Econ undergrad who wants to do both MA Econ and CFA (possible?)
Hi guys, I’m an econ undergrad with a finance elective. I’ve taken a drop year to prepare for MA Eco entrances (targeting ISI, DSE, IITs), but I also want to attempt CFA Level 1 in Feb 2027. Priority is a master's from top-tier uni tho, not CFA.
I’m taking coaching for master's prep and was thinking of self-studying for CFA. Do you think juggling both is realistically manageable?
My econ, stats, and econometrics basics are pretty strong. For finance, I’m familiar with most CFA topics conceptually (except Ethics), but I wouldn’t say I have a very strong grip yet. I can solve basic (or maybe intermediate questions to some extent) but struggle with tougher application-based ones.
Would self-study be enough with a disciplined plan, or is coaching worth it for someone from a non-core finance+econ background? If anyone here balanced CFA with competitive master’s prep, would love to hear how it went and any useful advice to keep in mind.
PS: I've done the following finance courses in my undergrad (our course stands somewhere in btw non-finance and finance in terms of depth):
-Risk management
-Corporate valuation
-Managerial accounts
-Capital markets
-International finance
-Analysis of financial statements