Dr. Simon Pak
The School of Graduate Professional Studies
Penn State Great Valley
30 East Swedesford Road
Malvern, PA 19355
Phone 610-725-5343
Fax 610-725-5224
Email sjp14@psu.edu
The Finance faculty in the Master of Finance program at the School of Graduate Professional Studies at Penn State Great Valley offers a four-course (12-credit) graduate certificate program in investment management.
The curriculum focuses on essential knowledge and skills in investment management related to financial markets; security valuation; portfolio theory and practices, including portfolio valuation and optimum portfolio allocation; fixed income markets and equity markets; and risk and return. Content is both theoretical and applied, with an emphasis on practical application of knowledge gained.
The program is designed to help prepare students for positions in investment management including portfolio manager, investment adviser, and mutual fund manager, wealth manager, financial planner, private banking adviser, and mutual fund analyst. Individuals working or aspiring to work in the areas of specialized commodity funds, hedge funds, investment advice, performance evaluation, quantitative analysis in the money management sector, mutual funds, and pension funds will find this program valuable.
This certificate program is an attractive option for individuals who desire advanced education but who do not wish to pursue a master's degree at this time. It is valuable for recent college graduates and others who wish to enroll in courses to determine if they are interested in a complete master's degree program, as well as for professionals who already hold a master's degree and wish to update or expand their knowledge and skills. With program approval, the courses in this graduate certificate program may be applied to the Master of Finance degree program or the Master of Business Administration program at Great Valley.
Individuals wishing to enroll in this graduate certificate program must hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution earned under residence and credit considerations substantially equivalent to those required by Penn State. Applicants are expected to have achieved a 3.0 (B) or higher undergraduate grade point average and should have satisfactorily completed some course work in Business Statistics, Financial Management/Corporate Finance, and Microeconomics.
Applicants holding a master's degree should have attained at least a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 in previous graduate work. Professional experience will be taken into consideration for admission. Applicants should submit an online nondegree application, available at http://www.gradsch.psu.edu/portal/gateway.html, and the application fee (payable online), along with supporting credentials. Supporting credentials include two official transcripts from each undergraduate and graduate institution attended, a current résumé, and a statement of intent or career objective. Supporting credentials should be sent directly to the Admissions Office at Penn State Great Valley, 30 East Swedesford Road, Malvern, PA 19355.
Admission decisions are made by a faculty committee and are based on the quality of the applicant's credentials in relation to those of other applicants. Evaluation criteria include professional and academic accomplishments. Upon approval, certificate program students will enroll in course work on a nondegree basis. Students must complete each course with a grade of B or better in order to receive the certificate. Note that admission as a nondegree graduate student neither guarantees nor implies subsequent admission to a degree program. Nondegree students are not eligible to receive fellowships or graduate assistantships.
With adviser approval, all four courses in the certificate program may be applied to the master's degree program in Finance or the Master of Business Administration program at Great Valley. Certificate program students who wish to have the certificate courses applied to a master's degree program must formally be admitted to the master's degree program. Admission into the master's degree program is a separate step and is not guaranteed. Interested students should contact the Great Valley Admissions Office (telephone 610-648-3242 or email gvadmiss@psu.edu) for more information about how to apply and make a change from nondegree to degree status. Once a certificate program student is admitted to the master's degree program and enrolls on a degree basis, certificate courses completed with a B or better will be "transferred" into the program.
Up to 15 credits of course work taken on a nondegree basis may be applied to a graduate degree program at Penn State. However, admission into a graduate program, and credit toward a graduate degree for specific courses taken on a nondegree basis, is up to the graduate program.
International applicants should consult with a program adviser prior to applying for admission for more information about admission and enrollment requirements. International applicants must satisfy all Graduate School requirements for admission. The language of instruction at Penn State is English.
The graduate certificate program in investment management requires a total of four courses (12 graduate credits). Three of the courses are required (FIN 531, FIN 506, and BUSAD 585), and the fourth course is an elective selected from a list of two courses (BUSAD 527 or FIN 508). Students completing each of the four courses with a grade of B or better will be eligible to receive a graduate certificate. All courses are 3 credits.
Prescribed Courses (9 credits)
Business Administration (BUSAD)
585. Research in Security Valuation (3 credits)
Finance (FIN)
506. Portfolio Theory and Policy (3 credits)
531. Financial Management (3 credits)
Elective Course: Choose one course from the following two (3 credits)
Business Administration (BUSAD)
527. Fixed Income Securities (3 credits)
Finance (FIN)
508. Analysis of Financial Markets (3 credits)
• BUSAD course list
• FIN course list
Graduate courses carry numbers from 500 to 599 and 800 to 899. Advanced undergraduate courses numbered between 400 and 499 may be used to meet some graduate degree requirements when taken by graduate students. Courses below the 400 level may not. A graduate student may register for or audit these courses in order to make up deficiencies or to fill in gaps in previous education but not to meet requirements for an advanced degree.
Effective Date: Fall Semester 2011
Expiration Date: Summer Session 2016
Last reviewed: Summer Session 2011
Blue Sheet Item #: 40-03-104
Review Date: 11/08/2011