• The Open University
  • The Open University Business School

Finance Fundamentals: Investment Theory and Practice

Look at the investment choices open to you, and the risks and returns of each. Start managing your financial future effectively

65,544 enrolled on this course

A coin sits on top of a line graph on a piece of paper – a metaphor for financial investments
  • Duration

    4 weeks
  • Weekly study

    3 hours
  • Accreditation

    AvailableMore info

Ensure your investments are effective and match your risk-return appetite

Research shows that UK households are poor at investment management, with a limited understanding of choices, risks and returns. This could mean that many people cannot afford to retire in future.

This online course will give you the tools to avoid this nightmare. You will study investment choices, and the risks and returns of each; investment strategies and your risk-return appetite; and behaviours that can impair effective investment decisions.

The Open University’s Centre for the Public Understanding of Finance created this course, with the generous support of True Potential LLP.

What topics will you cover?

  • Investment planning and decision-making
  • Savings and investment products
  • Investment risks
  • Investment theories – diversification, portfolio theory, capital-asset pricing model
  • Investment theories – efficient market hypothesis, random walk theory, chartism
  • Investment in practice – methods employed by fund managers
  • Historical analysis of investment returns
  • Historical investment episodes and what we learn from them
  • Individual human behavioural biases and investment decision-making
  • Group human behavioural biases and investment decision-making

Who is this accredited by?

EOCCS
EOCCS:

This course is accredited by EOCCS, the first international quality benchmark for online courses in business and management education.

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Explore the different types of personal investments and the returns they offer
  • Identify and to understand the key investment management theories
  • Identify investment management practices
  • Explore and review recent investment management stories
  • Identify and to understand the impact of behavioural factors on investment decision-making

Who is the course for?

For further information about registration, the final assessment course, your eligibility and the BA in Business Management, visit the Open University website.

Academic credit

If you are aiming to use your study of courses in the Business and Finance Fundamentals program to obtain academic credit, please be aware that the final planned presentation of the Open University Assessment Course BXM191 Business and Finance Fundamentals in Practice starts October 2020. Please ensure that you allow yourself enough time to obtain all eight Certificates of Achievement from courses in the program before registering for the Assessment Course. The start dates of the relevant FutureLearn courses in 2019 and 2020 are available here.

What do people say about this course?

"For me, this short course threw a little more light on several dark corners of investing. Thank you for your efforts in that enterprise."

Who will you learn with?

I am Director of the True Potential Centre for the Public Understanding of Finance (PUFin) at the OU Business School. Previously I was Treasurer of Nationwide Building Society.

Who developed the course?

The Open University

As the UK’s largest university, The Open University (OU) supports thousands of students to achieve their goals and ambitions via supported distance learning, helping to fit learning around professional and personal life commitments.

  • Established

    1969
  • Location

    Milton Keynes, UK
  • World ranking

    Top 510Source: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020

The Open University Business School

A pioneer in flexible learning for over 30 years, The Open University Business School delivers transformational, high quality business and management education which is quality assured.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn

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