New Business School Partnership Programme

MSc Finance students given more options as a result of CFA Institute Partnership agreed today

Msc Finance students at Tanaka Business School, Imperial College looking to pursue a career in finance now benefit from an enhanced profile amongst employers. 

A new Programme Partnership was agreed today between CFA Institute, the global membership association that administers the Chartered Financial Analyst Programme (CFA) and Tanaka Business School.  This means that 70% of the CFA Programme’s qualification body of knowledge is contained in the MSc Finance curriculum, speeding the way toward the internationally recognised qualification. 

The partnership also offers scholarships for five MSc Finance students to undertake the CFA Institute qualification. 
Tanaka Business School has become a Programme Partner of CFA Institute, a not-for-profit organisation that aims to establish the highest standards of education and professional excellence amongst investment professionals.  The partnership offers several benefits for students as Karim Abadir, Head of the Finance and Accounting Group at Tanaka Business School explains:

"Those interested in the MSc Finance programme know that the syllabus is closely linked to current professional practice and is recognised as being academically rigorous.  Today's agreement gives greater choice to students who want to take the CFA Programme in the Capital City." 

CFA Institute's president, Jeff Diermeier met David Begg, Tanaka Business School's principal this morning to sign the agreement.  The meeting was also attended by Sean Finucane, the CFA Institute's director of education and Karim Abadir.  At the event David Begg said:

"We are working hard to ensure we partner with the best and most relevant professional bodies.   CFA Institute is a key player in the world of finance.  So, we're proud of the fact that we are able to support students achieve a globally recognised, specialist qualification."

The part-time MSc Actuarial Finance programme taught at Tanaka Business School is also recognised by a professional accrediting body.  The Actuarial Finance programme provides students with exemptions from the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries examinations.  The course was developed with the help of large actuarial employers, and offers an alternative, fast-track approach to professional actuarial qualification.

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Notes to editors:
1) About Tanaka Busines School, Imperial College London:
Imperial College's Tanaka Business School is a world-class provider of business education and research, building on Imperial's strengths through focusing on innovation and entrepreneurship, finance and healthcare management. The School offers full-time and executive MBAs, Masters programmes in Finance, Risk Management, International Health management, Management and Actuarial Finance; and a Doctoral programme. The School's Innovation and Entrepreneurship faculty group is the leading research group of its kind in Europe, having received over £25m in funding from governmental and corporate sponsors.
For more, go to:
www.imperial.ac.uk/tanaka

2) About the MSc Finance programme:
The programme is taught by leading experts in quantitative and technical finance. The teaching approach is a mix of the latest research and practical application.  The breadth of topics covered make the MSc Finance a unique and highly respected qualification. A one year, full-time MSc programme is designed for students with a strong academic background in mathematics, statistics or econometrics who intend to pursue a career in financial services.

3) About CFA Institute, charterholder status and the exams: 
CFA Institute is the global membership association that administers the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) and Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement (CIPM) curriculum and exam programs worldwide; publishes research; conducts professional development programs; and sets voluntary, ethics-based professional and performance-reporting standards for the investment industry. CFA Institute has more than 94,000 members, who include the world’s 79,000 CFA charterholders, in 134 countries and territories, as well as 135 affiliated professional societies in 56 countries and territories. In 2007, CFA Institute celebrates the 60th anniversary of “the founding of a profession.” CFA Institute has offices in Charlottesville, Va., London, Hong Kong, and New York. More information may be found at www.cfainstitute.org. (Bloomberg users can find CFA Institute at 497458Z).

Further information:
Elliott White
Tanaka Business School Press Manager
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7594 9154
Mobile: +44 (0)7725 159 796