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The �԰����� School of Business finance program is now a university affiliate program under the Chartered Financial Advisors Institute—an industry recognition that will give �԰����� students an edge in their career field.

Jorge Colazo, professor and chair of the Department of Finance and Decision Sciences, says this CFA affiliation means big things for future finance majors.

“This is a badge of honor for us,” Colazo says. “This affiliation recognizes the efforts our faculty made to update the finance curriculum in the last few years to align it  with industry needs and also with the CFA Institute standards.”

�ճ����, founded in 1947, is an international association with headquarters in Hong Kong, London, Mumbai, New York, and Charlottesville. �԰����� joins a network of more than 380 fellow CFA , including the University of Cambridge, Cornell University, and the University of Hong Kong.

In addition to this affiliate program, The CFA Institute’s primary function is to award charters to individual finance professionals, who each take a series of rigorous tests to earn their certification. As an affiliate program, a number of �԰����� students will be eligible for scholarships that defray the cost of these exams, which can run up to $1,000 or more.

“Getting this certification is highly valued and highly sought after in the finance industry,” Colazo says. “Our affiliation is going to make this process more accessible for our finance majors, thanks to those scholarships.”

Since becoming an official major during the 2015-16 academic year, �԰�����’s finance program has graduated 18 finance majors, with that number expected to triple over the coming few years.