About Our Certificate
The Certificate in Investments provides students with an in-depth understanding of the investments process and its key underlying elements, including asset allocation and security analysis. Students also gain an understanding of financial securities, asset classes (e.g., equities, bonds, real estate, and derivatives), and financial markets. Students completing the certificate will be better prepared for leadership positions in the investments field. A list of specific Student Learning
Objectives is provided below:
- Understand and implement the investment process and the key elements involved in that process, including asset allocation and security selection.
- Understand financial securities, such as equity, debt, and derivatives.
- Understand the functions of financial intermediaries, such as banks, mutual funds, pension funds, and endowment funds.
- Analyze financial statements and construct valuation models to assess the intrinsic value of a firm.
- Assess systematic and idiosyncratic risks and construct portfolios to achieve a desired level of risk exposure.
- Evaluate the performance of managed portfolios.
Students who finish the 15 credit-hour curriculum with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA will receive the Undergraduate Certificate in Investments upon completion of their bachelor's degree.
Careers in Investments
- Financial Analyst
- Portfolio Manager
- Wealth Manager
- Personal Financial Planner
- Risk Manager
- Security Analyst
Are you eligible?
This certificate program is available to all degree-seeking and nondegree-seeking students.
Required Courses
(6 CREDIT HOURS) - CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING COURSES IN THIS SECTION:
An overview of the global financial system, financial markets, financial institutions, and principles of financial management.
Course Details:
- 3 Credit Hours
- Pre-requisites: Students admitted to College of Business upper level degree program cannot enroll
- Course offered in the Spring, Summer and Fall semesters
Financial decision-making in a corporate environment. Time value of money, capital budgeting, cost of capital, working capital management and financial instruments issued by the firm.
Course Details:
- 3 Credit Hours
- Pre-requisites: Completed 45 semester hours; STAT 2500 (or STAT 2200 AND STAT 1200 or STAT 1300 or STAT 1400); ECONOM 1014; ECONOM 1015 OR ECONOM 1051H
- Co-requisites: ACCTCY 2027 or ACCTCY 2037 or ACCTCY 2137H
- Course offered in the Spring, Summer, and Fall semesters
AND TAKE THE ADDITIONAL COURSE:
Security valuation and analysis, formulation of personal and professional investment programs.
Course Details:
- 3 Credit Hours
- Pre-requisites: FINANC 3000
- Course offered in the Spring and Fall semesters
Elective Courses
(9 CREDIT HOURS) - CHOOSE THREE OF THE FOLLOWING:
Functions of intermediaries in the aggregation and allocation of funds, creation and transfer of assets, and distribution of risks. Regulation of financial institutions; financial institutions as instruments of public policy.
Course Details:
- 3 Credit Hours
- Pre-requisites: FINANC 3000
- Course offered in the Spring and Fall semesters
Classifies and analyzes securities, markets, industries. Formulation of investment policy for institutions, personal investors.
Course Details:
- 3 Credit Hours
- Pre-requisites: FINANC 4020
- Course offered in the Spring and Fall semesters
Development and application of the principles of modern portfolio theory to financial assets. Analysis of the concepts of diversification, portfolio construction, portfolio revision, and use of types of financial assets in effective portfolio management.
Course Details:
- 3 Credit Hours
- Pre-requisites: FINANC 4020
- Course offered in the Spring and Fall semesters
Financial modeling and using online databases to retrieve data, data analysis, spreadsheet design, excel VBA programming, interpreting results.
Course Details:
- 3 Credit Hours
- Pre-requisites: N/A
- Course offered in the Spring and Fall semesters
A basic overview of financial futures and options markets. Topics include: theoretical pricing of financial futures contracts and stock options, institutional aspects of these markets, hedging, and speculative strategies.
Course Details:
- 3 Credit Hours
- Pre-requisites: FINANC 4020
- Course offered in the Spring and Fall semesters
The course comprises an intensive study of the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct and Global Investment Performance Standards. It also includes a review of corporate governance issues.
Course Details:
- 3 Credit Hours
- Pre-requisites: N/A. Recommended to have completed FINANC 4010 already before enrolling but is not required.
Survey and application of the investment philosophy and valuation methods of Warren Buffett.
Course Details:
- 3 Credit Hours
- Pre-requisite: FINANC 3000. Co-requisite: FINANC 4020.
- Course offered in the Spring and Fall semesters
Analysis and management of securities and markets by participation in the management of a student-run portfolio of publicly traded stocks and bonds.
Course Details:
- 3 Credit Hours
- Pre-requisite: FINANC 3000, FINANC 4120, or FINANC 4620. Instructor Consent Required.
- May be repeated once for credit for a total of six credits.
- Course offered in the Spring and Fall semesters
Hands-on experiential investing in start-up enterprises from sourcing, evaluating, and investing to monitoring those investments. Students will learn about angel and venture capital investment strategies, perform pre-screening duties, complete due diligence, structure investment contracts, and monitor portfolio holdings.
Course Details:
- 3 Credit Hours
- Pre-requisite: Instructor Consent Required.
- May be repeated once for credit for a total of six credits.
- Course offered in the Spring and Fall semesters
Application Deadlines
We encourage students to apply as soon as they decide to pursue the certificate program. Please submit the application no later than the cut-off date in the semester of your graduation:
- Spring – May 1
- Summer – July 31
- Fall – December 1
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