lz, even if you go for a career in finance, CFA is not a must. since your goal is phd in accounting, personally i see no obvious reason to pay 1,000 US dollars to get a piece of paper which will be of limited use. nevertheless, the preparation of cfa exam should be a rewarding and enlightening experience. accounting and finance are closely related. the knowledge you get from preparing for cfa will not be a waste. however, from the practical point of view, i do not recommend applying for it until you have known the exam better. hope this helps. good luck! |