Students can complete the IMCP as part of an undergraduate degree, graduate degree (MBA and MS-Finance Analysis are common), or as a standalone graduate certificate. They may also begin the certificate curriculum as an undergraduate finance major and complete it as a graduate student in the MS-Finance program through our accelerated master’s program.
Undergraduate Program Coursework
Study institutional setting, legal framework, portfolio strategies, and innovations in investment markets. Explore securities valuation, risk management, behavioral study, and prospects of market developments. Prereq: jr st; advancement to Bus Adm major; Bus Adm 451.
Valuate interest rate, equity, and stock index futures and options. Develop strategies using these instruments in hedging interest rate and equity portfolio risk. Prereq: jr st and advancement to Bus Adm major; Bus Adm 451.
Development and application of computer-based financial models. Models from corporate finance and investments use Microsoft Excel and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). Prereq: jr st & admis to Bus Adm major; Bus Adm 450(P) & 451(P).
Introduction to real-time and historic data sets and analytical software available in the David O. Nicholas Applied Finance Lab. Utilize Bloomberg and FactSet. Produce a stock report, including analysis of drivers, financial statements, and valuation. Prereq: jr st, admis to Investment Mgmt Cert program, Bus Adm 450(C); or grad st, admis to Investment Mgmt Cert program, Bus Adm 705(C).
Introduction to the real-time and historic data sets available in the David O. Nicholas Applied Finance Lab. Utilize Bloomberg, FactSet, and other analysis packages. Prereq: jr st, admission to Investment Mgmt Cert program and Bus Adm 451; or grad st, admission to Investment Mgmt Cert program and Bus Adm 771.
Students manage an investment portfolio utilizing the David O. Nicholas Applied Finance Lab. Topics include securities selection, portfolio hedging, behavioral finance, and financial market events. Prereq: jr st, admission to Investment Mgmt Cert program & Bus Adm 552; or grad st, admission to Investment Mgmt Cert program and Bus Adm 552.
Students independently conduct special study to assist individual future professional development and gain maturity and confidence in real world investment management. Prereq: jr st, admission to Investment Mgmt Cert program and Bus Adm 553; or grad st, admission to Investment Mgmt Cert program and Bus Adm 553.
Undergraduate program requirements and course descriptions can be found in the Undergraduate Catalog. Program Checklists and 4-Year Plans can be found on the Undergraduate Student Services MyLubar Resources page.
Graduate Program Coursework
Introduction to the real-time and historic data sets and analytical software available in the David O. Nicholas Applied Finance Lab. Utilize Bloomberg and FactSet. Produce a report on a stock, including analysis of drivers, financial statements, and valuation. Prereq: grad st, admis to Investment Mgmt Cert
program, Bus Adm 705(C).
Investment Management Practice II. Use of real-time and historic data sets available in the David O. Nicholas Applied Finance Lab such as Bloomberg, FactSet, and other analysis packages to analyze securities and prepare to manage portfolios. Prereq: grad st, admis to Investment Mgmt Cert program & Bus Adm 550(P), Bus Adm 301(C) or 721(C); 771(C).
Students manage investment portfolios utilizing the David O. Nicholas Applied Finance Lab. Topics include securities selection, portfolio positioning, performance and risk analysis, and financial market events. Prereq: grad st, admis to Investment Mgmt Cert program and BUS ADM 552.
Students manage investment portfolios utilizing the David O. Nicholas Applied Finance Lab. Special topics covered to assist individual future professional development and gain maturity and confidence in real world investment management. Prereq: grad st, admis to Investment Mgmt Cert program and BUS ADM 553.
Study of dynamic process that periodically matches investors’ goals, objectives, and strategies with market expectations through portfolio construction and revision. Covers asset allocation, return optimization, and management of various asset types. Prereq: grad st; BUS ADM 771.
Pricing theories and models for options and futures contracts and their application to investment hedging, arbitrage, and portfolio management. Covers equity, fixed income, commodity, and currency options and futures. Prereq: grad st; BUS ADM 771.
Development and advanced application of computer-based financial models including pricing of exotic derivative securities. Prereq: grad st, BUS ADM 771.
Graduate Investment Management certificate requirements as well as course descriptions can be found on the catalog.
IMCP Timetable
Preparing for Application
Students can contact Dr. G. Kevin Spellman, CFA, 608-334-2110 to discuss pre-requisites and admission requirements. Students are also encouraged to gain experience by participating in the Student Investment Club. The first course in the IMCP is BUS ADM 550 during the fall semester, and the co-requisite for undergraduates is 450, admission to major, and a successful application process. The co-requisite for graduate students is 705 and a successful application process.
Year 1
During the first year, students write high-quality reports on stocks and pitch them to investors. They learn to analyze business drivers, model financial statements, and value securities. Business professionals have called their reports “impressive.” They also learn the professional analytical software available to them in the Nicholas Applied Finance Lab. Finally, they have training in portfolio management, which prepares them for their work on over $7 million in assets.
Summer: Internship and Training
Students engage in professional internships and/or projects. They also monitor the investment funds, which transition to them in May from the prior student teams. Students meet online in a non-credit portfolio management seminar where the funds are discussed and students analyze performance and risk.
Year 2
If not completed earlier, students have courses in portfolio management (Bus Adm 452/772), derivatives (Bus Adm 454/773), and financial modeling (Bus Adm 457/853).
Students devote substantial time to researching securities in their assigned sectors / countries and monitoring performance and risk. While enrolled in Bus Adm 553 and 554, students actively manage real-money portfolios. Students meet regulary with the IMCP Advisory Council (the “client”) to discuss each fund’s investment approach, performance/risk, sector and security positions, characteristics, portfolio evolution, current strategy, and a security to illustrate the approach.
Students may also complete a project for a local business, such as a private business valuation, which is presented to management.
Scholarships
Scholarships are available to IMCP students to support tuition and IMCP-related travel expenses, and for CFA examination fees.
Job Placement
Job placement for IMCP students is close to 100% within three months of graduation. We speak with you about job strategies in your first semester and throughout the program.
Competitions
Students compete in several inter-university competitions including but not limited to the ACG Cup (investment banking), CFA Competition (investments), CQA competition (investments), and the Duff & Phelps Competition (investment banking).
Contact
Dr. G. Kevin Spellman, CFA
David O. Nicholas Director of Investment Management
Senior Lecturer, Finance
Lubar Hall S442
608-334-2110
spellman@uwm.edu