Many want to pursue a career in finance, but even after getting a degree, it can be pretty tough to enter this competitive sector! This is why many students take short-term certification courses in finance to boost a specific skill to enter the market and get a high-paying job! If you also want to enter the finance sector and are looking for a way to boost your resume, here are the 10 best short-term certification courses in finance!
What Are Short-Term Certification Courses in Finance?
In simple terms, short-term certification courses in finance are programs offered by various universities that aim to teach students about a particular skill. Compared to normal courses that universities offer that cover the entire field or industry, short-term courses only cover a specific topic! You would think, then, why not do a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) course? MOOC courses are not accredited like short-term courses offered by universities, which means MOOCs don't have transferable CAT points or credits! Explore more through this beginner’s guide to MOOC courses.
10 Best Short-Term Certification Courses in Finance
Now, let's explore the home of funds, tax, accountancy, debt, and more! Here are the 10 best short-term finance certificate programs that will help you boost your resume and your career in a short amount of time!
Online Mode
If you’re looking for online short-term finance certifications, you will get many good options. Below, we’ve put down some of the best short-term online study courses in finance that one can avail from specific ed-tech platforms or universities that offer these:
1. Financial Modeling Courses
Duration: A few hours
Fees: $80< (Some are free)
Eligibility: NA
Prospective salary: $85,660
Career prospects: Equity Research Analyst, Financial Analyst, and Investment Analyst
Financial modeling is one of the short-term certification courses in finance for beginners who want to enter the field of finance! In this course, you will learn how to create a summary of all the expenses in a spreadsheet and then understand and analyse them to predict the impact of future decisions based on all the data collected. With this course, you will be able to join new businesses that are involved in financial services, health coverage, and startups! Plus, you can venture into investment banking, financial analysis, and more!
2. International Financial Reporting Standards
Duration: 6 months
Fees: $200 - $1000
Eligibility: Bachelor's degree in finance & professional experience of 3 years in the field of accounting
Prospective salary: $15685.99
Career prospects: Finance Controller, IFRS Expert, and External Auditor
The International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) course is among the best short-term finance certificate programs and is well respected worldwide! More than 100 countries pursue this course as it delves into accounting standards created for various companies' financial transactions! It also focuses on how important it is for companies to become transparent. The certification of this course is issued by the International Accounting Standards Board.
3. Certified Financial Planner
Duration: 3.5 hrs- 14 hrs
Fees: $59.99 - $70.99
Eligibility: High school degree
Prospective salary: $73,968
Career prospects: Financial Advisor, Cost Analyst, and Financial Planner
Certified Financial Planner is one of the globally recognised short-term certification courses in finance that students worldwide pursue! Even people who have been working for years apply for this course! You will learn how to create and maintain a financial plan for a company while keeping the company's financial goals in mind. You will mainly work in retirement planning, investment planning, and more!
4. Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst
Duration: 12 months
Fees: Depends on the level
Eligibility: Bachelor's degree in finance & four years of professional experience
Prospective salary: $99,000
Career prospects: Investment Analyst, Portfolio Manager, and Credit Structurer
One of the best finance certificate programs, Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst, explores topics such as ethics, tangible assets, risk management, and asset allocation! This course takes around a year to complete. Rest assured, it will teach and prepare you to supervise and advise alternative investments, such as hedge funds, private equity, real estate investments, and more, in a company!
5. Chartered Wealth Management
Duration: 6 months- 1 year
Fees: $60 - $600
Eligibility: Master's degree in finance & three years of experience in wealth management
Prospective salary: $70,000
Career prospects: Financial Advisor, Risk Manager, and Chartered Wealth Manager
Want to learn about investment strategy, relationship management, global taxation, and behavioural finance? Chartered Wealth Management, one of the best short-term certification courses in finance, is for you! With this course, you will develop management of relationships and core financial skills. Chartered Wealth Management is a globally recognised profession by various organisations and investors.
