Alternative Investments
Alternative Investments will equip you with the skills, confidence, and strategies to assess potential investment opportunities in private equity, hedge funds, and real estate, and enable you to leverage them to maximize value and diversify portfolios.
Apply NowWhat You'll Learn
- Speak the language of alternative investments so that you can better communicate and collaborate with your colleagues and customers
- Evaluate alternative investments—including private equity, private debt, hedge funds, and real estate—and identify their defining elements, such as size, risk, and liquidity
- Develop the confidence and ability to assess potential investment opportunities and maximize the value of investment portfolios
- Gain the skills and strategies to choose the right alternatives manager or become that future manager yourself
About the Professors
Victoria Ivashina is the Lovett-Learned Chaired Professor of Finance at Harvard Business School and the faculty chair of the Global Initiative for the Middle East and North Africa region. She is also a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, a Research Fellow at the Center for Economic Policy Research, a Visiting Scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and the European Central Bank, and an Associate Editor of the Journal of Financial Economics and the Journal of Financial Intermediation.
Randolph Cohen is a Senior Lecturer in the Finance Unit at Harvard Business School. His research
focuses on the interface between institutional investors’ actions and price levels
in the stock market. Cohen has helped start and grow a number of investment management
firms, and served as a consultant to many others.
Arthur Segel is a Baker Foundation Professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School. Segel was a founder of TA Realty, a real estate advisory, investment, and development firm, and co-founded The Tobin Project, a nonprofit that was awarded in 2012 the MacArthur Genius Award for an Organization for its work on inequality. Segel has been named one of the 30 most influential players in real estate in the world by Private Equity Real Estate.
Who Will Benefit
Early-Career Financial Services Professionals
Gain a competitive edge by developing actionable skills in the alternative investments field you can leverage to advance your career.
Aspiring Finance or Investment Professionals
Jumpstart your career by gaining the skills and knowledge to join one of the fastest-growing fields in finance.
Non-Finance Professionals
Learn to speak the language of alternative investments to better serve your financial services clients’ needs and become a more effective attorney, CPA, or overall colleague.
Please Note: Participants should have completed an undergraduate-level introductory finance course or equivalent at some point during their education and possess a basic understanding of capital markets, portfolio theory, and risk and return.
Program Structure
Alternative Investments consists of approximately 35 hours of material delivered over a five-week period. You can complete the coursework on your own time while meeting regular deadlines.
Interested in using this course for CFA Institute credit? CFA Institute (including the Chartered Financial Analyst and Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement programs) allows its members the ability to self-determine and self-report continuing education credits earned from external sources. CFA Institute members are encouraged to self-document such credits in their online Professional Learning tracker.
- Length: 5 Weeks
- Program Dates: 10/5/22 – 11/9/22
- Cost: $1,750
- Application Deadline: September 26
- Detailed Calendar
- Length: 5 Weeks
- Program Dates: 2/1/23 – 3/8/23
- Cost: $1,750
- Application Deadline: January 23
- Detailed Calendar
Alternative Investments is part of the Finance & Accounting Learning Track. If you’re interested in developing deeper insights and expertise, you can choose to complete three finance & accounting courses within 18 months to earn a Certificate of Specialization.
Syllabus
Alternative Investments will equip you with the skills, confidence, and strategies to assess potential investment opportunities in private equity, private debt, hedge funds, and real estate. You will learn how to speak the language of alternative investments, evaluate types of alternative investments and their defining qualities, and develop the confidence and ability to assess potential investment opportunities and maximize the value of your portfolio.
Learning requirements: In order to earn a Certificate of Completion, participants must thoughtfully complete all 5 modules by stated deadlines.
| Modules | Case Studies | Takeaways | Key Exercises |
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| Module 1: Private Equity |
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| Module 2: Private Debt, Distress Investing, and Secondaries |
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| Module 3: Hedge Funds |
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| Module 4: Real Estate |
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| Module 5: Portfolio Construction |
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The HBS Online Advantage
- World-class faculty
- Edge-of-your-seat online learning
- Global peer collaboration and networking
- Real-world, case-based learning
Harvard Business School Online offers a unique and highly engaging way to learn vital business concepts. Immerse yourself in real challenges faced by a diverse group of finance experts, including: Rick Childs, Managing Member of 625 Ground Lessor LLC; Mike Even, former Global CIO for Citigroup Asset Management; Chris Hohn, Founder of the Children’s Investment Fund; Henrik Poulsen, Chief Executive Director and Chief Investment Officer of PFA Asset Management; Dwight Scott, President of GSO Capital; Nikos Stathopoulos, Partner at BC Partners and Member of the BC Partners Executive Committee; and Matt Wilson, Co-Portfolio Manager and Managing Director of Oaktree Capital Management. Step into their shoes and wrestle with the same issues they faced, while engaging with fellow learners from around the world.
Stories from Our Learners
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HBS Online was an invaluable and essential education. The information provided, the quality of the presentation, and the high-level engagement among students surpassed my expectations.
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The platform was engaging, innovative, and allowed me to interact with the material in a way I never expected from an online course.
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A few weeks into the course, accounting terminology came alive as I realized why accounting is the language of business. I can now talk confidently with clients and understand the business aspect of their problems.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Enrollment Eligibility
Our easy online application is free, and no special documentation is required. All applicants must be at least 18 years of age, proficient in English, and committed to learning and engaging with fellow participants throughout the course. We confirm enrollment eligibility within one week of your application.
Enroll today in Harvard Business School Online's Alternative Investments course.
Apply Now