Chartered Economist® (Ch.E®)
The Ch.E® is the world's first graduate-level economics designation, awarded by the American Academy of Financial Management® (AAFM®) and recognised in 151+ countries. It bridges academic economics and real-world practice across seven specialisation tracks.
About the Designation
What is the Chartered Economist® (Ch.E®)?
A rigorous, graduate-level professional credential that verifies your economics knowledge, skills, and ethical commitment — trusted by employers across the globe.
The Chartered Economist® (Ch.E®) designation is offered by the American Academy of Financial Management® (AAFM®) — a worldwide Board of Standards and financial professional organisation. Recognised in over 150 countries via 800 training providers, universities, colleges, and business schools, the Ch.E® stands as the world's first graduate-level economics designation.
The programme was designed by leading economists globally to bridge the gap between what is learned in an academic setting and the knowledge needed to succeed as a practitioner. If you practise economics in your work — or wish to build a career in economics — earning the Ch.E® Designation enhances your skills and knowledge in your chosen domain area of economics and serves to verify your achievements.
Designation holders enjoy distinct professional advantages and are considered Leaders in the Field of Economics. Ch.E®s are trusted by employers to deploy their skills, tools, and experience in bringing clarity to decision-making processes and enhancing outcomes for their organisations.
A Chartered Economist is "professional, objective and critical and is able to contribute effectively to national discourse and development." Economists use statistics, mathematical analysis, and economic theory to conduct studies on issues such as unemployment, inflation, industrial productivity, farm policies, and international trade.
What Chartered Economists Do
The Practitioner's Role in Economics
Chartered Economists gather, analyse, and interpret economic data to guide enterprise decisions, inform public policy, and improve organisational outcomes.
Chartered Economists collect and scrutinise information to study, research, predict, and evaluate business and revenue trends across industries. They monitor economic trends and develop forecasts on energy costs, inflation, interest rates, exchange rates, business cycles, taxes, and employment levels.
They develop methods for obtaining data — including sampling techniques and mathematical modelling — and prepare reports with tables and charts on research results. Some Chartered Economists perform economic analysis for the media, government bodies, and consulting firms.
Chartered Economists study how society distributes resources — land, labour, raw materials, and machinery — to produce goods and services. They provide guidance to businesses and individuals making enterprise decisions, and advise on fiscal policy, regulation, and market structure.
The discipline spans Econometrics, Financial Economics, Industrial Organisation, International Trade, Labour Economics, Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics, Microeconomics, and Public Finance — enabling Ch.E® holders to operate across a wide range of industries and institutions.
Seven Tracks
Ch.E® Specialisation Tracks
The Ch.E® programme gives you both a general economics designation and the option to earn a specialised designation in your chosen domain — deepening your expertise and market positioning.
Focuses on energy markets, pricing, policy, and the economics of the energy transition. Relevant to professionals in power, renewables, and energy consulting.
Covers analysis of savings, investments, risk, financial markets, and financial institutions — essential for investment and banking professionals.
Applies economic theory to healthcare systems, resource allocation, pricing, and policy — ideal for professionals in pharma, insurance, and public health.
Studies the organisation of companies within industries and how they compete, including antitrust law, market structure, and regulatory economics.
Applies microeconomic principles to business decision-making — pricing, production, cost analysis, and strategic planning within firms.
Focuses on the economics of oil and gas exploration, production, refining, and global energy markets — suited to professionals in the petroleum sector.
Analyses the role of government in the economy — fiscal policy, taxation, budget deficits, welfare, and public finance — for policy and government professionals.
Is this for you?
Who Should Pursue the Ch.E®?
The Ch.E® is designed for practising professionals and graduates who want to formalise, deepen, and globally validate their economics expertise.
