Prepare for the CFA exam with a master's degree in finance

The Certified Financial Analyst (CFA) charter is one of the most recognized qualifications in finance. Whether you plan to work in the U.S. or internationally, a CFA will deliver skills you can take with you anywhere.

The Certified Financial Analyst (CFA) charter is one of the most recognized qualifications in finance. Whether you plan to work in the U.S. or internationally, a CFA will deliver skills you can take with you anywhere.

Increasingly, firms are finding that the advantages of CFAs over MBAs are hard to overlook. While an MBA will prepare you for leadership positions across many industries, a CFA charterholder receives both the foundational finance knowledge required to be a financial analyst as well as the latest information and trends, which could be something of a blind spot without the rigorous training mandatory for passing the CFA exam.

A master's degree designed to help you pass the CFA exam

Delivered by the highly ranked W. P. Carey School of Business, the 9-month Master of Science in Finance explores corporate finance, asset and portfolio management, and statistics and modeling tools that can prepare you for a career in finance and banking. The MS-FIN is also a member of the CFA University Recognition Program, positioning you to sit for the CFA exams. That means you'll be receiving the kind of instruction that meets the strict standards set by the CFA Institute.

Thomas Bates, chair of the W. P. Carey Department of Finance, explains how the W. P. Carey curriculum can help you develop the specialized skills, such as asset allocation, investment analysis, and portfolio strategy, required for the CFA charter.

Much more than test prep

While the MS-FIN can be a major step forward in your preparation for the CFA exam, the experience for students at the W. P. Carey School should put the 9-month program at the top of your list if you're considering either a graduate degree or the CFA.

• Small class sizes provide opportunities for peer interaction
• World-class faculty share decades of real-world experience
• State-of-the-art learning environment in McCord Hall, featuring innovative team rooms
• A team student services professionals who will work with you on academic information, course announcements, and billing and deadline reminders

Dedicated career resources

All W. P. Carey graduate students have access to a number of outstanding services provided by the Graduate Career Center, including:

• Coaching sessions
• Professional development workshops
• Online job research tools
• Career fairs

The CFA is a huge undertaking. By pursuing an MS-FIN from the highly ranked W. P. Carey School, you'll not only gain the breadth and depth of knowledge you need for the exam but you'll gain a valuable master's degree, connections within the industry, and an alumni network of over 100,000 to help you take your career in finance even further.