Best Banking and Finance Courses in the World in 2021
The financial services industry has encountered a digital tsunami in the past year that has completely changed the game for banking and finance across the globe. This digital revolution has spurted growth in several avenues that were slow to catch on before, from remote trading, mobile banking, virtual customer support among others. While institutions were able to adapt, there are many more skills and latent knowledge for professionals to build on to completely transform operations and succeed in a highly digital financial landscape going forward.
Open Banking and Platforms Online Specialisation
To help find the right skills to succeed in finance today, we have curated a list of the top courses offered in the subject area across the global. The list is built to assist anyone from individuals starting out in the banking and finance sector to those in the middle of their careers looking to transform their skills to better fit the new world of finance.
Here are the best banking and finance courses in the world this 2021:
CFTE’s Open banking and Platforms Specialisation is a leading programme that consists of 5 courses designed to help anyone who is looking to get a solid understanding of the Open Banking Landscape. Everyone from financial professionals, technologists, entrepreneurs and even students can take the programme. The specialisation is curated with over 15 industry experts driving the Open Banking revolution, giving you the right knowledge and tools needed to successfully lead in this segment of banking and finance. The course covers a wide expanse of topics from an industry overview, analysis of leading players, strategies for incumbents to adopt, the regulatory landscape and the technologies needed to implement a winning Open Banking strategy.
Advantages:
– A comprehensive Learning programme: The programme has the perfect mix between online self-paced content and real-world case studies, quizzes and reading material to bolster your learning journey.
– Leading Accreditation: The Open Banking & Platforms in Finance Specialisation, is fully CPD accredited.
– Designed with High-calibre Experts: The Programme consists of 5 leading lectures and contributions from over 15 experts, who hail from leading companies like Google Cloud, Wells Fargo, UBS, Mastercard, IBM among other top institutions.
– Join a Community of Leading Professionals: Joining the course will allow you to be part of a global community of over 100,000 professionals and entrepreneurs.
Senior Lecturers:
– Paul Rohan (Head of Strategy – Finance, Google Cloud)
– Anna Maj (Fintech Leader and Advisor)
– Secil Watson (Executive Vice-President, Wells Fargo)
– Carlos Figueredo (Founder & CEO, Open Vector)
– Stephan Murer (Former Group CTO, UBS)
Level: Foundational/Intermediate
Structure: Online self-paced learning
Cost: 600 GBP or 3 installments of 200 GBP
Duration: 5 weeks
Certificate: CPD Accredited Certificate of Completion
If you are a business leader, fintech entrepreneur or curious financier looking to dive deep into how the traditional ways of making money in financial services has completely transformed with the emergence of new business models then this course will give you all the insights you need. This crisp course consists of 3 chapters that cover traditional business models, new emerging models – from data monetisation to platforms and micropayments, among others. The course is taught by CFTE’s co-founder, a disruptive entrepreneur who has had a long standing history in Banking in institutions like Citi, Royal Bank of Scotland and Société Générale. This course though not yet launched has opened its pre-registrations from an exclusive offer for the first 200 learners and the seats are filling up fast.
Advantages:
– Taught by a Financial Services Expert: The course is taught by a well-renowned financial industry expert, a disruptive entrepreneur who has had a long standing history in Banking in institutions like Citi, Royal Bank of Scotland and Société Générale.
– Practical and Theoretical Learning: The programme strikes the ideal balance between theory and real world examples and use cases to build your knowledge.
– Connect with a Global Alumni Community: Joining the course will allow you to be part of a global community of over 100,000 professionals and entrepreneurs.
Senior Lecturer:
– Huy Nguyen Trieu (CFTE’s Co-founder, Disruptive Group’s CEO and Venture Partner of Mundi Ventures)
Level: Foundational
Structure: Online self-paced learning
Duration: 2 weeks
Certificate: On successful completion you will receive a sharable certificate
Conversational Artificial Intelligence has become a core part of banking services across the world. This course by CFTE will help you get a comprehensive overview of the technologies behind conversational AI and their implementation. The course is well-suited for financial professionals, technology leaders, entrepreneurs, finance investors and students looking to master this new-age technology. This course consists of 4 chapters that will cover major aspects of conversational AI like foundational concepts, AI technologies, best practices as well as strategies for successful implementation of conversational AI projects. This course aims to be the perfect toolkit to prepare you to champion conversational AI projects in your organisation. To help you get the best and latest insights from the industry, the course is taught by industry experts from HSBC, Active.ai, Accenture and Boost.ai.
