The Investment Management Certificate (IMC) is designed to offer business students the opportunity to enhance their major field of study in finance (or additional major including finance) with an additional certificate in investment management. Students completing the Investment Management Certificate will have coursework in investment-related subjects and four special courses comprising intensive research and real-time practical training in investment portfolio management. This training will utilize the David O. Nicholas Applied Finance Lab located in the Sheldon B. Lubar College of Business. Finance majors who complete this certificate will gain a substantial competitive edge in pursuing a career initially as an analyst and as an investment advisor, later as an investment portfolio manager, and possibly as a chief investment officer.
In addition to a rich curriculum, IMC students meet regularly with investment professionals during, and outside of, class for discussions of the funds, markets, and course topics. The Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Finance as well as the Undergraduate Certificate in Investment Management are part of the prestigious Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute University Recognition Affiliation Program.
Students interested in the certificate program should contact Undergraduate Student Services, Lubar Hall N297, (414) 229-5271, uwmbba@uwm.edu, to make a formal declaration of their intention. Students are encouraged to also contact Dr. Kevin Spellman (spellman@uwm.edu), the director of the IMC program, for further information about the certificate program.
Requirements
To obtain the certificate, a student must complete 21 credits of required coursework while fulfilling all requirements of the BBA baccalaureate degree. Due to the intensity of the coursework in the Investment Management Certificate (IMC), the program will be of most interest to students pursuing the BBA finance and/or accounting majors. Because IMC program prerequisites are firmly enforced, students are encouraged to view all relevant course descriptions for prerequisites information in the UWM Catalog: https://catalog.uwm.edu/courses/bus_adm/
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| BUS ADM 452 | Applied Portfolio Management 1 | 3 |
| BUS ADM 454 | Analysis of Options and Futures 1 | 3 |
| BUS ADM 457 | Financial Modeling 1 | 3 |
| BUS ADM 550 | Investment Management Practice I | 3 |
| BUS ADM 552 | Investment Management Practice II | 3 |
| BUS ADM 553 | Investment Management Practice III | 3 |
| BUS ADM 554 | Investment Management Practice IV | 3 |
| Total Credits | 21 | |
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A business student may count no more than 9 credits from a major towards the Certificate in Investment Management.
Eligibility
To apply to the Certificate in Investment Management program, students must be admitted to the Lubar College of Business, have earned a minimum B grade in BUS ADM 201 or BUS ADM 207, be eligible to enroll in BUS ADM 301, and be eligible to enroll in BUS ADM 450 the Fall semester following admission to the program. If a candidate has passed the CFA Level I exam, the student is exempted from BUS ADM 301 (co-requisite for BUS ADM 552). Admission is competitive and is based on cumulative GPA, course grades, personal statement, a potential interview and interview essays, interest in investments and finance (e.g. Student Investment Club), and other considerations.
Post-baccalaureate Investment Management certificate
The Investment Management certificate is available at the post-baccalaureate level. Students requiring no more than 18 credits to complete the certificate are eligible. At least 12 credits for the post-baccalaureate certificate must be completed at UWM. A minimum overall GPA of 3.0 on all Investment Management certificate courses must be earned; a minimum UWM post-baccalaureate GPA of 3.0 is also required.
Internship Requirement
Students completing the certificate also are required to have an internship experience prior to graduation from the certificate program. The internship experience must be approved by the IMCP director.
Graduation Requirements
Students must complete all coursework required for the certificate with at least a 3.0 GPA to have the certificate posted on the transcript at graduation. At least half of the credits required for the certificate must be taken in residence at UWM. No courses may be taken on a credit/no credit basis.