Important Program Update:

With a near revolution in AI and machine learning and their implications for the financial industry, the FDP Program is currently not accepting new registrations or retake candidates until further notice. We have begun a full inventory of our readings and learning objectives to ensure continued relevancy of our curriculum.

The FDP Institute website will continue to be available.
Learn more here.

The FDP Institute was established by the CAIA Association to address a growing need in finance for a workforce that has the skills to perform in a digitized world. Today's industry professional will benefit from understanding the application of big data, data mining, and machine learning in investment decisions.

16
16
Industry Leading Advisory Board Members
330
330
Global Firms Represented
42
42
Countries Represented
CAIA

Succeed in a Data-Driven World

Earning the FDP Charter consists of the successful completion of one exam and an online class coding requirement. Doing so, would be an essential step in your continued education and help you gain a competitive edge in the data-driven finance industry.

The Financial Data Professional credential provides expertise in data science and its practical applications in finance.

Curriculum Topics
  • Introduction to Data Science
  • Linear & Logistic Regression, Support Vector Machines, Regularization, and Time Series
  • Decision Trees, Supervised Segmentation, and Ensemble Methods
  • Classification, Clustering, and Naïve Bayes
  • Neural Networks and Reinforcement Learning
  • Performance Evaluation, Back-testing, and False Discoveries
  • Text Mining
  • Ethical & Privacy Issues
  • Fintech Applications

INDUSTRY CREDIBILITY

Globally recognized credential across the financial spectrum necessary to succeed in an industry disrupted by the advent of big data and machine learning.

CAREER ENHANCEMENT

Showcase your global value by validating your financial acumen and data analysis skills.

GLOBAL COMMUNITY

A growing community ready to address the need in finance for a workforce that has the skills to perform in a digitized world.

The FDP curriculum is very hands-on and gave me a deeper understanding of how I can identify and implement innovative ideas in finance. My team has the assurance that when assigned to construct a data-related project, we can build it with sound logic and clearly explain the practicality. I am now empowered to communicate with the Data product team effectively because I understand the needs of both teams.
Lily Wang, CAIA, FDP

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who will benefit from the FDP credential?
Professionals managing, analyzing, translating, and distributing data in finance and anyone with an interest in finance, technology, and practice.
How many exams will I need to take?
To earn the FDP Charter, Candidates must successfully complete the FDP Exam and complete an online class covering the basics of Python or R programming. The online class is offered by an approved provider and can be completed before or after the FDP exam.
What do I achieve by successfully completing the program?
You will earn the FDP Charter and digital badge. By doing so, the FDP Charter would be an essential step in your continued education and can help you gain a competitive edge in the data-driven finance industry.
Can I join the CAIA Association after successfully completing the program?
No, CAIA Association Membership is only available to CAIA Charterholders. But successful completion of the FDP exam puts you in an influential group of FDP Charterholders. 

 

FDP Program Update FAQs

 

Why is the FDP Program being paused after the Q2 2024 exam session?
The Q1 2024 retirement of Hossein Kazemi was certainly a catalyst, but having a firm grasp on the key learning outcomes for any high-stakes exam will always be top of mind. Now is the time to evaluate and self-test not only coverage of some newer tools such as generative AI, but to understand what this also means around ethics and a fiduciary duty which is being tested and stretched in new ways, in real time. 
Is there support available for FDP Charterholders after the Q2 exam session (or during this transition)?
The FDP Institute was established by the CAIA Association and FDP Charterholders will remain a valuable part of our community. Regardless of where we take this program next, the use-case of generative AI, deployment of algorithms, and the use of alternative data will continue to accelerate within the investment process, particularly in the alternative investment space. We encourage you to set up a CAIA profile to be kept informed of industry learning opportunities that are not CAIA Member exclusive. 
How will this affect my FDP Charter?
The FDP Charter is something you earned based on a combination of curiosity and the need/desire to fill a blind spot. That can never be taken away from you. You (and we) knew that this was a field that was developing very rapidly, and our curriculum and exam were a solid base to build from, as new insights and uses continued to disrupt the more traditional investment process. 
Will my FDP digital badge remain verifiable?
Yes, we will continue to offer that via our relationship with Credly.