In November of 2023, Â鶹´«Ã½’s undergraduate Finance program earned its CFA affiliation through the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute, becoming one of only 277 colleges and universities in the U.S. to hold this honor.<\/p>\n
The CFA Institute<\/a> is a global association that sets benchmarks for the standards and ethics of investment professionals. Affiliate universities must incorporate at least 70 percent of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge into their curriculum, with particular emphasis on the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.<\/p>\n \u201cThis puts UB on the same level as much larger universities in Connecticut and beyond,\u201d says Professor Harold \u201cBuddy\u201d Hartmann, who managed the University\u2019s application for affiliation. \u201cWe were much more than the required 70% compliance, closer to 90%. There wasn\u2019t much CFA material at the undergraduate level that we were not already teaching.\u201d<\/p>\n By adhering to these standards, UB is giving its students the highest levels of professional preparation, including training for the CFA level-one exam.<\/p>\n This exam is notoriously difficult and UB\u2019s targeted Finance curriculum helps students prepare for the test. Students can expect to learn a thorough range of advanced investment analysis topics, including business analysis, statistics, probability theory, derivatives, economics, financial analysis, corporate finance, and portfolio management. Ethics is also a key component, including compliance and reporting rules for managing investors\u2019 money.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve integrated the CFP ethics handbook into both the undergraduate and graduate programs already,\u201d says Hartmann. \u201cAnd we are slowly installing more ethics modules throughout the curriculum.\u201d<\/p>\n By earning CFA certification, students can anticipate higher-paying jobs in finance<\/a>, banking, investment management, and even hedge fund management. Top employers of CFA charter-holders include companies like JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, UBS, and Bank of Canada.<\/p>\n \u201cThe CFA designation is the most prestigious designation in the finance industry,\u201d says Hartmann. \u201cCFAs assess risk, create and implement model portfolios, and some decide how banks and hedge funds invest.\u201d<\/p>\n Many students apply to UB\u2019s Finance program to learn from entrepreneurs and practitioners working in the field. Hartmann has worked in accounting and wealth management for decades, and many other professors have similar experience. Professors Congsheng Wu and Gew Rae Kim also give their Finance students hands-on experience with their Commodity Challenge and Stock Market Challenge<\/a>. \u201cWe\u2019re able to give them actual insights into what they\u2019re going to be doing in their careers,\u201d says Hartmann. \u201cAnd, of course, we have connections to certain firms and recruiters to get our students traction for jobs after graduation.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis preparation is another part of UB\u2019s secret formula for career readiness that includes training, events, and entrepreneurial opportunities,\u201d says Ernest C. Trefz School of Business Director Timothy Raynor. \u201cOur Finance students leave here with three Bloomberg certificates, experience in commodity and stock market challenges, and the full CFA curriculum.\u201d<\/p>\nWhat does the CFA designation mean for Finance students?<\/h2>\n
Hands-on learning \u2014 career-ready experience<\/h2>\n