Dates
Winter session: January 13 – 17, 2025
Location
Philadelphia, USA
Application Deadlines
- Priority deadline: October 15, 2024
- Final deadline: November 15, 2024
Program Fee
January program (one week):
- $3,999 (non-commuter fee includes housing and meals)
- $3,499 (commuter fee includes meals and excludes housing)
Contact
For more information, please contact: AcademyPrograms@wharton.upenn.edu
Overview
The Personal Finance and Investing program provides a comprehensive introduction to personal financial decision-making. The program is tailored to individuals seeking to gain financial proficiency by engaging with practical financial applications in a dynamic setting. Topics covered in the course include:
- Thinking Financially
- Personal Budgeting
- Saving for Retirement
- Taxes
- The Value of Education
- Borrowing Money
- Fixed Income Investing
- Equity Investing
- Portfolios and Diversification
The Personal Finance and Investing program uses a novel curriculum developed by experts and focused on practical applications. The program relies on several teaching modalities aimed at maximizing understanding and retention by emphasizing participant engagement and personalized, real-world financial challenges. Whether you are starting your education in finance or looking to secure your financial future, this program provides the knowledge and tools necessary for informed financial decision-making.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the Finance Framework, including managing a budget to ensure spending within means, and safeguarding financial and personal information.
- Learn the importance of Saving for Retirement and the Value of Education, and why it’s crucial to start saving for the future as early as possible.
- Know when and how to Borrow Money, including the significance of maintaining a good credit history.
- Gain insights into Fixed Income and Equity Investing, and how to invest wisely for the long-run.
- Develop skills in Portfolio and Diversification to mitigate risk and maximize returns.
Details
Academic classes for Personal Finance and Investing are held Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with evenings free (except for group events).
A typical day looks like:
- 7:00-9:00 – Breakfast
- 9:00-12:00- Topics Lecture or Guest Speaker (with break)
- 12:00-1:00- Lunch
- 1:00-4:00- Group Work and Debrief (with break)
- 4:00-5:00 – Office Hours
You can expect to:
- Earn a Wharton Academy badge
- Join visiting undergraduates from around the world to build a network of emerging business professionals
- Engage in a 35-hour in-person learning program in Wharton classrooms
- Enjoy housing & meals at the University of Pennsylvania
Eligibility
Qualifications for Participation
- Current Undergraduate student or recent college graduate
- Highest English proficiency – TOEFL 100+ IELTS-Band 7 or higher. If TOEFL or IELTS scores are unavailable, applicants may submit Duolingo, PSAT, SAT, or ACT scores as an alternate. The minimum Duolingo score required is 130.
- Strong quantitative skills
Admission
Admission to the Wharton Academy Personal Finance and Investing Program is selective. Selections are based on a record of academic excellence and a genuine interest in developing finance skills.
Please note that participation does not guarantee admission into Penn.
Instructional Team
Academic Director: Michael R. Roberts
Michael is the William H. Lawrence Professor of Finance at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research, and an affiliate of the Institute for Law and Economics and the Wharton Financial Institutions Center at the University of Pennsylvania. He also founded and heads the Wharton Financial Analytics Initiative. Professor Roberts’ research spans corporate finance, banking, and asset pricing. Recent work has examined equity pricing anomalies, collateralized loan obligation (CLO) performance, and the effect of interest rates on bank lending. His research has received several awards including two Brattle Prizes for Distinguished Paper published in the Journal of Finance, a Jensen Prize for best paper on Corporate Finance and Organizations published in the Journal of Financial Economics, and Best Paper awards from the Financial Management Association, Southwestern Finance Association, and Rodney L. White Center for Financial Research.
Professor Roberts earned his B.A. in Economics from the University of California at San Diego, and his M.A. in Statistics and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley.