Top 7 Free Investment Banking Courses With Certificates
Investment banking is a perfect option for someone who wants to go to Wall Street. It is a high-demand job with a hefty salary package. Many online platforms offer free courses. Before taking the course, understand the industry’s nitty-gritty. Talk with your friends, family, or educational counselor to get a glimpse. If you are proficient at finance and crunching numbers, join any online courses for free. We made your search easy by listing some comprehensive and high-rated classes on the market. Let’s have a look at the top 7 free investment banking courses.
What is an Investment Banking
Investment banking is a banking type dealing exclusively with raising capital for individuals and government organizations. By bridging the gap between large companies and investors, financial bankers entice corporations to borrow debt. In the banking sector, companies sell securities (stocks or bonds) to raise money. Bankers underwrite new equity sales to investors to make them invest. Companies use them to grow.
It is one of the most challenging financial careers involving various positions and roles in the banking sector. Due to the high demands of the job, bankers earn a higher salary and reputation in the world of finance.
Work of Investment Banker?
- Investment bankers are employees of investment banks who advise their clients, who can be individuals or organizations.
- They have numerical, research, analytical, and communication skills.
- They are middlemen serving organizations specializing in securities, mergers, and acquisitions (M&A).
- This type of banker makes crucial decisions with urgency.
- They find qualified clients for the company if they plan to sell bonds to raise money.
- They try to convince investors to invest hefty amounts of money, which helps the company run the business.
- Investment bankers develop pitch books to find new organizations and investors as their prospects.
- There are various roles in investment banking where the hierarchy begins with banking analyst, investment banking associate, vice president, senior vice president, and managing director.
- Investment bankers earn money in two ways; one is by designing the financial strategies for the company, and another way is by underwriting for setting the sale of securities.
How to Become an Investment Banker
Financial education is mandatory to start a career in investment banking. Join free online courses related to your field. After equipping yourself, get an internship. This helps you to stand out in the crowd.
The eligibility criteria for bankers are as follows.
- After a 10+2 degree, a bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, and economics can help you pick up some basic numerical and analytical skills.
- Students with other streams of study are eligible for investment banking if they have basic knowledge of the finance sector.
- But, at least picking a finance sector with a master’s degree is a must for getting a job in the banking field.
- Taking up an MBA is the best choice for learning finance and banking.
- 55% aggregate marks in the master’s and bachelor’s degrees are considered essential in the banking sector.
- Graduating from a reputed B school can be a game changer for your career path.
Charted Financial Analyst (CFA) Program
Financial institutions and investment banks offer CFA programs that provide in-depth knowledge of financial reporting, alternative investments, corporate finance, and portfolio management. Familiarising yourself with these topics is a must to excel in investment banking.
Internship Opportunity
Internships are a great way to get practical knowledge. So, hunt for internship opportunities and make yourself a junior analyst or entry-level intern in an investment bank. Hands-on training will improve your interpersonal skills as you handle clients. Thus, internships are the best way to learn after getting the theoretical skills.
Free Investment Banking Courses With Certification Programs
To be successful in the financial sector, taking certification programs from premium institutes can make you move smoothly on your career path. Many institutes, like IIM SKILLS, Imarticus Learning, etc., offer paid certificate courses. But taking free online courses is a wise move that helps to brush up on your basic skills in banking.
Is Investment Banking a Worthwhile Career?
Manufacturing units and entrepreneurs are growing their ventures in developing countries like India. This needs an increase in investment banks and employees to work. According to field experts, investment banking is one of the most lucrative, high-paying, and satisfying careers in the long run. Thus, a banking job is a boon if you possess analytical, communication, financial, and technical skills.
Skills Acquisition as an Investment Banker
Financial Skills
- Sound understanding of corporate finance.
- Strong knowledge of finance and statistics modeling.
- A professional in valuation methods is required to carry out mergers and acquisitions.
Interpersonal Skills
- Negotiation skills to deal with the investor and the client organization.
- Prepare irresistible financial advice that benefits both the client and the investor.
- Ability to work in a team.
- Managing the project and delivering results for both parties.
- Able to do all kinds of communication situations as a middleman.
