AMHERST, Mass.—The Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association, dedicated to education, professionalism and ethics in the alternative investment space, has announced an Academic Partnership with Drexel University's LeBow College of Business. The partnership supports the university's commitment to offer students courses in alternative investments, one of the fastest growing segments of asset management.

"As the industry continues to grow, so does the need for university graduates who are knowledgeable in the field," said Hossein Kazemi, Ph.D, CAIA Association Program Director. "LeBow College of Business is preparing its students for success in this area of growth and we are pleased to support the college by sharing with them the CAIA curriculum and offering a CAIA scholarship program for students and faculty."

Erik Benrud, Ph.D.,CAIA, clinical professor of finance and an expert in alternative investments, championed the agreement between Drexel LeBow and the CAIA Association. "This partnership means LeBow students will now be able to leverage the CAIA curriculum and prepare for the CAIA designation, which is the only globally recognized professional designation in alternative investments," he said.

The CAIA curriculum covers five core areas of alternative investments: hedge funds, managed futures, private equity, commodities, and real assets. To earn the CAIA designation, qualified candidates must first pass Level I and then Level II of the CAIA exams, which are administered twice a year in March and September at computerized testing centers worldwide. Through the CAIA Academic Partnership Program, Drexel LeBow professors who have earned the CAIA designation may nominate students for Level I exam scholarships. The scholarships cover 100 percent of the exam enrollment fee and 90 percent of the CAIA Level I exam registration fee. A separate CAIA scholarship program is also available for Drexel LeBow professors.

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About the CAIA Association

The Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association is an independent, not-for-profit global organization committed to education and professionalism in the field of alternative investments. Founded in 2002, the Association is the sponsoring body for the CAIA designation, the alternative investment industry's first and only specialized educational standard. Recognized globally, the designation certifies one's mastery of the concepts, tools and practices essential for alternative investment practitioners and promotes adherence to high standards of professional conduct. For more information visit caia.org.

About Drexel University's LeBow College of Business

Recognized by BusinessWeek, Entrepreneur-Princeton Review, Financial Times, and U.S. News & World Report for superior programs, Drexel University's LeBow College of Business empowers, enriches and inspires future business leaders through an innovative, strategic approach to business education in its master's, bachelor's and doctoral programs. LeBow College is accredited by AACSB International—the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best national doctoral universities, Drexel is one of fewer than 30 private universities classified by The Carnegie Foundation as Research Universities (high research activity).