Ohio Wesleyan University students studying finance economics or management economics are now part of a program recognized for its breadth and depth by the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program.
Ohio Wesleyan has been part of the CFA Institute University Recognition Program since 2012 and now has transitioned to the University Affiliation Program.
The new program gives Ohio Wesleyan students access to additional resources and scholarships. It also recognizes that the OWU Department of Economics majors incorporate at least 70 percent of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge into their curricula and emphasize the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.
This focus helps to prepare students to obtain the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation, widely regarded as the world’s most respected and recognized investment credential.
“The Chartered Financial Analyst credential is the professional standard of choice for more than 31,000 investment firms worldwide,” according to the CFI Institute. “When hiring, leading firms demand investment professionals with real-world analytical skills, technical competence, and the highest professional standards, often requiring the CFA credential for consideration.”
Ohio Wesleyan’s curriculum also prepares students to sit for their Level 1 CFA examinations, which tests their knowledge of ethical and professional standards as well as their understanding of accounting, economics, and finance, said professor Barbara MacLeod, CFA, chair of the Department of Economics.
“Globally, about 40 percent of candidates taking this rigorous exam pass Level 1 each year,” MacLeod said. “Ohio Wesleyan students, even without the work experience of some of the candidates, have fared much better. In the last four years, approximately two-thirds of our students have passed Level I on their first attempt.”
Ohio Wesleyan’s finance economics major covers foundational finance theory and general skills, such as critical thinking and spreadsheet analysis. It works to prepare students for careers in investment banking, financial planning, wealth management, private equity, corporate finance, and more.
OWU’s management economics major helps prepare students to become business leaders and owners with core classes in both economics and business. Students build a foundation in macro- and micro-economic theory and research methods, as well as the disciplines of marketing, accounting, and finance.
Learn more about these and other Ohio Wesleyan Department of Economics majors and minors at www.owu.edu/economics.
