What Are the Best Risk Management Certification Programs?
Risk management programs teach students how to limit an organization's exposure to financial risk. For practitioners, continuing education courses and certifications may be available through professional industry associations. Learn what to consider when choosing a program, and find out about three of the best schools in the field.
<h2 id="section---WhatShouldILookForInATopRiskManagementCertificationAndEducationProgram">What Should I Look for in a Top Risk Management Certification and Education Program?</h2>
<p>If you're a working risk management professional, you may want to look into continuing education or certification programs offered through industry organizations, like the Risk Management Association. You might consider pursuing the Financial Risk Manager certification through the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP) or an industry-specific credential, like the American Hospital Association's Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management.
</p>
<p>Each of the following schools is recognized as a Center of Actuarial Excellence by the Society of Actuaries. You might consider schools that have research centers devoted to risk management. Some programs may prepare you for risk management certification.
</p>
<h2 id="section---WhatAreThreeGoodRiskManagementCertificationAndEducationPrograms">What Are Three Good Risk Management Certification and Education Programs?</h2>
<h3 id="section---GeorgiaStateUniversityGSUInAtlanta">Georgia State University (GSU) in Atlanta</h3>
<p>GSU tied for 44th in <i>U.S. News & World Report's</i> undergraduate business rankings for 2019 (<i>www.usnews.com</i>). Full-time faculty in GSU's Department of Risk Management and Insurance publish articles each year in peer-reviewed journals. The university sponsors the Center for Risk Management and Insurance Research and the Center for the Economic Analysis of Risk.
</p>
<p>Through GSU's J. Mack Robinson College of Business, you could major in risk management and insurance in an undergraduate business program. The graduate certificate in enterprise risk management is designed for individuals who already hold a master's degree in a related business field. Doctoral candidates frequently co-author research findings with faculty, drawing on disciplines that include applied math, finance, economics and actuarial science. The following risk management certificate programs are available:
</p>
<ul><li>Graduate Certificate in Enterprise Risk Management
</li></ul><h3 id="section---OhioStateUniversityOSUInColumbus">Ohio State University (OSU) in Columbus</h3>
<p>OSU was tied for 15th for its undergraduate business program and 25th for its graduate finance program by <i>U.S. News & World Report</i> in 2019.
</p>
<p>Undergraduate business majors may specialize in risk management through the Fisher College of Business. You might compete in the Nationwide Fisher BizQuiz competition sponsored by the Nationwide Financial Leadership Rotation Program. Undergraduates may also study business and finance in the European Union through the Nantes Summer Program. You could produce an honors thesis and present your findings at the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum.
</p>
<p>The MBA program is available in a full-time, working professional or executive format. MBA candidates can participate in OSU's Finance Boot Camp, a 3-day event that includes meetings with finance officials from companies like Proctor & Gamble. The specialized master's program in finance could prepare you for the Financial Risk Manager certification program offered by GARP. Business administration Ph.D. students with a finance emphasis might be interested in research conducted through the Charles A. Dice Center for Research in Financial Economics. This risk management program is available:
</p>
<ul><li>Specialized Master's - Finance
</li></ul><h3 id="section---UniversityOfPennsylvaniaUPennInPhiladelphia">University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) in Philadelphia</h3>
<p>UPenn was ranked first for its undergraduate business program by <i>U.S. News & World Report</i> in 2019. That organization also ranked UPenn's Wharton School of Business first among schools with graduate finance programs during the same year.
</p>
<p>The insurance and risk management specialization within Wharton's MBA program is designed for students interested in the insurance industry, employee benefits or financial management. You'll be organized into a cohort group that will follow a learning team model pioneered by Wharton. MBA program students can also take part in team-based learning courses and global immersion experiences in places like China or South Africa. Risk management degrees are offered at the graduate level:
</p>
<ul><li>RMA/Wharton Advanced Risk Management Program
</li></ul><h2 id="section---TenSchoolsWithTopFinancePrograms">Ten Schools with Top Finance Programs</h2>
<p />
<table border="1"><tr><th>College/University</th><th>Institution Type</th><th>Location</th><th>Estimated Graduate In-State Tuition and Fees (2018-2019)*</th></tr>
<tr><td>New York University </td><td> 4-year, Private </td><td>New York, NY</td><td>$45,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>University of Michigan--Ann Arbor </td><td> 4-year, Public </td><td> Ann Arbor, MI</td><td>$23,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>Massachusetts Institute of Technology </td><td> 4-year, Private </td><td> Cambridge, MA</td><td>$55,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>University of California--Berkeley </td><td> 4-year, Public </td><td> Berkeley, CA</td><td>$14,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>University of Texas--Austin </td><td> 4-year, Public </td><td> Austin, TX</td><td>$12,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>University of Virginia </td><td> 4-year, Public </td><td> Charlottesville, VA</td><td>$19,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>Carnegie Mellon University </td><td> 4-year, Private </td><td> Pittsburgh, PA</td><td>$45,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill </td><td> 4-year, Public </td><td> Chapel Hill, NC</td><td>$12,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>Indiana University--Bloomington </td><td> 4-year, Public </td><td> Bloomington, IN</td><td>$11,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>Seattle University </td><td> 4-year, Private </td><td> Seattle, WA</td><td>$20,000</td></tr>
</table><p><i>*Source: NCES, U.S. Department of Education</i></p>