Where to Find Investing Classes

Once you’ve decided to enroll in an investing course, it’s time to consider the various training options that are available. Since investing is a popular skill set used by nearly two-thirds of adults in the US, many types of coursework in investing are available for those who are new to the field of finance, as well as those who have experience investing and want to take their skills even further. Classes are available around the world in the in-person and online formats. Each training format has its own advantages and drawbacks that should be considered when deciding which program is right for you. 

Noble Desktop and other professional training centers

Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me tool is a helpful resource that you can use to find in-person or live online investing course options close to home. This tool can help you compare various courses that are currently available at professional training centers and from other educators. Many of the courses you’ll find offer more than hands-on instruction in the live environment; they also provide students with professional development incentives, which provide graduates with the training needed to prepare for a career in finance. In addition to comprehensive certificate and bootcamp programs that provide broad training on a range of concepts and techniques used in finance, shorter skills classes are also available at the introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels for those interested in filling a skill gap or learning investing basics for use on a current or future work project. Investing courses provide an immersive educational experience that not only allows students to connect in real time with an expert instructor and other students but also ensures graduates will be able to use the skills they learn in a real-world setting.

Colleges & Universities

If you want to devote your efforts to learning about investing for an extended period of time, college coursework is one option you may consider. This is the longest training option available and requires four years (or more) for most learners to complete. Although investing coursework is available at most colleges, it isn’t always offered as a stand-alone major. 

In these instances, those who want to learn investing can opt for majors like statistics, math, or computer science. These degree focuses will still provide training in many of the skills and techniques that are used in investing, such as general 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. 

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 immediate use when they finish their studies (which take several days, weeks, or months, depending on the program and its focus), college study usually requires at least four years 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 finance professionals who don’t want to wait years to use their skills, college study may be prohibitive. 

Cost is another important factor. Most four-year colleges cost tens of thousands of dollars per year in tuition, which is much more per year than a single bootcamp or certificate program. This may make college study prohibitive for some learners.

Coursera, Udemy, and other on-demand platforms

Another way some individuals choose to study investing is through on-demand coursework from providers like Coursera or Udemy. These video tutorial platforms provide students with a combination of pre-recorded lectures, video content, tutorials, and supplemental training materials designed to help them complete coursework at their own pace as their schedule permits. Asynchronous classes take many forms; Coursera, for example, offers Investment and Portfolio Management, which requires two months to complete and provides beginner-level instruction on skills like behavioral economics, financial markets, and performance attribution. Shorter on-demand courses are also available in finance and investing-related topics. University of Michigan’s Stocks and Bonds program requires nine hours and teaches students concepts like how to price and trade bonds and stocks.

However, since no instructor is present in on-demand classes, participants have to find answers on their own when they don’t fully understand an investing 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 may need additional clarification or support during their initial studies. 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 to pursue an entirely new career path in a field like investment banking or financial analytics. Additionally, since the field of investing experiences constant changes based on current technology, market trends, and technological advances, on-demand investing coursework can become dated. Students who want to learn through self-paced materials should research the educational provider to ensure the content they’re offering is up to date before they select a class. 

Another factor to be aware of with on-demand classes is that many of these programs use payment models that make it difficult or even impossible to purchase a stand-alone class. While the cost of study may be much more affordable than attending a live certificate program, some students may feel trapped in a payment plan that doesn’t suit them if they opt for this type of coursework. 

YouTube and other free resources

In addition to investing resources like live or on-demand coursework that cost money to attend, free online resources are also available for interested learners. These outlets can provide answers to specific investing questions like what mutual funds are or the basics of stock investing. These resources require no monetary investment and are widely available, which makes them popular for those who don’t want to invest hundreds or thousands on formal classwork but still have to finish a project for work. 

One of the main drawbacks to free investing resources is that they usually only provide a very basic type of instruction that doesn’t go into great depth about the field of finance as a whole or the role investing plays in this field. If you’re hoping to receive more comprehensive instruction on finance, for example, you likely will need a more robust type of training than online video content. Aspiring financial professionals will likely require a more structured, live approach to their training to fully master complicated investing skills and practices.

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.