*Based on 2025–2026 Boston University tuition and fees.
Gain Expertise in Portfolio Management and Investment Strategy
The online Graduate Certificate in Investment Analysis at Boston University’s Metropolitan College provides in-depth knowledge of investment strategies, asset valuation, and investment management. Graduates of the program will be prepared to excel at a variety of careers in finance involving analysis and valuation of financial assets as well as risk management.
Students will study the overall investment process as well as the key elements involved, such as asset allocation and security selection. They will obtain basic understanding of debt, equity, and derivatives securities such as options and futures contracts. Students will also learn about services provided by mutual funds and be able to construct portfolios with different risk levels.
The certificate in Investment Analysis provides students with an in-depth understanding of systematic and firm-specific risks, and how to reduce firm-specific risk by combining different securities in a portfolio. Additionally, students will study the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) concept; be able to calculate bond prices, accrued interest, promised yields, and realized yields; and understand active bond portfolio management. Moreover, students will learn how to value a firm using constant growth or multistage dividend discount models, financial statements, and financial ratio analysis.
The Graduate Certificate in Investment Analysis is also available on campus in Boston. Learn more.
Curriculum
Boston University’s online Graduate Certificate in Investment Analysis consists of four required courses (16 units).
Learn about application requirements for BU MET graduate degree and certificate programs.
How You Benefit from a Boston University Education
A BU credential can help lay the foundation for career advancement and personal success.
Benefit from an average 24:1 student-to-instructor ratio.
Work closely with highly qualified faculty who draw from active research and substantial professional achievements in areas such as international finance, financial analysis, portfolio management, systemic risk analysis, investment analysis, mergers and acquisitions, economics, financial markets and institutions, and more.
Focus on practical, hands-on lessons that ensure you are immersed in all aspects of financial management and related research—education you can apply on the job.
Expand upon classic theory taught in traditional MBA courses, gaining the insights, critical thinking, and analytical skills needed to solve problems in today’s changing financial landscape
Curriculum provides excellent preparation for the CFA Program exams. BU MET’s MS in Financial Management is part of the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program.
Rankings & Accreditations
#12 Best Online Master’s in Business Programs (Excluding MBA)
MET’s online master’s degrees in management are ranked #12 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
Accredited member of AACSB International
The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (through BU’s Questrom School of Business)
MET’s Master’s in Financial Management is part of the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program.
Graduate with Investment Analysis Expertise
Students who complete the Graduate Certificate in Investment Analysis will be able to demonstrate:
Understanding of the overall investment process and the key elements involved in the investment process, such as asset allocation and security selection.
Basic understanding of debt, equity, and derivatives securities.
Basic understanding of options and futures contracts.
Basic understanding of the services provided by mutual funds, and the ability to identify sources of information on investment companies.
The ability to construct portfolios of different risk levels, given information about risk free rates and returns on risky assets.
Full understanding of systematic and firm-specific risk, and how one can reduce the amount of firm-specific risk in the portfolio by combining securities with differing patterns of returns.
Insight on the concept and usage of the capital asset pricing model (CAPM).
Experience with the calculation of bond prices including accrued interest, promised yields, and realized yields.
Competence with active bond portfolio management.
Basic understanding of some of the macroeconomic factors that affect security prices.
Familiarity with the roles of fiscal and monetary policy in influencing interest rates and security prices.
The ability to value a firm using either a constant growth or multistage dividend discount model and the price/earnings ratio model; the ability to analyze a firm using the basic financial statements to perform ratio analysis.
The skills to calculate potential profits resulting from various option trading strategies and to formulate portfolio management strategies to modify the risk-return attributes of the portfolio; the skills to calculate option prices in a two-state world (via a simplified binomial model).
Comprehension of market timing, timing performance measures, and the problems that timing causes in performance measurement.
“The financial management program exceeded my expectations because the courses introduced the finance realm in a practical and comprehensive manner rather than focusing solely on formulas and theories…My master’s degree not only qualified me for more job opportunities, but also broadened my career options. Read more.” Read more.
Dezhen Liu (MET’23) Actuarial Analyst, Aetna MS, Financial Management
Advance Your Career
BU MET’s Financial Management graduate program prepares you for a wealth of different roles, such as financial analyst, investment analyst, financial manager, financial advisor, business analyst, data analyst, budget coordinator, equity research analyst, financial planner, enterprise risk analyst, healthcare analyst, mergers and acquisitions analyst, research analyst, and accountant among others.
Recent graduates have found job opportunities and career paths at companies such as:
JP Morgan
HSBC
Goldman Sachs
Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
Pratt & Whitney
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)
AllClear Aerospace & Defense
PwC
Delaware North
Copa Airlines
Youth Today
Take Advantage of Career Resources at BU MET
You will find the support you need in reaching your career goals through MET’s Career Development office, which offers a variety of job-hunting resources, including one-on-one career counseling by appointment for online students. You can also take advantage of tools and resources available online through BU’s Center for Career Development.
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