Best Free MOOCs In Business For September

Investments I: Fundamentals of Performance Evaluation

School: University of Illinois

Platform: Coursera

Registration Link:  REGISTER HERE

Start Date: September 2016 (4 Weeks Long)

Workload: 4-6 Hours Per Week

Instructor: Scott Weisbenner

Credentials: Weisbenner is among the most decorated professors at the University of Illinois. Armed with a Ph.D. in Economics from MIT, Weisbrenner teaches Corporate Finance and Behavioral Finance courses in the MBA and MSF programs and Advanced Corporate Finance to undergraduates. As a teacher, he has been recognized four times as the “Best Professor” in Illinois’ MSF program – and even won the same honor in the MBA program in 2014. A prolific researcher and author, he has won over $800,000 in research grants since 2002, with his work being cited in outlets ranging from The Wall Street Journal to The Washington Post. Currently, he also serves as an associate editor for Management Science and a research associate for the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Graded: Not Specified.

Description:  This course is designed for working professionals looking to understand the fundamentals behind portfolios, risk, returns, stocks, returns, and pricing drive financial strategy and decision-making. In particular, the course will focus on “historical patterns in stock returns and potential [behavioral] explanations for these patterns, develop the intuition behind common risk-return models in investment finance, and then implement these models and techniques to conduct data analyses of actual security returns in various Excel spreadsheets.” During the four weeks, students will be exposed to various investment and portfolio tools; examine the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM); formulate models to evaluate performance; and understand firm valuation techniques from both the investment and corporate sides. The course will be taught through videos, with teaching supplemented with readings and quizzes.

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Additional Note: Weisbenner recommends that students come to class with a working knowledge of statistics and Excel. The course will also include a handful of academic journal readings.  Also, this course is the third part of an “Improving Business Finances and Operations” specialization from the University of Illinois. To learn more about this specialization, click here.