CFA Work Experience Requirement - PhD Experience

CFA General
#1

Hi all

I really need your advice. I completed all the 3 CFA exams and I am thinking of applying for the CFA charterholder.

I’ve got 3-year full time PhD experience in Mathematical Finance (at a university) and during this time, I worked on pricing models for derivatives and published academic papers. This experience can be said to relate to investment decision-making process as traders/ structurers/ quants can use these models to price derivatives or to risk manage their books.

Do you think the above statement is true? Is there any chance that this 3-year experience will be approved for the CFA work experience requirement?

Many thanks jnampm

#2

i wouldn’t think so, it needs to be full time work

#3

Thanks for the comment. It was a full time PhD position.

#4

yes any reputable phd would be full time. I guess my point is that I would expect time spent undertaking a phd to be considered academic study as opposed to work experience. Full time teaching positions can qualify but that wouldn’t be relevant as a phd student. However, having said all that, the CFA definition of qualifying work experience is notoriously vague so it may be worth pursuing.

#5

The key points are full time and qualifying experience. From the CFA site they say as part of the decision making process, or teaching.

In any case, for me your experience is a higher quality than some that I know of that has been apporved. It’s like they say what have you got to lose.

In case you need it I’m in the UK society so drop me a message if you need a sponsor.

#6

@ escape-from-alcatraz and Monito: Thanks for all your comments. Other comments are highly appreciated.

@ Monito: Just drop you a message.

Regards

jnampm

#7

I thought being paid was one of the requirements? It has to be professional work from what I understand

#8

That is my understanding as well. No paycheck = no credit for experience. If you received a fellowship for your studies, it would an interesting idea to argue that your fellowship equals being paid. Not sure CFAI would buy it though.

As monito said though, what do you have to lose? If they say no they say no. They can’t say yes if you don’t try.

#9

Thank you for all the comments.

#10

Do you do any teaching of undergraduates during the course of your PHD? The CFAI do list the teaching of investment related subjects as qualifying experience.

#11

@ S666: Yes I did but it was just part-time teaching experience.

#12

I taught and TA’d for calculus/linear algebra in graduate school. I also did research during that time and the CFAI counted it (I think I wrote that combined it was like a full-time equivalent, as my TA’ship was technically “half time”). I also wrote how fundamental calculus and linear algebra were to certain aspects of the CFA material and investment process. I had been planning to wait another year because I hadn’t considered it might be accepted, but a coworker (charterholder) suggested it might be and it was.

#13

Thank kartelite.