The undergraduate finance program at La Salle University’s School of Business has been accepted into the CFA Institute’s University Affiliation Program—considered the most-rigorous credentialing program in the investment profession.

The CFA Institute, the global association of investment professionals, maintains high standards for achieving this recognition. A business school must incorporate at least 70 percent of the CFA Program’s body of knowledge into its finance programs and apply to its course material the same code of ethics and practice standards that are endorsed by the CFA Institute.

Entry into the CFA Institute’s University Affiliation Program signals to potential students, employers, and the marketplace that La Salle’s curriculum is closely tied to professional practice and is well suited to preparing students to sit for the chartered financial analyst (CFA) examinations. Through participation in this program, La Salle is eligible to receive a limited number of student scholarships for the CFA Program each year.

What’s more, the CFA Program positions students well to obtain the CFA designation, which has become the most respected and recognized investment credential in the world.

“The CFA Program affiliation is yet another external recognition of the exceptional value we provide and reflects our commitment to deliver the highest-level of professional content that will equip students for the competitive investment industry.” said MarySheila E. McDonald, J.D., dean of La Salle’s School of Business.

“We are so excited to begin our official affiliation with the CFA Institute,” said Jan Ambrose, Ph.D., professor and chair of La Salle’s finance department. “Over the last few years, under the personal mentorship of Professor Evgeny Radetskiy, Ph.D., our students have been able to pursue a curriculum that prepares them for earning the CFA designation. Now, this affiliation will help us launch so many more finance students onto a path toward success in the investment field through the scholarships and professional connections it provides, and through recognition that our Finance program at La Salle is in such exclusive company.”

Established in 1955, La Salle University’s School of Business delivers an innovative education that prepares its students to do purposeful business. Accredited by AACSB International, a distinction held by less than five percent of the world’s business schools, the La Salle School of Business offers undergraduate- and graduate-level programs in a range of in-demand disciplines.

The school’s innovative and entrepreneurial programs integrate current business concepts to prepare students to lead engaged lives and fulfilling careers marked by a commitment to the common good. The school is based in Founders’ Hall, a cutting-edge facility that delivers an unparalleled learning environment replete with leading technologies and professional development services and nationally recognized job-placement rates.

La Salle’s School of Business is listed among the top 100 business schools in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report.

—Christopher A. Vito