What is investment management?

Investment management is an umbrella term used to describe the ways that finances are handled. It goes beyond simply buying and selling stocks or bonds for a comprehensive set of strategies—both short- and long-term—for managing financial assets. When you work in this field, you might be serving individuals or organizations. You can work on your own or as part of a firm or institution. It's a creative field that goes beyond just crunching numbers. Investment managers are problem solvers at heart.

Why is it important to learn about investment management?

Learning about investment management gives you the foundation to do everything from giving businesses and people advice on what they should do with their money to better handling your own finances. It's a diverse field that's fast-paced and ever-changing since investments can be impacted by human behavior, weather catastrophes, and global events. There's little room for boredom. No matter if you're working for yourself, individuals, or big companies, you'll be tasked with continually keeping up with what's going on in the world and innovating new strategies for responding to it. No two days are ever the same, and you'll need to continually come up with new ways to direct funds to maximize finances.

What jobs can I get in investment management?

Gaining skills in investment management opens the door to a variety of career fields and jobs such as stockbroker, risk manager, portfolio manager, financial analyst, and hedge fund manager. You can work in a variety of settings ranging from banks to brokerage firms to insurance companies. Gaining the skills and knowledge opens up opportunities to work for others or to open your own related business providing financial advice and services.

How can online courses on Coursera help me learn investment management?

When you take online investment management courses on Coursera, you gain useful skills in managing portfolios, a better understanding of global financial markets, and the ability to grasp the impacts that behaviors have on finances. You can choose between courses and Specializations geared for anyone from beginners to experts, which can help you start a new career or take your existing one to the next level. Coursera partners with more than 200 global universities and industry leaders to create its catalog of offerings, which includes investment management courses from institutions like Rice University, HEC Paris, University of Geneva, and more.

What are the benefits of taking an online Investment Management course?

Online Investment Management courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your knowledge or learn new Investment Management skills. Choose from a wide range of Investment Management courses offered by top universities and industry leaders tailored to various skill levels.

What Investment Management courses are best for training and upskilling employees or the workforce?

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Investment Management, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here .

Best Investment Management Courses & Certificates [2025]

Explore the Investment Management Course Catalog

Status: Free Trial
University of Geneva
Investment Management
Skills you'll gain: Portfolio Management, Wealth Management, Risk Management, Investment Management, Financial Market, Capital Markets, Risk Analysis, Asset Management, Performance Measurement, Investments, Market Dynamics, Environmental Social And Corporate Governance (ESG), Financial Planning, Finance, Equities, Performance Analysis, Derivatives, FinTech, Financial Forecasting, Economics
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
7.7K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Rice University
Investment and Portfolio Management
Skills you'll gain: Portfolio Management, Financial Market, Investments, Securities (Finance), Financial Systems, Securities Trading, Asset Management, Behavioral Economics, Capital Markets, Investment Management, Equities, Performance Measurement, Wealth Management, Finance, Financial Services, Performance Analysis, Risk Management, Return On Investment, Market Liquidity, Derivatives
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
2.6K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Preview
Yale University
Financial Markets
Skills you'll gain: Investment Banking, Risk Management, Financial Market, Financial Regulation, Financial Services, Finance, Business Risk Management, Securities (Finance), Capital Markets, Behavioral Economics, Banking, Corporate Finance, Governance, Insurance, Underwriting, Derivatives, Market Dynamics, Mortgage Loans
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
32K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
EDHEC Business School
Investment Management with Python and Machine Learning
Skills you'll gain: Investment Management, Portfolio Management, Text Mining, Applied Machine Learning, Asset Management, Network Analysis, Data Visualization Software, Financial Data, Market Data, Unstructured Data, Web Scraping, Machine Learning, Social Network Analysis, Advanced Analytics, Financial Market, Financial Analysis, Financial Modeling, Return On Investment, Risk Analysis, Risk Management
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
1.8K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Coursera Project Network
Investment Risk Management
Skills you'll gain: Investment Management, Risk Management, Financial Analysis, Financial Management, Risk Analysis, Portfolio Management, Financial Market, Investments, Return On Investment, Statistics
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
2.1K reviews
Intermediate · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours
Status: Free Trial
Rice University
Investment Strategies and Portfolio Analysis
Skills you'll gain: Portfolio Management, Investment Management, Performance Measurement, Performance Analysis, Return On Investment, Investments, Financial Market, Financial Analysis, Risk Analysis, Benchmarking
4.2
Rating, 4.2 out of 5 stars
277 reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

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Status: Free Trial
Duke University
Financial Management
Skills you'll gain: Financial Statement Analysis, Financial Statements, Return On Investment, Risk Management, Balance Sheet, Accounts Receivable, Business Risk Management, Credit Risk, Income Statement, Financial Acumen, Risk Mitigation, Operational Risk, Resource Allocation, Proposal Development, Capital Budgeting, Cash Flows, Financial Analysis, Strategic Decision-Making, Operational Efficiency, Stakeholder Communications
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
278 reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Preview
HEC Paris
Investment Management in an Evolving and Volatile World by HEC Paris and AXA Investment Managers
Skills you'll gain: Investment Management, Portfolio Management, Investments, Asset Management, Wealth Management, Financial Market, Finance, Risk Management, Financial Regulation, Performance Analysis, Risk Analysis, Microsoft Excel
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
785 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
University of Pennsylvania
Introduction to Corporate Finance
Skills you'll gain: Return On Investment, Capital Budgeting, Finance, Financial Forecasting, Forecasting, Cash Flow Forecasting, Financial Modeling, Financial Analysis, Corporate Finance, Business Valuation, Cash Flows, Risk Analysis
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
6.3K reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Financial Management
Skills you'll gain: Revenue Recognition, Mergers & Acquisitions, Working Capital, Peer Review, Credit Risk, Cash Management, Financial Analysis, Accrual Accounting, Financial Statements, Investments, Corporate Finance, Business Valuation, Financial Statement Analysis, Cash Flows, Financial Accounting, Accounting, Financial Management, Investment Management, Finance, Risk Management
Build toward a degree
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
6.9K reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
New York Institute of Finance
Risk Management
Skills you'll gain: Credit Risk, Operational Risk, Risk Management, Risk Management Framework, Business Risk Management, Risk Modeling, Risk Mitigation, Financial Market, Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), Risk Appetite, Risk Control, Derivatives, Governance, Portfolio Management, Capital Markets, Risk Analysis, Investment Management, Financial Analysis, Market Data, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
1.5K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Columbia University
Financial Engineering and Risk Management
Skills you'll gain: Portfolio Management, Derivatives, Financial Market, Securities (Finance), Investment Management, Financial Systems, Asset Management, Credit Risk, Mortgage Loans, Mathematical Modeling, Applied Mathematics, Financial Trading, Financial Modeling, Risk Modeling, Financial Services, Securities Trading, Regression Analysis, Market Liquidity, Capital Markets, Actuarial Science
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
399 reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months