Well suited for
- Economists, Managers, and Directors
- Research Analysts
- Heads of Department
- Credit and Risk Analysts
- Corporate Financiers
- Financial Analysts
- Investment Bankers
- Economic Policy Professionals
- Actuaries and Actuarists
- Wealth and Fund Managers
- Graduates in Economics, Finance, Statistics, Mathematics, Management, Agriculture Economics, or Business Administration (BA, BSc, BCom, MBA, MA, MSc, PhD, MPhil)
Career destinations
- Investment Banks
- Asset Management Firms
- Actuarial Services
- Professional Consulting Firms
- Local and National Government
- Public and Private Banks
- Insurance Companies
- Think-tanks and Multinational Companies
- Accountancy and Financial Consultancy Firms
- Non-profit and Development Organisations
- International Bodies (World Bank, IMF, United Nations)
Professional Benefits
What the Ch.E® Does for Your Career
Global Professional Designation
Add Ch.E® to your name, business cards, letterheads, and email signature — a credential recognised by employers in 151+ countries.
Global Network Access
Connect with economists and financial professionals worldwide through AAFM's global network of charter holders and members.
Verified Competency
AAFM provides an online verification system so employers and clients can authenticate your membership and certification directly.
Cutting-edge Knowledge
The Ch.E® curriculum is consistently updated by specialists to keep your knowledge current with business, industry, and market developments.
Enhanced Career Flexibility
Validates your competency in economics management functions and prepares you for greater on-the-job responsibilities across sectors.
Corporate Linkages
AAFM provides the opportunity to be linked to corporate bodies requesting specialists through the AAFM Corporate tie-up programme.
Global Authority
Recognition & Global Standards
The Ch.E® is awarded directly by the American Academy of Financial Management® (AAFM®) — one of the world's foremost Boards of Standards for financial and economics professionals.
The AAFM® Super Board of Standards is responsible for maintaining certification standards at the highest level. This includes approving accredited schools and colleges meeting standards set by ABA, AACSB, ACBSP, EQUIS, and government-recognised programmes.
The membership certificate of the Chartered Economist is awarded directly by the American Academy of Financial Management — the most prestigious global body of its kind — and is fully recognised in the USA and in 151+ countries worldwide. The Ch.E® examination is held at more than 5,000 Pearson VUE centres across the globe, spread over 150 countries.
As part of the AAFM Certification package, members are eligible to receive a scholarship to pursue a Masters (LLM in Taxation, Economics and Finance) and Doctorate Degree at Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, California.
Explore every step of the Ch.E® journey
The Chartered Economist pathway is a connected set of pages — start anywhere, each links back here.
Become a Chartered Economist® — apply economics to real decisions
Give a course advisor 15 minutes and walk away with a clear plan, fee options and your next batch date — no pressure, no jargon.
Chartered Economist® — Frequently Asked Questions
The Ch.E® is the world's first graduate-level economics designation, awarded by the American Academy of Financial Management® (AAFM®). It is designed by leading economists globally to bridge the gap between academic economics and professional practice, and is recognised in 151+ countries.
There are seven specialisation tracks: Chartered Petroleum Economist (Ch.PE®), Chartered Industrial Economist (Ch.IE®), Chartered Managerial Economist (Ch.ME®), Chartered Financial Economist (Ch.FE®), Chartered Energy Economist (Ch.EE®), Chartered Health Economist (Ch.HE®), and Chartered Economic Policy Analyst (CEPA®).
Candidates typically require a bachelor's degree; a master's degree is often preferred for advanced positions. The programme welcomes economists, managers, research analysts, financial analysts, credit and risk analysts, actuaries, and postgraduate students in economics, finance, statistics, or management.
The Ch.E® designation is recognised in more than 150 countries through AAFM's global network of over 800 training providers, universities, colleges, and business schools.
The examination is conducted at Pearson VUE test centres. It is a computer-based test of 55 questions worth 100 marks, with a duration of 115 minutes. The passing score is 50%. Results are displayed immediately on submission.
Ch.E® holders work across investment banking, asset management, actuarial services, professional consulting, government and public policy, multinational companies, think-tanks, insurance, and international organisations such as the World Bank and IMF.
Start your Ch.E® journey today
Request a call back and our counsellors will share the full syllabus, specialisations, fees, batch options and the next start date — and help you choose the right path.