Mutual funds are critical building blocks of wealth for individuals and organizations—both of whom need knowledgeable fund managers to maximize value and achieve their long-term goals. When you earn your Graduate Certificate in Mutual Fund Management, you'll develop the skills you need to manage a portfolio of assets successfully—in just four or five courses.
Graduate Certificate in Mutual Fund Management Program Overview
- Program Overview: 4–5 courses
- Class Schedule: Monday–Thursday evenings at 5:20 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
- Time to Complete: 1 to 3 years

Unique Features
12 or 15
Credits may be applied toward a future MBA
Top 50
Among national universities (U.S. News & World Report)
- Learn the essentials of managing fund investments—including analyzing markets, assessing and managing risk, allocating assets, maintaining compliance, and following ethical standards
- Specialize your studies with electives that are relevant to your goals, such as market analysis or fixed income securities
- Build applied financial experience by joining the student management team of the 360 Huntington Fund—a real fund in Northeastern's endowment—and researching and presenting your own stock recommendations to a panel of your peers
- Complete applied projects and analyze case studies—key components of Northeastern's practice-oriented approach to learning
- Access expert career guidance from an experienced counselor at Northeastern's office of Employer Engagement and Career Design
- Build the foundation for a future master's degree from Northeastern—you may be able to apply your earned certificate credits toward an eligible master's program
Admissions
- GMAT Required? No.
- Where do I apply? Apply using this application.
- Interview required? Upon request
- Pre-requisite for admission? A U.S. Bachelor's degree or equivalent with a major in business administration or a related field with a GPA of at least 3.0 as well as two years work experience in finance
Helpful guides
Application Checklist
Need guidance on completing your application? The application checklist provides step-by-step instructions and tips from our admissions team.
Personal Statement Guide
Need guidance in composing the personal statement for your application? The essay guide will help you organize your thoughts and draft your copy.
For Boston campus students, there are three entry terms each year in January, May, and September. For online students, there are six entry terms throughout the year.
Deadlines & Decisions
Find the deadlines and decision dates you need to know. Submit your application by the earliest date possible for priority consideration.
Northeastern University's Student Financial Services website is your best resource for the most current and comprehensive information to help prepare you financially.
To view tuition rates, please visit the Northeastern Student Financial Services page. Click the dropdown under “Graduate Programs” and find the cost per credit for the current academic year listed next to “D'Amore-McKim School of Business Programs.”
There are a number of resources to help you finance your Northeastern graduate education, and the Student Financial Services team is here to guide you through the process and make it as simple as possible. Please visit the Graduate Financial Aid page.
Once you are a student, your financial aid advisor will work with you one-on-one to answer your questions, point you to resources and provide valuable insight as you navigate the financial commitments of your program.
At Northeastern, we value and celebrate diversity in all its forms and strive to foster an inclusive culture built on respect that affirms inter-group relations and builds community, which is vital to learning and discovery.
Clubs and Organizations
Northeastern has many opportunities for you to be engaged with our community. Examples include the following:
Graduate Students of Color Collective
The purpose of the GSCC is to build community for graduate students of color at Northeastern University by promoting education, professionalism, and civic duty. The GSCC fosters student, staff, and faculty relationships to establish a campus home for higher education at Northeastern. Through civic engagement with surrounding communities, the GSCC recognizes the continued struggles of marginalized populations, and the need for those who have succeeded to give back.
Grad Q
Grad Q is a student organization for LGBTQ+ graduate students at Northeastern. Grad Q is focused on building community, social events, advocacy, and mentoring undergraduate students.
Campus Resources
We have a number of cultural centers on campus to support our campus community by providing programs, lectures, and events for students with a range of affiliations and interests including the LGBTQA Resource Center, Office of Global Services, Latinx Student Cultural Center, Asian American Center, and many more.
Curriculum
The coursework for the Graduate Certificate in Mutual Fund Management explores cutting-edge approaches for creating and managing successful portfolios of mutual funds or hedge funds.
In your required coursework, you'll learn how to create value in a competitive, dynamic global business environment, developing skills in quantitative and analytical methods for financial management. The electives you choose will broaden your knowledge in areas such as investment analysis, fixed income securities and risk, and portfolio management.
Required course*
FINA 6200 | 3 credits
*This course may be waived if you completed a Bachelors in business administration or a related field.
Complete 3 or 4 elective courses from the following
FINA 6202 | 3 credits
FINA 6203 | 3 credits
FINA 6212 | 3 credits
FINA 6219 | 3 credits
FINA 6360 | 1 credit
– – – –
Builds on FINA 6360. Designed to provide students further analytical knowledge, including exposure to and opportunity to perform managerial tasks related to the management and operation of mutual funds. Included in these tasks are reconsideration of the fund's investment policy statement and asset allocation plan as well as preparation of accounting statements, dealing with compliance issues, addressing ethical concerns, measuring and managing risk, and performing marketing and fund-raising activities.
FINA 6361 | 1 credit
The curriculum is subject to change by D'Amore-McKim faculty. Course offerings may vary by semester.
“The finance courses are relevant to the current moment and offer so much more than what a textbook alone can teach you. . . . Starting with the milestone of a graduate certificate, with the option to carry credits forward into a future master's degree, gave me the confidence to get started.”
Jyo Mohapatra, Graduate Certificate Student '21
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Mary McNamara

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Graduate Certificates “Ask Me Anything”
Chat with Director of MBA Admissions Mary McNamara and Graduate Certificate student Andrea Pinto Quiroz to learn how a graduate certificate from D'Amore-McKim can further your career goals. Ask any questions you may have related to your program(s) of interest, including details about the application process.
Graduate Certificates “Ask Me Anything”
Chat with Director of MBA Admissions Mary McNamara and Graduate Certificate student Andrea Pinto Quiroz to learn how a graduate certificate from D'Amore-McKim can further your career goals. Ask any questions you may have related to your program(s) of interest, including details about the application process.
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