CNV Krishnan, known to fellow faculty, staff and students as Krish, is a professor and the department chair in the banking and finance department and the Master of Finance faculty director. When he’s not busy managing the curriculum and other details for the widely-recognized program, he’s brainstorming ways to make Weatherhead’s education more accessible to those who may not be interested in pursuing the full degree program but want to gain new skills.
That’s why this spring, Krish and his team launched the new Finance Certificate programs that will be available this fall and are designed for both current students and working professionals. We caught up with Krish to chat about these newly available certificates programs and more.
Question: How long have you been teaching at Weatherhead? Why do Weatherhead students stand out to you/what makes them special?
Krish: I have been teaching graduate, undergraduate and overseas courses at Weatherhead for almost 20 years now, and have received or been nominated for teaching awards. I have found Weatherhead students special in terms of their motivation to learn key concepts and theories in the classroom, and to apply them both in and out of class. We are fortunate to have some of the best graduate and undergraduate students year after year.
Question: How do you think Weatherhead uniquely prepares students for their professional life upon graduation?
Krish: Weatherhead School has top tier instructors, as measured by rankings and reputation, and top researchers who develop and teach new cutting-edge knowledge. We also make sure that students are exposed to real-world applications of the concepts and ideas taught in the classroom. We organize city and corporate “treks”, executive seminars, in-classroom projects, and help students find relevant internships. We continually update our curriculum to train students for the workplace of the future.
Question: Tell me about the finance certificate. What makes the program such a good fit for working professionals and current students?
Krish: We just launched two new finance certificates designed for both current students and working professionals. The Financial Management Certificate is designed to help professionals advance their careers and update skills in making decisions regarding investing, financing, and capital management. The Quantitative Finance Certificate is designed to provide candidates with strong analytical skills for real-world applications, especially in investment management, risk management, and data analytics. The courses combine a rigorous finance education with cutting-edge analytical tools applied to real-world data. Both certificates have an advanced level.
Question: Anything else unique you’d like to say about the new certificate program?
Krish: The same faculty who teach in our world-renowned Master of Finance program will teach in these finance certificate programs. The instructors are not only proficient in teaching but are also at cutting-edge research in finance. To add to quality instruction, there are in-class projects, city treks, corporate visits, and job fairs that participants will have access to.
The finance certificates are also unique in that they are stackable towards a Master of Finance degree, meaning students who complete both certificates can apply these credit hours toward the full degree program at Weatherhead, so long as the full 30 credit hours for the degree it is completed within six years of the start of the certificate.
This is a great opportunity for students and working professionals to build new skill sets, stand out among peers and open doors for growth. Now, more than ever, students with a solid understanding of finance coupled with quantitative and analytical skills, and programming capabilities, are in high demand.