About Investment Management Training

Investment management training prepares students to provide advice, develop portfolio plans and complete transactions of investment products for commercial customers and individual investors. Some students receive limited training in this area while pursuing business degrees, but programs focused specifically on investment management are available.

Programs

Training in investment management ranges from certificate programs in investment strategy to master's degrees in financial planning. Short diploma and certificate programs give students basic investment skills and may last only a few weeks. Advanced degrees require years to complete, but may give students an advantage on the job market.

Curriculum

The curriculum for investment management training depends largely on the school and degree level. Possible courses include financial data analysis, valuation, fixed income practices and financial risk. Students learn skills and techniques for successful portfolio management as well.

Specialization

Some students choose to focus on one area of investment management. Wealth management, private equities, commodities and real estate investing are popular areas of specialization. With the success of investors on the foreign market, interest in this area has grown in recent years and prompted more students to specialize in overseas markets.

Considerations

Training in this field qualifies professionals to work in multiple areas of finance, giving them greater job security and flexibility. In addition, formal training usually results in higher salaries and more generous benefits packages. In the United States, the government requires investment professionals dealing with insurance and securities to pass a state-administered exam for licensing purposes.