Banking Skill
- Researching companies’ legal policies to match the market funding climate.
- Proficient in reading Excel charts and working in M.S. Excel.
- Bringing in the right investor for a client’s IPO (Initial Public Offering).
- Sells equity and shares to raise capital.
Presentation Skills
- Prepare reports and letters for clients.
- Creates and manages presentations for sales pitches for existing and prospecting clients.
Job Opportunities in Investment Banking
| Job role | Responsibility | Salary per annum |
| Analyst | Conduct research and interact with clients | 2.3 – 2.5 lakhs |
| Associate | Understand client and investor needs and prepare the financial model for negotiation | 9-30 lakh |
| Vice president | Drafting the pitch books and managing the overall client-investor relationship | 40-50 lakhs |
| Managing director | Responsible for M& A, restructuring every deal | 55-90 lakhs |
Benefits of Free Investment Banking Courses Online
- Economic friendly –
The free online courses cost nothing but your time. It is a great way to ignite your basic financial knowledge without spending a penny.
- Flexible schedule
All online courses are recorded video lectures. You can learn in your leisure time as well as your learning time.
- Comprehensive content
The content covered in all the courses is comprehensive. Resources and quizzes add jam-packed value to your skill acquisitions
- Global Exposure
The online course teachers are experts or working professionals who give you a global perspective. They come up with many real-world banking situations and how they were tackled.
What Do We Learn in the Free Investment Banking Courses?
Investment banking fundamentals will be covered in the free courses. The curriculum involves finance analysis, M&A targets, equity research, asset management, underwriting, and buying & selling securities, among many others. Reading charts in Excel and improving mathematical skills are the other skills included in the module. Real financial problems and bankers’ solutions are discussed in high-rated courses. Hands-on learning, assignments, and quizzes are notable in any course structure. These perks can be used as a checklist for your course selection.
1. Free Investment Banking Courses No 1-Forage
Forage online learning platform with virtual experience – Free course by J.P. Morgan Chase and Co.
Forage is an online learning platform with tie-ups with many reputed companies worldwide. They give you the virtual experience of working with big brands. Enrolling and learning from anywhere worldwide is accessible on this exciting platform.
Any aspiring investment banker knows JP Morgan Chase Bank. As a fortune for students, J.P Morgan Chase and Co, the world’s renowned investment banking company, provides 5 hours of virtual experience on what happens behind the scenes in their company. At the end of the course, you will equip yourself with all the analytical skills that an investment banker has at J.P. Morgan.
Virtual experience gives you immense practical value. The task-to-do sections follow every module. Completing this course and tasks can put you ahead of the competition on your CV and LinkedIn profile.
| Course name | J.P. Morgan Investment Banking
|
| What you’ll learn | Module 1: Find some M & A targets Module 2: Target information and auction process Module 3: Financial analysis by the members Module 4: Provide an investment recommendation
|
| Time taken to complete
| 5 hours to complete the virtual experience
|
| Certification | Free certificate
|
| Mode of the course | Online |
Key highlights of the course:
- Earning practical knowledge from the world’s no.1 bank
- Experiencing the virtual world of learning
2. Free Investment Banking Courses No 2- Wall Street Mojo
Wall Street Mojo is the leading platform in the financial education industry. Taking these free courses is worthwhile if you are a beginner. The lessons are recorded in video format. The system is well-modulated with free resources. With real-world examples, well-structured lessons are easy to digest. Furthermore, it talks about many career opportunities in the banking sector. An aspiring student cannot become an expert by enrolling but it can be a first step toward a career path.
| Course name | Investment banking-Introduction
|
| What you’ll learn | Module 1: Investment Banking-Introduction Module 2: Difference between Investment Banking andCommercial Banking Module 3: How do equity research and asset management Companies make a profit? Module 4: Buy vs. Sell side in Investment Banking Module 5: Sales and Trading in an Investment Bank Module 6: Role of Investment Banking in raising capital Module 7: Underwriting of securities Module 8: Market Making by Investment Banking Module 9: Restructuring and Ordering the Investment Banking Structure Module 10: Career Opportunities in Investment Banking |
| Time taken to complete
| 1 hour of video lecture
|
| Certification | Free certificate
|
| Mode of the course | Online |
Key highlights of this course
- Comprehensive curriculum covering all the essentials for beginners
- Industry experts teach the course
- Downloadable free Excel resources
- One year of study access
3. Free Investment Banking Courses No 3-Edx
Edx is an online platform with many different courses. Many premium institutions and universities host courses and provide certifications worth showcasing on your resume. Regarding investment banking courses, the New York Institute of Finance’s two-week course is a gem for those planning to work in finance, especially for future careers.
