CFA Institute Research Challenge:

The CFA Institute, one of the leading global organizations for finance professionals, organizes the CFA Institute Research Challenge competition. Colleges around the globe send students to this competition, and students first compete regionally and if they are successful, they can go all the way to the global competition. As part of the competition, students write an equity research report on a publicly traded company that is selected by a local CFA society. While working on their report, students get help from a faculty mentor and an industry mentor, often times someone with a CFA charter. UIS offers an elective finance class in which students are taught the fundamental and hands-on knowledge necessary for the equity research report and the participation in the competition.

Participating in the CFA Institute Research Challenge is one of the best experiential learning opportunities for all business students, not just finance students. Students have the opportunity to apply their course knowledge into practice and also build a network of like-minded peers and industry professionals. Also, the equity research report written for the competition can be used as a writing sample in job applications, further bolstering the chances of obtaining a rewarding job for business students.