Queen’s University’s Economics Department today announced the launch of Canada’s first Graduate Diploma in Risk Policy and Regulation, a partnership with the Global Risk Institute in Financial Services (GRI), beginning September 2014.

“Queen’s economics department has a long history as a leader in economic policy analysis and development in Canada, and this new graduate diploma will be an excellent credential for students who wish to pursue financial risk management careers in either the public or private sectors,” says Principal Daniel Woolf. “We are delighted that GRI has partnered with Queen’s to make this program a reality.”

Designed for graduate students in economics and related disciplines, the four-month diploma integrates formal risk management models, informal traditional and emerging risk management practices and evolving regulatory practices.

Professor Frank Milne. Photo by: Bernard Clark

“Given the failures in risk management and regulation that emerged in many countries during the global financial crisis, this program seeks to provide risk managers and financial regulators with the tools and knowledge to identify and manage risks to deliver the best possible outcomes for their organizations,” said Frank Milne, BMO Professor of Economics and Finance at Queen’s University.

Dr. Milne, a widely published authority on risk management, will direct the program, which includes courses on Risk Management Theory and Implementation, Financial Institution Theory and Practice, Financial Regulation and Advanced Topics in Risk Management and Regulation. Dr. David Longworth, a former deputy governor of the Bank of Canada and current Queen’s faculty member, will share responsibility for the program.

“This program will be a first for Canada,” says David Finnie, Managing Director, Education at GRI. “Today’s announcement is testament both to the strength and depth of risk management expertise in this country, and to the capacity of Canadian universities, think-tanks and private sector firms to work together.”

The development of the program has benefitted from strong support from the Bank of Canada, the Canadian Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions in Canada.

More about the Graduate Diploma in Risk Policy and Regulation