Advantages:
– Taught by Leading Industry Figures: The course is taught by industry experts from HSBC, Active.ai, Accenture and Boost.ai.
– Leading Accreditation: The Conversational AI course is fully CPD accredited.
– Comprehensive and Versatile Learning: With a combination of Videos, experts interviews, extensive readings and quizzes.
– Join CFTE’s Alumni Network: On completing the programme you will join an alumni network of over 100,000 professionals, entrepreneurs and CEOs across the globe.
Lecturers:
Anna Maj, a Fintech Leader, who has +20 years of experience in fostering banking and payments innovation.
Other other leading contributors to the programme are Grete Øverbø (Head of Financial Services, Boost.ai), Janet Yuen (Global Head of Conversational Banking, HSBC), Shankar Srinivasan ( COO & Co-founder, Active.ai) and Giorgio Andreoli (Managing Director, Accenture).
Level: Foundational
Course Structure: Online self-paced learning
Cost: 150 GBP or 3 instalments of 50 GBP
Duration: 2 weeks
Certificate: On successful completion you will receive a sharable certificate
Learn Digital Finance from Experts
The Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountant’s e-learning programme on ‘Transaction Banking – Payment Services’ is a short online course for those who wish to get a quick overview of the transaction banking landscape. The course is an amalgamation of topics like key regulatory developments in the payments sphere, mobile banking/payments, along with more practical areas of payments processing and gives one an understanding of systems used to handle high and low value payments, while also covering the contingent risks involved. The course requires you to have a foundational understanding of transaction banking through the ‘Transaction Banking – An Introduction’ course provided by ISCA before taking this course.
Advantages:
– Ivy League Faculty: The programme is taught by Columbia Business School faculty as well as industry experts in finance and banking.
– A Global Immersive Experience: The 3 in-person programmes are delivered in the financial hubs of the world – New York and London, allowing one to engage with a global community.
– Connect with an Experienced Cohort: The programme will allow you to meet distinguished individuals in the financial sector to help grow your network.
Lecturers:
Suresh Sundaresan, the faculty director has a well-rounded experience in finance with several publishings in notable areas like treasury auctions, default risk, investment theory to securities and options among others.
There are 12 other members of the faculty with strong backgrounds in financial services and banking.
Level: Advanced (a minimum of 10 years work experience required)
Course Structure: A hybrid model with online and offline classes
Cost: 29,000 USD
Duration: 11 months
Certificate: Certificate of Business Excellence from Columbia Business School Executive Education
If you are looking to build a career in the new digital financial industry then this specialization from Copenhagen’s Business School would be a good starting point for you. The specialisation expands across a breadth of topics that focus on the digital transformation of finance. The programme teaches learners about digital platforms and ecosystems, the evolving fintech landscape and the new tools needed for driving innovation. The programme also includes a capstone project that requires one to fabricate a digital transformation strategy. Overall the programme is a great way to get a look into current developments in the landscape through a good mix of theoretical concepts and case studies – mainly from North America and Europe, giving your learning experience a stronger grounding.
Advantages:
– Practical Aspects to Learning: The programme includes a hands-on capstone project that requires one to apply learnings to a real scenario.
– Mix of Learning Resources: With a mix of quizzes, assignments, readings and videos to learn from – you will get a variety of resources to learn from.
Lecturer:
– Jonas Hedman (Associate Professor, Department of Digitalization)
– Stefan Henningsson (Associate Professor, Department of Digitalization)
Level: Foundational
Course Structure: Self-paced online learning
Duration: 5 months
Certification: On completing the course and capstone project participants will receive a certificate of completion
Imperial Business School’s Financial Essentials online course is crafted for individuals with little or no history in finance. The programme is ideal for those who wish to prepare for an MBA by improving their foundational knowledge in finance. To help you on your learning journey, the programme is delivered through a supported learning model with an assigned tutor. The programme covers important elements of hardcore finance like Internal Rate of Return, portfolio selection, bonds, equity, diversification and CAPM.
