ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The Graduate Certificate in Finance (CF) is a one-year program offered by the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program in the Manoogian Simone College of Business and Economics (CBE). The program will help professionals boost their financial acumen, which is necessary for making sound business decisions. The courses will provide training in many aspects of finance, including:
• theories behind financial and risk management and portfolio investment
• financial instruments and portfolio diversification
• practitioner’s perspective for asset allocation and multi-asset investing
• analysis and valuation of traded securities
• tools for portfolio performance measurement and asset pricing models
• index models, and applied time series analysis
• insights of corporate finance theory and application of the theory to real-life financial decisions
The program is open to anyone who wishes to prepare for a rewarding career in the field of Finance.
CERTIFICATE COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS
To receive a Certificate in Finance (CF) students must successfully complete the below listed graduate courses with a grade of C- or better in each course and maintain an overall minimum 3.0 grade point average (GPA). CF graduates who wish to pursue further study towards the MBA program, may transfer their CF courses and credits towards the MBA Program. Required coursework for the completion of CF must be finished in 2-years period, after starting the program.
For information on how to apply, please visit the Admissions website.
ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENTS
To be considered for acceptance, applicants must:
- Submit a complete Application for Enrollment in Certificate Programs at im.aua.am including all required supplements as outlined in the instructions.
- Present valid and official results confirming English Language Proficiency typically through the TOEFL iBT (minimum score of 68*) or IELTS Academic (minimum score of 6.0*). Native and near native speakers are eligible for a waiver. Present an official GRE or GMAT score at a minimum of 50th percentile on the quantitative section. The score is valid only if the test date was less than five years before the application submission date. AUA graduate alumni are eligible for a waiver.
- Hold an undergraduate degree from an accredited or licensed institution of higher education. Students in their final year of studies are also eligible to apply.
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS AND SCHEDULE
Fall Semester
ECON 351 Finance Theory (Credits: 3)
This course covers modern finance theory and practice. The topics of the course include: 1) functions of financial markets and intermediaries; 2) analysis and valuation of traded securities; 3) portfolio management theory, tools for portfolio performance measurement and asset pricing models; 4) fixed-income securities; 5) introduction to derivatives and alternative investments; 6) SAA models and risk management tools; and 7) applications of economic analysis to portfolio management. Students will be graded on quizzes/problem sets, midterm and final exams.
ECON 310 Economic Statistics (Credits: 3) (optional*)
This course provides students with a survey of statistical methodology. Topics include probability and sampling, distribution theory, hypothesis testing, estimation, analysis of variance, confidence intervals, and linear regression. Students are required to complete biweekly problem sets by solving exercises and using statistical software. Three hours of instructor-led class time per week.
* This course is not required for the completion of the CF; however, it is a pre-requisite for the Financial Econometrics and Time Series Analysis course. Students with prior knowledge of Econometrics may be exempt from this course, after a transcript evaluation and/or an interview.
Spring Semester
ECON 315 Financial Econometrics and Time Series Analysis (Credits: 3) (Prerequisite: ECON 310)*
This course is an introduction to data analysis and econometric modeling using applications in finance and time series. The course uses concepts from microeconomics, finance, mathematical optimization, data analysis, probability models, statistical analysis, and econometrics. The course will be 16 weeks long. Each week consists of one 150 minutes lecture. Finance topics include asset return calculations, risk and performance measures, portfolio theory, index models, and applied time series analysis. Quantitative methods involve basic matrix algebra. Statistical topics include probabilities, expectation, joint distributions, covariance, normal distribution, sampling distributions, estimation and hypothesis testing, data analysis, linear regression, time series methods and simulations. There will be weekly frequent homework assignments requiring STATA programming. Students will work independently and periodically in groups to complete problem sets and group projects. Students will be graded on quizzes/problem sets, midterm and final exams.
*Intermediate level knowledge of Econometrics, specifically regression analysis is required. Alternatively, students can take Economic Statistics course offered in the Fall. Additional tuition will be assumed.
ECON 354 Asset Allocation and Multi-asset Investing (Credits: 3)
The course examines asset allocation and multi-asset investing from a practitioner’s perspective. It is intended to explore the strategies, themes, and formal building blocks that practicing asset allocators need to be proficient in. In addition to becoming familiar with the substance of a range of investment topics, students will be taught how to present research and investment results in a professional setting. Student’s work will be evaluated based on class participation, in-class quizzes/problem sets, midterm and final project.
Prerequisite: ECON351
Summer Semester
ECON 353 Economics of Corporate Finance (Credits: 3)
The objective of this course is to learn the economics behind financial tools that are used in financial decision making process. The course presents the economic insights of corporate finance theory and emphasizes the application of theory to real-life financial decisions. Several real business cases will be discussed during the course. Student’s work will be evaluated based on class participation, quizzes/problem sets, midterm and final project.
!Courses are scheduled during evening hours or Saturdays.
To learn more about the GC in Finance, contact:
Phone + 374 60 61 26 20
Fax: + 374 60 61 25 12
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://cbe.aua.am
For additional information, contact:
AUA Office of Admissions
Phone: + 374 60 69 40 40
Email: [email protected]