The Investment Foundations® program is a globally recognized certification program that provides you the fundamentals of the investment industry, with the quality, reputation, and durability of the CFA Institute brand. The program is designed for anyone who wants to enter or advance in the investment management industry. Examples are those aspiring a front office job without finance backgrounds, but also support professionals in asset management in areas such as human resources, project management, information technology, marketing, legal, administration and strategy.
The program covers the structure and vocabulary of the investment industry as well as job roles and a broad range of topics, including ethics (as well as ESG and diversity, equity and inclusion), economics, financial statements, investment instruments, and portfolio management. It is based on structured, scenario and story-based learning and consists of six modules and a final assessment.
The CFA Investment Foundations program is a self-study program which allows candidates to study at their own pace and take the exam when they feel ready. It requires around 60-90 hours of total study time and is completed through an online test consisting of 100 multiple choice questions.
Upon completion of the program, candidates will have a solid understanding of the investment industry, which will be helpful to identify issues and to skilfully communicate with and provide support to investment professionals, by thinking critically and asking the right questions. The CFA Investment Foundations program is also a great steppingstone for those who are interested in pursuing the CFA charter.
Current fee (last updated 2023) is USD350.
For registration, more info and the most recent fees/data go to https://investmentfoundations.cfainstitute.org/