The Program

The M.A. in Investor Relations (MAIR) Program at the University of San Francisco provides a unique combination of financial, marketing and legal expertise with public relations skills. The Program is divided into modules. Each module contains a well-defined set of skills embodied in the investor relations function.

This graduate program integrates the quantitative training required by the financial profession with solid grounding in the ethical behavior required in the financial markets and transactions. The public relations field in the financial and investment industries demands a specialized set of skills and knowledge to meet the evolving needs and responsibilities of the financial field. In providing the training valued by industry, particular focus is given to the set of skills embodied and required to obtain the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) designation. The CFA designation enhances the credibility of an Investor Relations Officer, both within and outside the officer's organization.

  • The MAIR Program provides a unique combination of academic rigor and practical expertise.
  • MAIR faculty include both USF professors and Bay Area financial and investor relations professionals. The faculty and faculty practitioners deliver a program that trains students in the process, fundamental skills, and regulatory constraints involved in investor relations.
The Cohort Experience

Students progress through the MAIR Program as a single group (or "cohort") of peers. MAIR students also take certain courses with the M.S. in Financial Analysis students. Complementary strengths within each cohort provide students with the opportunity to learn with, and from, one another throughout the program. The cohort structure also encourages study groups that provide mutual support during the MAIR coursework and study for the CFA exams. MAIR and MSFA students develop collegial and professional networks that continue well beyond the program.

Preparation for the CFA® exams

The MAIR Program at USF includes some of the same courses as USF's M.S. in Financial Analysis (MSFA) Program. The MSFA Program at USF is an accredited CFA Program Partner of the CFA Institute – the international organization that oversees the CFA exams and designation.

At the end of the MAIR Program, students have covered coursework of the CFA Candidate Body of Knowledge for the Level I CFA exam.

CFA® is a registered trademark of the CFA Institute.