How Long Do Investing Courses Take?

When you enroll in an investing class, one essential consideration is the length of the class and the amount of time you’ll need to invest in training. Even though signing up for an investing class is a great way to gain hands-on training in many in-demand skills you’ll need to pursue a career in finance and improve your long-term earning potential, you will have to make sure you’re getting the most out of the time, which can vary in length from a single afternoon for skills classes to many weeks or months for more robust certificate programs. This article will provide a brief overview of how long different investing classes are and which course length is the best match for your needs.

Lengths of Classes

Similar to any other skill, the amount of time you’ll have to devote to studying investing depends on several factors, such as your professional goals, the proficiency level you want to acquire, and the amount of time you have available to devote to learning this skill set. Courses vary in length, depending on the type of program you select; generally speaking, the course’s length corresponds to the depth of instruction that will be provided. Skills classes are generally the shortest form of training. Some provide a brief introduction to investing or teach only one skill, such as how to use Excel for finance. These programs usually only take a day or two to complete. Bootcamps and certificate programs are longer and often require weeks or months of time. These programs also sometimes provide learners with career-focused training, as well as professional development incentives. The longest way to learn investing is through college study, which usually requires four or more years.

Skills Classes

One popular way some people choose to study investing is through skills classes. These short courses are available in person and live online and usually only require a day or so to complete. Rather than approaching investing as a broad topic, skills classes hone in on one specific tool Investors use, such as Excel, or offer basic instruction to help students get started with investing basics. In short skills classes, students have the chance to learn one tool and practice it without being distracted by other subjects. Once the class is over, those enrolled can immediately put their training to use at their current job. One of the main benefits of this type of coursework is that it allows students to fill gaps in their education without wasting time and money focusing on skills they already have. 

Noble Desktop has several skills-specific courses that focus on finance and investing concepts and tools. Those who are just getting started with investing can enroll in Stock Market Investing. This short class teaches students essential investment concepts and strategies, including what moves stock prices and how Investors value stocks. Students explore DCF analysis and P/E Ratios, financial statements, and earnings releases. Those looking to learn a specific investing-related skill can also gain hands-on training in Noble’s Excel Level I: Fundamentals. This beginner-friendly program covers spreadsheet essentials that have applications in finance, including basic calculations, functions, visualizations, formatting, and printing. All students also have access to a companion video suite that includes introductory-level lessons and tutorials that further break down Excel concepts. Whether you opt to complete your studies in person close to home, or remotely through live online options, these classes provide all the perks of live training in a fast-paced, straightforward educational environment.

Investing Bootcamps & Certificates

If you’re looking for more in-depth investing instruction than that which is provided in a skills class, bootcamps and certificates are available from many top educators in finance and investing. These intensive programs are available in the live online and in-person format from many providers around the globe. Although the focus of each certificate program varies depending on the program’s duration and the provider, bootcamps and certificate programs in investing do more than provide hands-on training in the small class environment; they also prepare students to put the skills they learn to use at their current job or to pursue a new finance-related career path.

Some bootcamps and certificates provide students with an overview of investing basics, beginning with core concepts like what stocks and bonds are and how valuation works and then move into more advanced material over several days or weeks. Other programs provide more comprehensive training in fields that include investing, such as financial analytics. These classes provide learners with hands-on training in skills like using Excel for financial modeling. In addition to training that spans weeks or months (depending on whether they’re completed on a part-time or full-time basis), students in these programs also have the opportunity to receive career-focused support during their studies. Some programs offer professional perks like 1-on-1 mentoring, career counseling, access to networking events, LinkedIn profile critiques, or mock interviews. Some certificates also offer learners the time and space to compile a professional portfolio of work, which can be shared with prospective employers. 

College Degree

The longest training option available for studying investing is by enrolling in a college program. The college atmosphere provides learners with an immersive educational experience in which they have four (or more) years to focus on coursework. While coursework in investing is available at most colleges and universities, it isn’t always available as a major for interested students. In schools where this major doesn’t exist, aspiring Investors will need to select a major that’s related to investing, such as accounting or finance. Some individuals may also opt for majors like statistics, math, or computer science. These degree focuses will still provide students with many of the core skills they’ll need in investing, such as financial literacy, knowledge of Excel spreadsheets, and an understanding of how the stock market works. Other schools offer majors that are directly related to investing, such as a degree in investments and securities. These programs provide comprehensive training in economics, mathematics, accounting, and finance to ensure graduates have the necessary tools upon graduation to understand how markets function and the various financial instruments used in finance-related careers. 

