About the Program
The Certificate in Investment Analysis Program is designed to prepare students for a variety of careers in investments and corporate finance. By taking the required courses for the certificate program, participants will receive in-depth training involving investment tools, valuation of assets, and management of investments that will position them to enter the fields of security analysis and portfolio management. Even though the focus of the program is on investments, the knowledge that participants gain from the required courses is highly valued in other finance fields such as financial planning and treasury management. 

This undergraduate certificate program is also designed to prepare students for the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Level 1 Exam. The CFA designation is globally recognized by employers and investment professionals. The contents of the required courses for the certificate program, along with the other required courses for a business undergraduate degree, cover a significant portion of the CFA Exam curriculum.

Admission
Rider undergraduate College of Business Administration (CBA) students majoring in Finance or double-majoring in Finance may choose to apply for the certificate program if meeting the following requirements:

• minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 after completing 60 credits
• minimum grade of “B” in at least five of the six courses
• minimum grade of “C” in no more than one of the six courses

ACC-210   Introduction to Accounting
ACC-220   Managerial Uses of Accounting
ECO-200   Principles of Macroeconomics
ECO-201   Principles of Microeconomics
MSD-200  Statistical Methods I
MSD-201  Statistical Methods II

Students should apply for the certificate program immediately after completing 60 credit hours to provide maximum scheduling flexibility. Admission to the program is subject to a minimum grade of "B" in FIN-300, which is normally taken in the junior year. 

FIN-300 Introduction to Finance

Required Courses 
The certificate program requires students to take the following six courses:

FIN-309   Intermediate Corporate Finance
FIN-312   Investments
FIN-360   Derivative Securities
FIN-412   Investments Analysis and Portfolio Management
PMBA-8324  Financial Reporting
PMBA-8348  Fixed Income Securities and Alternative Investments

Five of the six required courses for the certificate program can be used in satisfying Finance major requirements. PMBA-8324 Financial Reporting can be counted as a business or free elective. Finance-Accounting double majors are not required to take that course. 

To complete the certificate program, students must meet the following requirements:

• minimum GPA of 3.4 for the six courses required by the certificate program
• minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 

Questions?
Dr. Feng-Ying Liu, liuf@rider.edu 
Professor of Finance
College of Business Administration
Rider University