The CFA University Affiliation formalises the professionalism of the Finance Specialisation/Major within our BBA Programme. In February 2007, our BBA programme with Finance Specialisation became the first programme in Singapore to be admitted to the CFA Institute’s University Affiliation Program. This means our BBA Finance Specialisation/Major curriculum embeds at least 70 percent of the CFA Level I Candidate Body of Knowledge, and is committed to covering CFA Institute’s ethical and professional standards.

The BBA Finance Specialisation/Major provides a coordinated, sequential approach to acquiring the knowledge, skills, and abilities tested in the CFA examinations. It is therefore well-suited for students who plan to sit for the CFA examinations and pursue the CFA charter.

What the Affiliation Gives NUS

Under the current CFA Institute University Affiliation Program, NUS Business School (through its Principal Contact) receives:

• Recognition as an Affiliated University on the CFA Institute website, with rights to use the UAP logo on NUS Business School marketing materials.
• Access to CFA Institute’s Learning Ecosystem, including exam materials and the full three-level CFA Program curriculum, made available to the Principal Contact to support curriculum design and student guidance.
• Access to UAP events, networking opportunities, and the monthly UAP newsletter, keeping the Finance Department connected to global trends in investment education and practice.
• CFA Program scholarship opportunities, which the Principal Contact awards to deserving students as discounts on CFA Program exam fees (see Scholarships below). Professor scholarships are separately available to faculty.
• Membership in CFA Institute’s global network of finance degree programmes aligned to the CFA Program curriculum — connecting NUS to over 800 affiliated universities worldwide.
• Enhanced student employability and mobility, as students complete a degree programme recognised as closely aligned to practice and to a globally recognised professional credential.

Note: Direct student access to CFA Institute textbooks, journals, and webcasts is no longer provided under the current UAP structure — this access is now channelled through the Principal Contact, who uses it to support curriculum alignment and student preparation.

Our CFA University Affiliation status doesn’t just mean classroom alignment with the CFA curriculum — it opens the door to two flagship student competitions hosted in Singapore each year, plus regular activities run by our own student community.

🏆 CFA Institute Research Challenge (Singapore Local Final — February)
An annual global equity research competition where teams of 3–5 undergraduate or graduate students take on the role of research analysts: researching a designated publicly traded company, writing a buy/sell/hold report, and presenting their recommendation to a panel of industry judges. The Singapore local final, hosted by CFA Society Singapore, is held each February, with winning teams advancing through sub-regional, regional, and global rounds. It’s one of the best ways to build real-world equity research and presentation skills, network with practitioners, and put NUS on the map at a global stage. Keep an eye out for team formation calls each new academic year — the competition kicks off in the fall and runs through to the local final in February.

⚖️ CFA Society Singapore University Ethics Challenge (September)
A team-based competition designed specifically for students at CFA Institute Affiliated Universities like NUS. Teams of three undergraduates are given a real-world ethics case study and must identify violations of the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct, explain why they’re violations, and propose a course of action — then defend their analysis before a panel of judges. The Challenge kicks off each September, making it a great way to start the academic year by sharpening the ethical reasoning skills that are increasingly tested in finance internship and job interviews.

👥 CFA Student Interest Group (SIG)
Our Finance Department’s student-run CFA Student Interest Group organises activities throughout the year — including study sessions, networking events, speaker series, and team formation for the Research Challenge and Ethics Challenge — to help students get the most out of our CFA affiliation. Look out for SIG announcements and join in to connect with like-minded peers preparing for the CFA charter.