With liberalization being the mantra for economic growth and development, demand for well-trained specialists in the area of financial services has increased. Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) is a training program offered by the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India (ICFAI), which primarily aims at upgrading the skills of financial executives in Corporate Finance, Investment Management and Financial Services. However with the increasing demand for qualified people in the financial sector, fresh CFA’s are also being increasingly sought after. Even organizations like the Indian Railways, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Unit Trust of India (UTI) Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI) and so on have recognized the benefits of the programmer.

Educational Qualification:
The Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India (ICFAI) conducts Financial Analysts Course through correspondence. This is a postgraduate course of three-year duration. The admission is based on an admission test. Graduates in any discipline including those in the final year of graduation can take the admission test. Non-graduate commissioned officers in defence, with five years of working experience, are also eligible to take the admission test.

The CFA program is divided into four levels, foundation module being the first. Examination for the foundation module can be taken three months after enrolment. Candidates who have done MBA, CA, M.Com or ICWA are exempted from doing the foundation module. Thereafter preliminary, intermediate and final levels follow. Each level is divided into two groups and conditions apply for taking examinations under these groups.

CFA program is also offered as a two-year regular course by some of the leading business schools like BITS, Pilani, Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneshwar, SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai etc. Other options are CFA accelerated course and CFA-MBA joint program. Details about these programs are advertised in all major national newspapers from time to time.