Course Overview
According to CGAP an overwhelming proportion of people without access to finance are from Muslim-majority countries, as formal financial markets often fail to provide access to credit or savings that are compliant with the Muslim faith. Islamic microfinance has the potential to fill that gap through the provision of Sharia-compliant microfinance products, already reaching millions with an estimated USD 1 billion global industry loan portfolio. Professionals in this field are motivated and at times challenged by the dual nature of the required skillset, combining proven microfinance practice with the principles of Islamic finance.
These wide-ranging technical competencies are addressed in this unique course which combines our renowned “Certified Expert in Microfinance” with key knowledge in Islamic finance to the standards set by the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI).
Target Audience
This course is targeted towards microfinance and development professionals who are working in areas such as microfinance, Islamic microfinance, and end-user finance, or towards participants who want to explore Islamic microfinance. This includes staff from the following organisations, at either the operational level or the management level:
- Faith-based NGOs and non faith-based NGOs
- Islamic microfinance institutions
- Microfinance institutions
- Retail banks interested in downscaling
- Social/impact investors
- Banking training institutes
Workload
The course takes approx. 6 months assuming 3-4 hours of self-study per week. It consists of 7 units which build upon each other. You will take the units in sequence and will need to pass an online multiple choice test before accessing the next unit.
Unit 4 and Unit 6 include an assignment which you will need to submit at a fixed deadline.
Registration
Registrations for the course beginning on 1 September 2023 are now open.
Awarding Body
The certification is awarded by Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, Germany.
Learning Objectives
In this course you will learn the principles of Islamic finance and the major financing mechanisms and products within Islamic microfinance. The course will enable you to develop a thorough understanding of the risk landscape and risk mitigation strategies. Furthermore, regulatory, governance and Sharia compliance frameworks for Islamic microfinance will be discussed and analysed.
By the end of this course students will be able to:
- Understand the principles of Islamic finance and recognise the distinctness of some of the major financing mechanisms and products used in the Islamic microfinance sector
- Apply/Demonstrate the ability to carry out client appraisals
- Apply/Demonstrate the ability to analyse microfinancial performance information and employ the necessary tools
- Recognise the areas and issues critical for risk management
- Explain the key parameters for Regulatory, Governance and Sharia Compliance Frameworks for Islamic Microfinance