The Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP) recognises our Master of Commerce with specialisation in Finance (MCom-Fin) as meeting the global standard for training the next generation of financial risk managers in banking and finance.

The programme, delivered by academics with international experience, prepares graduates for careers in financial risk management within financial institutions, including commercial banks, central banks, and investment houses.

Each year, the MCom-Fin programme may nominate up to six students and one faculty member for an FRM Part I exam scholarship, as well as one scholarship each for GARP's Sustainability and Climate Risk (SCR) and Risk and AI (RAI) certificates. The department also receives complimentary study guides, learning objectives, and practice exams annually, as well as discounted access to FRM reading materials, online resources, and GARP membership.

For the UFS, the recognition places the MCom-Fin programme within a small circle of finance qualifications worldwide, at a time when demand for skilled risk professionals across Africa's banking, insurance, and investment sectors continues to grow. Alongside its CFA Institute affiliation, it is a marker of the university's commitment to contributing meaningfully to responsible societal futures – producing graduates equipped to identify, manage, and communicate financial risk responsibly, in South Africa and abroad.