MEDIA CONTACTS:

Kerry-Ann Hamilton
Media Relations Manager
202.437.7889
k_hamilton@howard.edu

Kathy Valentine
CFA Institute – North America
434-227-2177
kathy.valentine@cfainstitute.org

Howard University Recognized as CFA Program Partner Institution

WASHINGTON (June 10, 2009) -- CFA Institute an Howard University announced today that both the Howard University BA in Business Administration and Master in Finance are CFA Program Partners and will offer degree programs that cover at least 70 percent of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge, the CFA Institute ethical and professional standards, and other requirements.

“Students in these programs are exposed to the Candidate Body of Knowledge, concepts and principles that have been identified by investment experts worldwide as essential to global practice,” said Bob Johnson, CFA, deputy CEO of CFA Institute. “By mastering these fundamentals of the CFA Program, students will be well on their way to earning the highly-valued CFA charter.”

Recognition as a CFA Program Partner signals to potential students, employers, and the marketplace that the university curriculum is closely tied to professional practice and is well-suited to preparing students to sit for the three levels of CFA examinations.

The CFA Program Partner initiative was launched 4 April 2006 with the announcement of Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford as the inaugural CFA Program Partner. Since then, CFA Program Partner institutions have been recognized on six continents. More information is available at www.cfainstitute.org/cfaprog/university/partners.html.

While Howard offered commercial education in 1870, its present-day School of Business started in 1970 with a full spectrum of BBA Major Programs including Finance. Howard undergraduate Business School program was accredited by AACSB (American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business) in 1976, the first recognized in Washington DC. BBA in Finance program is one of the most prestigious programs in the nation, particularly among HBCU's. Consistent with the missions of the School and the University, BBA in Finance program is designed to provide a high quality education in the field of finance and prepares students for career paths in the financial service industry, including commercial/investment banking, and insurance.

Howard’s MBA in Finance, launched in 1970, can be studied full-time or part-time. This program was also accredited by AACSB in 1980. The program offers a mix of theoretical and applied courses covering both theory and empirical aspects of finance. the MBA program in Finance is one of the most rigorous and sought-after offering. Graduates of this program are poised to work for major financial service companies including investment banking and commercial banking, and to work as finance managers of major corporations.

“Howard University School of Business is proud to be honored as a CFA Program Partner," Youngho Lee, chairman, Department of Finance, Int'l Business and Insurance. "We are committed to maintaining the academic rigor, analytical focus, and ethical as well as quality standards that CFA Institute so rightly expects and demands from its partners. It is highly encouraging for our School to be able to enjoy all the benefits the partnership entails.”

Students in the programs will gain access to CFA Institute textbooks, journals, webcasts, and other educational resources. Students will also benefit from professional development events held in conjunction with Howard University.

About Howard University

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, Doctoral/Research-Extensive university, comprising 12 schools and colleges with 10,500 students enjoying academic pursuits in more than 120 areas of study leading to undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees. Since 1998, the University has produced two Rhodes Scholars, two Truman Scholars, 21 Fulbright Scholars and 10 Pickering Fellows. The University continues to attract the nation’s top students and produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D.s than any other university in the world. For more information, visit the University's Web site at www.howard.edu.

About the CFA Program

The CFA Program sets a standard for developing the skills, standards, competence, and integrity of financial analysts, portfolio managers, investment advisers, and other investment professionals worldwide. It is widely considered the investment profession’s most rigorous credentialing program. Administered in English, the CFA curriculum and examinations are identical worldwide. Fewer than one in five candidates who begin the program successfully complete it and go on to earn the coveted CFA charter, the “gold standard” for investment professionals.

About CFA Institute

CFA Institute is the global association for investment professionals. It administers the CFA and 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. CFA Institute has more than 99,000 members, who include the world’s 85,755 CFA charterholders, in 133 countries and territories, as well as 136 affiliated professional societies in 57 countries and territories. More information may be found at www.cfainstitute.org.