Westminster Business School has been selected as a Centre of Excellence in financial markets by the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) – one of only 12 centres worldwide.

CISI is the largest professional body for those who work in the securities and investment industry in the UK and in a growing number of financial centres globally.

Recognition of Westminster Business School as a Centre of Excellence confirms the school’s position as a professionally focused business school. The School already enjoys validation from a number of other professional bodies including AMBA (the Association of MBAs), the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development), the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS).

The School’s MSc in Investment and Risk Finance has been recognised as equivalent to the prestigious CISI Diploma and graduates of the MSc will therefore be eligible to apply for full Institute Membership of the CISI.

CISI membership comes with a range of benefits, including access to the continuous professional development (CPD) scheme, the ability to attend number of industry focused development and networking events for free, as well as discounts on relevant training courses and conferences. membership provides outstanding opportunities for those who want to progress their careers in the securities and investment industry.

Westminster Business School finance students will also benefit from CISI’s scholarship awards, made by the CISI’s Educational Trust.

Professor Barbara Allan, Dean of Westminster Business School said: “I am delighted that CISI has selected Westminster Business School as a CISI Centre of Excellence, demonstrating the quality of our financial education and our commitment to working in partnership with industry.”

“Accreditation by CISI also offers our graduates a tremendous career boost as membership of CISI can support their future development and offers valuable networking opportunities in a competitive sector. It is a fast track to career success.”

Ruth Martin, CISI Managing Director, said: “We are delighted that Westminster Business School has become a CISI Centre of Excellence and we look forward to developing the partnership. WBS Masters graduates of the Investment and Risk Finance Programme will be able to apply for full membership of our professional body, upon successful completion of their programme of study, providing them with an important competitive edge in the jobs market.”

The MSc programme provides an intensive and thorough grounding in the key aspects of investment and risk finance, combining both academic and practical elements. The programme teaches the various technical and analytical skills needed by graduates, and is delivered by academics with wide-ranging experience in the investment industry.

The programme continues to evolve to meet the changing needs of financial markets and investment and students are able to reinforce their learning through the resources available in the School’s Financial Markets Suite, a state of the art virtual trading room.