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Offline
If you’re someone who likes to learn in person and not from behind a screen, then you can for offline short-term certification courses in finance. Below are the best finance certifications one can pursue offline from universities or popular coaching centres to upskill their financial skills and shine in the quantitative market:
6. Certified Investment Management Analyst
Duration: 6-12 months
Fees: $1000 - $1500
Eligibility: Three years of experience in investment consulting
Prospective salary: $73,000
Career prospects: Portfolio Manager, Investment Analyst, and Private Equity Analyst
One of the best short-term certification courses, Certified Investment Management Analyst, is set up by the Investments and Wealth Institute to teach people about asset allocation, ethics, risk measurement, and performance measurement. Once you earn this finance certification, you can expect to work in investment consultation and major companies. You will also get to connect with clients with high net worth and large businesses!
7. Financial Risk Manager
Duration: 12 months
Fees: $1000 - $1200
Eligibility: Minimum of 2 years of professional experience
Prospective salary: $102,393
Career prospect: Corporate Risk Manager, Credit Risk Specialist, and Financial Risk Analyst
A Financial Risk Manager is a person who takes the risk factor into account by analysing the current financial markets, predicts changes that can happen in the future, and formulates strategies to negate the effect of possible risks! The Financial Risk Manager is one of the short-term certification courses in finance you need to study if you are interested in the positions of risk officers and risk analysts. This one-year course will teach you everything to be a Financial Risk Manager. And you know what the best part about this course is? It’s accepted in more than 90 countries!
8. Certified Treasury Professional
Duration: 6 - 12 months
Fees: $1000 - $1200
Eligibility: Degree in accountancy, finance, or banking & two years of professional experience in finance
Prospective salary: $108,349
Career prospects: Chartered Financial Analyst, Treasury Professional, and Finance Manager
If you are interested in working as a treasury official in a company, then studying the Certified Treasury Professional course will be your best bet! One of the short-term certification courses in finance, it will teach you about corporate liquidity, capital functions, and risk management. You will also learn about supervising and operating corporate treasuries while overseeing the credits and liabilities that happen in the company.
9. Certified Fund Specialist
Duration: 15 weeks
Fees: $1000 - $1500
Eligibility: Bachelor's degree in finance & some professional experience in the field
Prospective salary: $7239.69
Career prospects: Accountants, Fund Specialists, and Compliance Officer
The Certified Fund Specialist is among the most popular short-term finance certificate programs offered by the Institute of Business and Finance, so it is a pretty big deal! With this course, you will learn about closed-end funds, risk management, asset allocation, and exchange-traded funds. Once you finish it, you can work as an accountant, banker, or financial advisor, making it one of the best short-term certification courses in finance!
10. Chartered Financial Analyst
Duration: 1.5-2 years
Fees: Depends on the level
Eligibility: Background in finance, accounting, or economics & at least four years of professional experience
Prospective salary: $126,000
Career prospects: Financial Advisor, Credit Analyst, and Auditor
Last but not least is probably one of the most famous short-term certification courses in finance! The Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) is a short course in finance that is quite challenging as it mainly contains theory focusing on portfolio management. It is one of the most demanding short-term finance certification programs, as not many clear the exam! If you get through this course, jobs like risk management, investment management, asset management, portfolio management, investment analysis, financial reporting and analysis, equity, and alternative investments will suit your newly curated skill sets!
Why Pursue Short-Term Certification Courses in Finance?
Pursuing short-term certification courses in finance has many benefits. We have listed some of the basic reasons to pursue one.
1. Less time-consuming: Short-term certification courses in finance last only 3-4 months and are designed to give you all the knowledge you require in a particular field as quickly as possible.
2. Boosts employability: Short courses help your chances of gaining the job you always wanted! As short-term courses boost your knowledge in a specific skill, you will see an increase in job opportunities!
3. Expand your knowledge: Finance is an ever-growing sector, so there will always be something new to learn and study. This is where short-term finance certificate programs come into play, as you can gain new knowledge quickly!
Career Opportunities with Short-Term Courses in Finance
Pursuing short-term certification courses in finance will open doors to career opportunities for students across sectors. The below table highlights the many job opportunities you can have with these courses:
So, these are the best short-term certification courses in finance that you can pursue! If you are looking for a job, the UK is a good place to start in finance since finance is one of the most employable degrees in the UK! If you already have a job, these short-term finance courses are some of the best courses to upskill yourself.
