be a CFA affiliated program. “For programs that are not affiliated with the CFA Institute, students in those programs need to study many more topics on their own, so there is a cost/efficiency benefit for our students,” says Jim Hsieh, an associate professor of finance in the School of Business at George Mason University.
“An affiliated university signals to their students and to employers that their curriculum is closely tied to the practice of investment management and is helpful to students preparing for the CFA® Program exams through the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK)—including the Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct,” says Kevin Connor, director of graduate enrollment at the School of Business. With its 190,000 members in 160 markets around the globe, the CFA Institution affiliation boosts students and alumni of the MSF program, giving them a significant return on their investment in the program. George Mason University School of Business continues to elevate itself and has become one of the premier institutions in the Washington, D.C., region for finance professionals to upskill and for employers to recruit.
For more information on Mason’s Master’s in Finance CFA Institute University Affiliation, contact Tiago Requeijo, MFA program director.
For any questions about the Master’s in Finance program, contact Kevin Connor, director of graduate enrollment.