Isenberg is a leader in the area of alternative investment research and we see this sector as a growing area of the financial industry. In response, we have created the master of finance in alternative investments (MFAI) 1-year degree program that is designed to prepare students to practice finance in the 21st century. The MFAI has achieved classification as a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) program.
As the global financial markets become increasingly complex and investors seek greater diversification along with increased return on investments, there has never been more demand for expertise in the field of alternative investments. However, there has not been a graduate program dedicated to this growing but complicated asset class. To fill the gap, the Isenberg School of Management has created the world’s first such program, the Master of Finance in Alternative Investments (MFAI). In one short year, the MFAI will provide you with both the cutting-edge knowledge and the credentials you need to accelerate your career in this thriving field.
GET A UNIQUE DEGREE FROM A TOP, AACSB-ACCREDITED BUSINESS SCHOOL. The Isenberg School of Management simulates the real-world challenges you’ll face on the job so you’ll be equipped to handle the ever-changing issues of today’s financial world.
ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF ONE OF THE BEST FINANCE DEPARTMENTS IN AI WORLDWIDE. Isenberg faculty are recognized around the globe for their leading-edge research in AI and serve as editors of The Journal of Alternative Investments (JAI), the preeminent journal in the field. As a result, the department has an established reputation for excellence in scholarship as well as real-world application.
TAP INTO OUR UNPARALLELED ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIPS. The Center for International Securities and Derivatives Markets (CISDM), located at Isenberg, hosts conferences, connects academic and business communities, and provides access to the Morningstar CISDM Database. In 2002, CISDM co-founded the Amherst-based Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association (CAIA), which supplies credentials and support for AI professionals.
Isenberg houses the Center for International Securities and Derivatives Markets (CISDM). CISDM places the school at the forefront of academic institutions that conduct research into derivatives, alternative investments, and asset and risk management and promotes interactions between the academic and business communities. Through CISDM, students gain access to thought leaders and top executives in the field as well as to the Morningstar CISDM Database. Students also have the opportunity to collaborate directly on financial markets research.
The Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association (CAIA) sponsors the CAIA Charter, an internationally recognized alternative investments credential, as well as continuing education and professional events worldwide. Isenberg is one of only 20 CAIA academic partners and the only one to offer this specialized masters degree. CAIA’s textbooks were co-authored by Isenberg Professor Hossein Kazemi, and he and Dr. Keith Black, Managing Director of the CAIA Association, will be teaching two courses in the program. MFAI graduates interested in CAIA certification will be able to skip the Level I Exam and the association will have 10 scholarships available for students taking Level II.
The Journal of Alternative Investments (JAI) provides its readers with innovative research, practical tools, and expert analysis on managing investments in hedge funds, private equity, distressed debt, commodities and futures, energy, funds of funds, and other nontraditional assets. Housed at Isenberg, JAI is the official publication of the CAIA Association and its editors include Isenberg Professors Hossein Kazemi, Bing Liang, and Mila Getmansky Sherman. MFAI students will benefit from exposure to the most current research in alternative investments as well as from the editors’ resources and connections in the profession.