The course has tracks, whereas the free version lacks graded assignments and exams, but the paid version does. A vital point to be aware of is that this free course is just an introductory course to their professional investment banking program. Also, the course expires in 2 weeks.
| Course name | Essential career skills for investment banking and finance
|
| What you’ll learn | Module 01: Investment Banking Module 02: Buy-side Institutions Module 03: Alternative Investments Module 04: Related Finance Opportunities Module 05: Career Prep Strategies Module 06: Overcoming Generational Stereotyping Module 07: Your Authentic Story Module 08: Your Personal Brand Module 09: Cover Letters/Emails Module 10: Elevator Pitch Module 11: Impact Interviewing
|
| Time taken to complete
| 2 weeks (3-4 hours per week)
|
| Certification | NO shareable certificate on completion
|
| Mode of the course | Online |
Key highlights
- The course is beginner-friendly.
- Acquirement of professional financial fluency on completion
- Taught by leading institute experts
4. Free Investment Banking Courses No 4-Coursera
Coursera is a massive open online platform offering courses from reputed universities and organizations. Many studies on investment banking are available on Coursera. But the free classes are limited in number. Many reputed foreign universities offer courses related to banking. The teaching by the professors is intense. Also, the duration of the studies is longer than other platforms.
The recommended course, Investment Management Specialization, is a comprehensive 5 in one class. This course is a goldmine of crucial concepts to dig into. As promised in the course curriculum, you will develop a global understanding of the market level at the micro and macro levels. There are practical insights from corporate bankers in the course.
| Course name | Investment Management Specialization |
| What you’ll learn | 5-part series courses Course 1- Understanding Financial Markets Course 2-Meeting Investor’s Goals Course3- Portfolio and Risk Management Course 4-Securing Investment Returns in the Long Run Course 5- Planning five years for client’s wealth |
| Time taken to complete
| 3-6 months |
| Certification | Sharable certificate
|
| Mode of the course | Online |
Key highlights
- Coverage of broad investment banking topics
- Certificate from the University of Geneva
- Learning from industry and university experts
- Financial aid as a resource
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5. Free Investment Banking Courses No 5-Great Learning
With a Great learning platform, learning investment banking is a simple and effective process. The course is ultimately beginner-friendly with a certificate of completion. In this course, you will learn about the difference between merchant and investment banking, their functions, types of investment banking, and trading cycles.
Certification can be obtained after completing the 1-hour free video course. It’s another free course with all the essentials packed up for beginners. In the modules, basic banking information and its types are covered.
| Course name | Investment banking |
| What you’ll learn | Module 1: Introduction to Investment Banking Module 2: Meaning and definition of investment banking Module 3: Functions of investment bank Module 4: Types of investment banking Trade cycle Module 5: Merchant banking Module 6: Difference between investment banking and merchant banking |
| Time taken to complete
| 1-hour free video lecture |
| Certification | Sharable certificate
|
| Mode of the course | Online |
Key highlights
- High-rate course with a large number of learners
- Certificate after completion
- Lifetime access to the course
- Lecture delivered by subject matter experts
6. Free Investment Banking Courses No 6-Udemy
Udemy is an education technology company providing online learning. The courses are offered in video lectures. Among the available courses on Udemy, a free course teaches M&A analysis in detail. This course also gives insights into creating waterfall charts in Excel. This is an intense course with many modules.
But unfortunately, only the introduction part is free, which includes 14 lectures. The unpaid version does not support the instructor’s direct message and Q&A sessions, whereas the paid version supports these features. The course requires no prerequisites and provides homework assistance for better understanding. Excel resources and chart study can be learned extensively.
| Course name | Become an M&A analyst: The complete skillset free series |
| What you’ll learn | Module 1: What is the difference between share sale and asset sale?
