May 30, 2017

Susquehanna University has been accepted into the University Recognition Program of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute.

The recognition makes Susquehanna one of only two undergraduate liberal arts colleges in North America that have been accepted into the CFA Recognition program and are accredited by the prestigious International Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

“CFA Recognition Status signals to our students and to their future employers that our curriculum is aligned with the requirements of the largest credentialing institution that defines best practices for the financial industry,” said Peter DaDalt, assistant professor of finance at Susquehanna and a CFA Charter holder.

The CFA Institute is a global association of investment professionals that offers the Chartered Financial Analyst professional credential.

Academic institutions that are accepted into the CFA program must include in their curriculum at least 70 percent of the material tested in the first level of the rigorous CFA credentialing exam. It consists of three exams that must be passed sequentially.

Susquehanna’s curriculum prepares students to sit for the first level of the exam during their senior year.

Fees for the first level of the exam can exceed $1,300. As a participant in the CFA program, Susquehanna students can take the exam at a significantly reduced cost.

Other Weis School Distinctions

Similarly, the Sigmund Weis School of Business offers accounting students a fast-track option to become a certified public accountant (CPA). Notably, 91 percent of our accounting majors complete within four years the 150-credit hours required to sit for the CPA exam.

Susquehanna’s participation in the CFA program is the latest accolade for the Sigmund Weis School of Business. Most recently, the business school:

• Was reaccredited by the AACSB, which is the hallmark of excellence in business education. Less than 5 percent of the world’s business schools earn the distinction.
• Celebrated the opening of Bloomberg Terminals at the business school’s state-of-the-art Student Investment Center.
• Finished in the top 25 in a worldwide investment competition sponsored by ETF Global.