High School
During high school, take classes in business, mathematics, economics, accounting, computer science, history, government, English, and speech.
Postsecondary Education
Most risk management positions require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in risk management, insurance, accounting, finance, economics, or business. Some hedge fund managers prefer to hire those with a master’s of business administration or a master’s in risk management for upper-level positions. The HF industry is very selective, so you’ll increase your chances of landing a job if you attend a prestigious college and have a high GPA.
Certification
The Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association offers the Fundamentals of Alternative Investments Certificate Program. In this online, self-paced course, you’ll learn about traditional vs. alternative investments, hedge funds, investment returns and risks, due diligence, risk management, and other topics. Visit https://caia.org/programs/fundamentals for more information. The Institute of Risk Management offers the international certificate in enterprise risk management, international certificate in financial services risk management, international certificate in operational risk management, the digital risk management certificate, and the international diploma in risk management to applicants who pass examinations. Visit https://www.theirm.org/qualifications for more information.
Other Education or Training
RIMS—The Risk Management Society offers "hands-on" workshops that will help participants stay up to date on practices and developments in risk management. Recent workshops included Contractual Risk Transfer, Applying Enterprise Risk Management Theory, and Risk Assessment Methods. The Global Association of Risk Professionals and the Public Risk Management Association also provide professional development opportunities.