Media Release
Macquarie announced as first Australian university to partner with the Professional Risk Managers’ International Association on accreditation program
Sydney, Australia, May 28, 2008 — Macquarie University’s Applied Finance Centre has announced it will be one of the first two university programs in the world to have its degree accredited by the Professional Risk Managers' International Association (PRMIA).
Due to recent financial crises and scandals, the demand for professional risk managers is increasing. Employers and students alike look to the PRMIA's Professional Risk Manager (PRM™) certification program as a global standard for the world's top financial risk professionals.
Macquarie’s involvement with the PRMIA accreditation program is designed to better prepare students for careers as professional risk managers, to help to build a better educated risk management profession, and indicates that Macquarie’s curriculum meets its exacting standards. The partnership also means that Macquarie’s Master of Applied Finance (MAF) students who choose to pursue risk management careers will in effect be studying for their academic qualification and their professional designation at the same time.
Students who complete appropriate courses within Macquarie’s PRMIA-accredited degree program will be eligible for exemption from PRM Exams I and II, which form a major part of the PRM certification program. While all students will still be required to pass exams III and IV in the PRM program, accreditation of Macquarie’s program ensures that at least 70 percent of PRMIA material is covered and students are well-prepared for the final two exams.
“With the world's biggest banks and securities firms writing down over $300 billion in losses over the past 16 months, it is more evident than ever that risk management is an important asset to any company”, says Professor Phil Dolan, Director of the Applied Finance Centre at Macquarie. “Today’s financial situation is a good reminder to companies across the world that there needs to be a greater investment in quality risk managers. Our partnering with PRMIA is indicative of our commitment to continue producing outstanding financial risk professionals.”
“Prospective risk management professionals can be confident that Macquarie’s PRMIA-accredited degree program has a high degree of commonality with the PRM curriculum – knowledge that industry leaders have identified as crucial for professional risk managers,” says Jodi Lundell, PRMIA Director of Risk Training and Education. “They can also be confident that the Macquarie degree program is appropriately rigorous, taught by high quality faculty, and recognised by potential employers.”
The Macquarie MAF program has been taught in Australia for over 25 years and is the largest of its type in the world. The program is also offered in Beijing, Singapore, and Tokyo. Macquarie’s teaching faculty has both excellent educational qualifications and substantial industry experience, creating courses with a truly applied, rather than theoretical focus. For more information visit www.mafc.mq.edu.au or www.prmia.org.
Media Contact: Fiona Crawford
(02) 9850 9658,