Financial Quantitative Analysts

Certification or Licensing

Financial quantitative analysts may receive certification as a chartered financial analyst (CFA) from the CFA Institute. Many employers require analysts to hold this designation. The CFA examination consists of three levels covering topics such as corporate finance, economics, financial statement analysis, and portfolio management. Preparation for each level of the test may take six months. The CFA Institute reports that the average candidate takes three to four years to achieve the CFA charter. Before taking the first exam, candidates must meet one of the following entrance requirements:

• have completed a bachelor’s program or equivalent program and received a degree
• be a current university student who is within 23 months from completing their undergraduate degree
• have a combination of 4,000 hours of work experience and/or college/university education that was acquired over a minimum of three sequential years and achieved by the date of enrolling for the Level I exam

Other organizations that offer certification programs include the Association for Financial Professionals, Chartered Alternate Investment Analyst Association, Investment Adviser Association, Investments & Wealth Institute, and Global Academy of Finance and Management.

Some firms may require that senior-level analysts have a certified public accountant license. Analysts who work as financial services brokers must meet licensing requirements to practice in the field. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (http://www.finra.org) is the primary licensing organization for the securities industry.