Module 2: Who is involved in M&A transactions and what are their duties?
Module 3: How to print in Excel properly?
Module 4: How to use Microsoft PowerPoint Slide Master?
Module 5: What is a balance sheet?
Module 6: What is non-controlling interest?
Module 7: How the 3 financial statements are linked?
Module 8: How to calculate inventory turnover ratio?
Module 9: What is financial modeling?
Module 10: How to use an index-match formula to run multiple scenarios in financial models?
Module 11: How to calculate revolver in financial modeling?
Module 12: How to create sensitivity tables in DCF Analysis in Excel?
Module 13: How to calculate fully diluted shares outstanding?
Module 14: How to create waterfall charts in Excel?
|
| Time taken to complete
| 2 hours 24 minutes |
| Certification | No certificate in the free version |
| Mode of the course | Online |
Key highlights
- Beginner-friendly with hands-on assignments and quiz sessions
- The instructor is an expert investment banker
7. Free Investment Banking Courses No 7-Alison
Alison, another educational platform, has many free courses for everyone. Free investment banking is a course that teaches the fundamentals of investment banking. The lecture is CPD-accredited (Continuing Professional Development). The course publisher is Edukators London Ltd, experts in teaching industry-specific skills. Scoring 80% or above in the assessment part will earn a certificate.
| Course name | Introduction to investment banking |
| What you’ll learn | Module 1: Define the services and deals provided by an investment banker Module 2: Discuss the essential qualifications and experiences required to become an investment banker Module 3: Explain the three structures of investment banks and the two sides of investment banking Module 4: Describe the three valuation methods used to assess a company or government’s finances Module 5: Summarise the different aspects of an initial public offering (IPO) including its key participants and characteristics of a strong candidate Module 6: Identify the different types of and processes involved in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) Module 7: State the ethical dynamics of investment banking
|
| Time taken to complete
| 1.5-3 hours of learning |
| Certification | Sharable certificate |
| Mode of the course | Online |
Key highlights
- The course is beginner-friendly
- Supports self-paced learning
FAQs: Free Investment Banking Courses
Can I learn investment banking online for free?
Yes, many premium institutions and online platforms offer certification courses in investment banking.
How can I become an investment banker for free?
Start taking free investment banking courses online with certification offered on various platforms for free. After gaining a basic understanding, look for internship opportunities in the investment banking sector. Develop your skills and get hands-on experience. Look for job positions once you have ample field knowledge.
How can I learn investment banking skills?
Start taking online and offline investment banking courses. This will teach you all the skills you need to acquire. Select a job role in the banking sector and look for courses specializing in the field to master the art—for example, Portfolio management, M&A analysis, and Research analysis.
Is investment banking hard to study?
Yes, in the finance sector, banking is a top-tier position. It demands a lot of skill requirements, analytical, mathematical, and financial skills. The job requires effective interpersonal skills, so getting practical experience regardless of learning skills is vital.
What are some of the top investment banks?
- Goldman Sachs & Co
- Morgan Stanley (American Investment Banking company)
- J.P. Morgan Investment Bank
- Evercore Investment Banking Company
- Centerview Partners Private Banking Company
- Lazard Financial Services Company
- Moelis & Company (Financial Services Company)
- Credit Suisse Investment Banking Company
- PJT Partners Capital Markets Company
Conclusion
Becoming an investment banker is challenging for anyone. This white-collar job is prestigious and guarantees job security. The work culture is hectic, according to other professionals. But banking work can be exciting if you love finance modeling and negotiating with clients. Banking veterans have a posh client network to interact with. Job satisfaction is guaranteed as you raise money for industries, contributing to the economy’s growth.
Stepping into a banking career can be daunting without the appropriate skills. Earning a proper U.G and P.G degree in finance is the first step in the career path. If not having a reasonable degree, certification courses lend you help with learning skills. Free investment banking courses will never disappoint you in learning. Choose a course wisely that meets your needs.