Postgraduate Diploma in Investment Management

Information

The Postgraduate Diploma in Investment Management is designed to equip you with the skills necessary to function in an analytical or specialist manager position.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Investment Management is targeted at individuals and professionals wanting to deepen their knowledge of investments and financial instruments. It allows individuals to apply themselves to diverse roles within financial services depending on their background and specialization. The qualification will develop in you an understanding of the ethical and risk environments in which you will operate. You will also build on your prior economics knowledge and learn how economic scenarios are modelled and forecasted and then used to predict prices of financial instruments or market indices.

With assets under management of around R2 trillion, the investment management industry in South Africa is a powerhouse industry with attractive employment prospects. The structure of the industry follows stringent regulatory guidelines and compliance, and the overall market is made up of international and local firms that deploy a range of globally competitive tools and strategies. The purpose of the Postgraduate Diploma in Investment Management is to allow students to move into this field or deepen their knowledge of investment management at a postgraduate level. The heart of the Postgraduate Diploma in Investment Management is acquiring profound theoretical and practical knowledge of equities, fixed income, derivatives, other alternative instruments and portfolio management, as well as financial analysis and reporting. Students will also develop an understanding of the business and investment-specific ethics and corporate governance environments in which they will operate. Finally, students will be exposed to research methodology and then deepen their skills with an investment project related to economics and finance. With these added skills and knowledge, individuals will become strong candidates for various investment management positions in the sector.

WHO SHOULD ENROL?

The programme would be most suitable for a BCom or similar graduate who wants to improve his or her knowledge and skills in the area of investment management.

PROGRAMME OUTCOMES

Successful completion of this qualification should enable the student to:

Demonstrate knowledge of the ethical and risk management background against which investment decision are made in order to operate efficiently in an investment management environment.
Demonstrate a basic understanding of advanced economical concepts and how to model those statistically to forecast prices for financial instruments and/or markets.
Demonstrate an understanding of selected concepts in financial reporting, analysis and corporate finance from both an American and South African perspective in order to be able to form conclusions about the entity analysed and decide on whether to buy or sell.
Demonstrate advanced knowledge of equities and fixed income, in terms of analysis, forecasting/pricing and decision-making to present a recommendation or make investment decisions.
Demonstrate advanced knowledge of selected concepts on derivatives, alternative investments and portfolio management in order to successfully manage investment portfolios and the associated risks.
Demonstrate basic knowledge of special fields by analysing a specific topic for the investment project so that the student can operate more efficiently in an investment management context

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

Module name	NQF	Credits	C/E
Induction	8	0	Compulsory
Business Ethics and Corporate Governance (BECG01-8)	8	15	Compulsory
Equities and Fixed Income (EQFI01-8)	8	25	Compulsory
Finance for Non-financial Managers**	N/A	0	See below
Alternative Investments and Derivatives and Portfolio Management (AIDP01-8)	8	25	Compulsory
Financial Reporting and Analysis and Corporate Finance (FRAF01-8)	8	25	Compulsory
Investment Code of Ethics (ICET01-8)	8	5	Compulsory
Research Methodology (BRES01-8)	8	20	Electives
Economics and Statistics Project (ECPR01-8)	8	10	Electives
TOTAL		125
*This module is compulsory for all students who have not studied financial management at an undergraduate level or have no working experience in financial management. This programme must be completed within the first semester of studies.*

The minimum admission requirement is a relevant NQF 7 qualification (Bachelor degree or Advanced Diploma).

Depending on the modules completed in the undergraduate qualification as well as the work experience, Milpark might recommend certain bridging modules for individuals who need to augment their knowledge on certain subject matters.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) applications

*Kindly contact the relevant Programme Manager BEFORE applying online for admission on RPL grounds to determine availability, as RPL admissions are limited to 10% of the total intake and it is therefore continuously oversubscribed.

Applicants who do not have the required degree but who have extensive work experience and/or proven leadership in their field of endeavour may apply in terms of Milpark’s Recognition of Prior Learning policy; however, admission on these grounds is limited. RPL applicants must have a minimum of 10 years of employment experience and demonstrate potential to complete the programme, and must submit:

a comprehensive curriculum vitae and relevant certificates.
a one-page essay motivating why they believe they should be admitted to the programme.

In addition, an applicant may be required to present him/herself for an interview with the Selection Panel.

Other certificates

Any applicant who has a certificate other than a South African National Senior Certificate has to provide:

a SAQA Certificate of Equivalence, if they want to enrol for a Higher Certificate, Advanced Certificate, Diploma or Postgraduate qualification (www.saqa.org.za)