Published on January 17, 2014 by Kara Kennedy  

Samford University's Brock School of Business announced today that two of its finance programs have been recognized by CFA Institute, the global association of investment professionals that sets the standard for professional excellence and administers the industry gold standard CFA charter.   

In order to receive this special recognition, the Brock School of Business had to acknowledge that it incorporates at least 70 percent of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge within the curriculum and places emphasis on the CFA Institute's Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. 

"This recognition acknowledges the finance curriculum at Samford positions our students to obtain the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation," said Rusty Yerkes, CFA and assistant professor of finance.  "The CFA designation is now widely recognized as a must have credential.  It consists of three rigorous 6-hour exams and requires four years of investment related work experience.  Consequently, it has become the most respected and recognized investment credential in the world." 

The CFA Institute University Recognition Program signals to prospective students, employers and the marketplace that Samford's finance curriculum is closely tied to professional practice.  As part of the University Recognition program, CFA Institute will award up to five scholarships annually for Samford finance students to sit for the Level I CFA exam. 

This new recognition is one of a number of enhanced finance curriculum options in the Brock School of Business.  This past fall, the school added an optional Finance concentration to its M.B.A. curriculum. 

Dean Howard Finch added, "In addition to our $1.6 million student managed investment portfolio, 12 on-campus Bloomberg terminals, and a very successful intern program, the CFA recognition is one more piece of the puzzle that helps us offer outstanding and relevant business curriculum to our students. We are very excited about what this recognition can do to help our students achieve their future goals in the investment world."

 

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.