MTSU is recognized as a CFA Institute Affiliated University by the CFA Institute. Recognition as a CFA Institute Affiliated University signals to students, employers, and the marketplace that the curriculum is closely tied to professional practice and is well-suited to preparing students to sit for the CFA examinations. To earn this designation, the school was required to demonstrate that its curriculum currently covers the topics in the CFA’s Candidate Body of Knowledge®.

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.

When a candidate for the CFA designation passes all three levels of the examination and meets other work experience and ethical conduct requirements, he/she is awarded the CFA designation. Many research professionals on both the buyside and the sellside are CFA charter holders, and the designation is highly regarded in the profession.

Master's and bachelor's in finance students at the Department of Economics and Finance benefit from the CFA Institute Affiliated University program designation most directly by being eligible for a limited number of scholarships that waive registration fees and a portion of the enrollment fee for the relevant CFA exam. Dr. Kevin Zhao is the contact person of the program at MTSU. Please email kevin.zhao@mtsu.edu to apply for the scholarship.