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Dalhousie has become the latest university to be welcomed into the CFA Institute University Recognition Program. The finance specialization in the Bachelor of Commerce 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 within the program. This program establishes a clear path for students 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 Recognition Program signals to potential students, employers and the marketplace that Dalhousie’s curriculum is closely tied to professional practice and is well suited to preparing students to sit the CFA examinations. Through participation in this program, Dalhousie 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 knowledge, skills and abilities that investment experts worldwide have identified as essential best practice,” said Stephen Horan, PhD, CFA, CIPM, Head, University Relations & Private Wealth. “By mastering the fundamentals of the CFA Program as well as the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, these future investment professionals join us in our mission to promote the highest standards of ethics, education and professional excellence for the ultimate benefit of society.”

The Rowe School of Business, part of Dalhousie’s Faculty of Management, has offered a Bachelor of Commerce (BComm) degree since 1920. The BComm Program is one of the few mandatory co-op commerce programs in Canada. Students must complete 37 courses on campus, as well as 3 mandatory co-op work terms, which provide them both academic knowledge and practical experience. It is accredited by the Canadian Association for Co-operative Education (CAFCE), which acknowledges our credible and valuable co-op educational strategy. Furthermore, the Rowe School is AACSB accredited, which is the international standard quality standard for business education.

The BComm with a Specialization in Finance program provides students solid quantitative and qualitative education in finance, economics, accounting, ethics, strategy and statistics. Curriculum mapping clearly demonstrated that the Rowe School’s program is consistent with the CFA CBOK. Each year, a number of students take the Level 1 CFA exam upon graduation. In addition to their course work, students are offered a range of extra-curricular activities such as the Finance Risk and Bloomberg Lab, the Dalhousie Investment Society and the Mackay speaker series to help them prepare for careers in finance.

“This new certification by the CFA Institute is a testament to the high quality of our students and our Finance faculty members,” says Peggy Cunningham, Dean, Faculty of Management. “Our finance faculty are great teachers as well as renowned, award-winning researchers. The group includes the Douglas C. Mackay Chair in Finance and a Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Risk Management. Our faculty members are always eager to mentor and share their vast knowledge with students.”

The Faculty of Management congratulates Dr. Jun Zhou for spearheading the initiative to join the CFA University Recognition Program. Since she joined Dalhousie, Dr. Zhou has worked hard to improve students’ educational experience both in the classroom and through extra-curricular initiatives such as coaching case competition delegates. But Dr. Zhou says this is very much a team effort. “As a junior member of the faculty, I am still learning from my colleagues and our students. The success of our application is based on our strong Finance program, which is the joint work of many people. Similarly, my colleagues have been helping students for many years, and I am simply following their example of values-led leadership.”

We wish the best of luck to the students who will be entering this program and striving for this prestigious designation.

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 behaviour 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 110,000 members in 139 countries and territories, including 100,000 CFA charter holders. For more information, visit www.cfainstitute.org.

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. 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.