Even in the college setting, when investing is offered as a major, learners must also take a range of other classes to graduate, including general education requirements, many of which aren't directly or even remotely related to investing. This means that in the university setting, a significant portion of the student’s efforts and time are devoted to acquiring skills unrelated to investing or even the field of finance.

While college is a great way to fully immerse in a supportive, interactive learning environment, there are several important considerations learners should make before going this route. The first is time commitment. Whereas graduates of skills classes or bootcamps can put their investing knowledge to use as soon as they complete their studies (which take several days, weeks, or months, depending on the program and its focus), college study usually requires at least four years of time to complete. A lot of the time students spend studying in college will be devoted to completing classes they won’t necessarily need in the professional setting. For aspiring investing professionals who are interested in using their skills sooner, college study may, therefore, be prohibitive. Cost is another important factor. Most four-year colleges cost tens of thousands of dollars per year to complete, which is much more per year than a single bootcamp or certificate program.

On-demand Classes

On the other end of the learning spectrum from college classes are on-demand investing courses. This type of training is pre-recorded by educational providers like Coursera and Udemy and placed online, where it’s available to students. Those who opt for this type of coursework have the flexibility of deciding their own learning pace, as well as where they’d like to be when they complete lessons. These convenient classes allow learners to pick up and put down lessons as their schedule permits. While this level of freedom is appealing to many learners, it also can be a challenge for some individuals, who may not be able to find the motivation to keep up with their studies without formal deadlines. 

On-demand investing classes range in length from several hours for skills-specific classes like the University of Michigan’s Stocks and Bonds program to several months for more intensive courses, such as Coursera’s Investment and Portfolio Management. However, since no instructor is present for this form of training, participants must find answers on their own when they don’t fully understand a concept or skill. This is why some learners may struggle with on-demand coursework, especially those who are new to the field of finance and investing and may require additional clarification or support. Some individuals, therefore, may begin with on-demand coursework but move over to live instruction to fully comprehend concepts they’ll need for their current job or a new career path.

Part-time or Full-time?

Another consideration all learners will need to make when they are selecting an investing class is whether to study full-time or part-time. This decision is usually based on the student’s availability as well as their scheduling constraints. For those who work full-time, part-time coursework may be the only way to acquire professional investing training while working at the same time. Courses are often available on weekends or weeknights, which will not disrupt traditional work schedules. Other learners who have more flexible schedules may prefer a full-time study approach, which will allow them to fully immerse in their studies and complete their training at a much faster pace.

When deciding whether full-time or part-time investing training is better for you, it’s important to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of both options. Those who select full-time training will complete their studies much faster. Certificate coursework may take only weeks to complete full-time, whereas it would require several months of part-time study to finish. However, committing to a full-time program means that you should be prepared to complete a good amount of homework in a much shorter time frame. Part-time investing coursework, on the other hand, affords learners more space and time to practice the skills they’re learning, which may improve retention.

Learn Investing with Noble Desktop

If you’re ready to get started learning investing or want to take your existing financial knowledge to the next level, Noble Desktop can help. Noble offers in-person instruction in New York City and live online courses for learners at all levels. All Noble courses provide hands-on training and include a free retake option for up to one year. 

Noble’s Stock Market Investing class is available for those interested in exploring stock market basics, such as investing, stock movements, and valuation. This short program teaches learners about the different factors that affect stock prices, how to work with financial statements, and how to perform DCF analysis. Graduates of this course leave with a well-rounded understanding of financial markets.

Learners seeking more detailed instruction can gain hands-on investing training in Noble’s Financial Analyst Training Program. This comprehensive program is designed to take students from spreadsheet basics to intermediate-level Excel skills. Those enrolled explore corporate finance and financial accounting concepts. They also learn core Excel skills, including functions, formulas, shortcuts, and PivotTables. More advanced spreadsheet training is also provided in topics like financial functions, DCF modeling techniques, and cash flow projection tools. This bootcamp is intended to prepare students to pursue a career at a top financial firm. Prior accounting and finance knowledge is helpful but not required to enroll. All students receive a short pre-learning guide a week before class starts, which they can use to brush up on basic concepts.

Noble also offers a Financial Modeling Bootcamp in which students become familiar with essential finance and accounting concepts. This hands-on program teaches students about accounting, finance, and corporate valuation. Participants work with Excel to create a financial DCF model that’s based on a real company. Those interested in enrolling will find it helpful to have prior financial experience. As a prerequisite, participants should have intermediate-level Excel for business training, including knowledge of VLOOKUP, PivotTables, and IF statements.