Advantages:
– Supported Learning Model: This model helps achieve optimum learning outcomes with support from an expert online tutor through the course curriculum and activities.
Level: Foundational
Course Structure: Online self-paced learning
Cost: Free (without a certification)
Duration: 6 weeks
Certificate: After paying a fees of approximately 60 GBP, you will receive a certificate of completion.
For those who strive to strive to succeed in the competitive world of corporate finance and investment banking, this course is the perfect kickstarter. The programme will help learners familiarise themselves with US accounting standards, learn how to value investment projects, understand the basics of financial modelling while also covering important avenues of mergers and acquisitions. The programme is broken down into a curriculum across 5 weeks, with a mix of in-person and remote-lectures. However, you have the choice of opting for full remote or online delivery as well. The course is well structured for entry level finance professionals, corporate bankers, investment professionals or even those who are undergoing a mid-level career transition.
Advantages:
– Case-based Learning: The programme provides real world examples and case studies for a variety of subject areas ranging in levels of complexity to allow for a wholesome learning experience.
– Build Skills that Count: The programme has several exercises to help you build skills like critical thinking and complex problem solving that are highly actionable.
Level: Foundational
Course Structure: In-person, online or Virtually
Cost: 16,395 USD (Cost varies depending on early booking rates on nyif.com)
Duration: 5 weeks
Certificate: Upon successful completion you will receive 5 certificates for each module completed.
Which is the best banking and finance course for you?
Choosing the course that is ideal for you requires several different elements to be taken into consideration. It depends on your learning goals, needs for convenience, price range, level of education and quality of course content that you seek.
Understanding what are the most pressing goals for you and your organisation to achieve in the near future will be key in choosing the right programme. As the list covers a varied selection of topics from open-banking, digital transformation, conversational AI, business models to corporate finance essentials, having a set goal will help direct your area of focus.
If you are just starting out on building up your knowledge in certain areas of finance from the ground up, the foundational courses will give you the expertise you require to succeed. However, if you are at the stage where you are trying to seek more thorough and high-level education, the intermediate and advanced courses would fit your needs best.
Based on the convenience you seek course choices will differ. If you are looking for something more easily accessible to begin with to start immediately, one of the online courses that are self-paced will be a better choice than in-person learning.
The length of courses also plays an important role in the decision. Short courses will be good for you to quickly brush up on concepts for general awareness, while longer courses will ensure more in-depth understanding of topics that can achieve more action-oriented outcomes in your organisation.
All-in-all, taking every point into consideration will help you make a well informed decision so you are able to take your skills to the next level and develop a successful career.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The Centre for Finance, Technology & Entrepreneurship (CFTE) is a global education platform that aims to equip financial professionals and organisations with the necessary skills to remain competitive in a rapidly changing industry. Our leading training programmes, curated by global industry experts, help talent build skills to join the digital revolution in finance. CFTE’s courses are globally recognised with accreditations from ACT, IBF, CPD, SkillsFuture and ABS.
At CFTE, our mission resonates with every learner’s goals to rapidly advance in their career, to thrive in their next project or even to lead the disruption in finance with their own venture. To help you do this, CFTE gives you the tools you need to master the right skills in digital finance. We bring exclusive insights from leaders that are steering the developments in the financial sphere from global CEOs to disruptive entrepreneurs. With CFTE you don’t just learn what’s in the books, you live the experience by grasping real-world applications.
If you are looking for rich insights into how the Financial Technology arena is transforming from within, we can help you get the latest knowledge that will stir things up in your career. CFTE offers leading online programmes in digital finance, covering an expanse of topics like – Payments, AI, Open Banking, Platforms, Fintech, Intrapreneurship and more, that will help you conquer the financial technology landscape. With this expertise at your disposal, you will be on track to turbocharge your career.
You will be learning from a curated line-up of industry leaders, experts, and entrepreneurs hailing from Fortune 500 companies and Tech Unicorns, among others. They will each be presenting their knowledge and experience in the field of digital finance. No matter if you are embarking on a new journey or fortifying your role, these lecturers and guest experts will guide you through the perspective of established institutions like – Starling Bank, Wells Fargo, tech giants like – Google, IBM, successful startups such as – Kabbage or Plaid, among many more!