Stanford Launches Free Public Online Course

Stanford Graduate School of Business has launched a free, self-paced online course open to anyone called “Stocks and Bonds: Risks and Returns”. The course focuses on the finance fundamentals behind stocks and bonds, as well as how to make smart decisions as an investor. Finance Professor Joshua Rauh will lead the class.

The content covered by Rauh during the course will include an overview of the bond market, with special attention to corporate and municipal bonds; interest rates and their impact on the valuation of treasury bonds; the fundamentals of the stock market; and an analysis of how to make smart decisions as an investor.

The course will be useful to individual investors, as well as those considering a career in finance or individuals interested in how financial markets work.

Key financial concepts will be introduced through short lecture videos, followed by practice exercises to reinforce them. Altogether, the course consists of five sections, each of which contains approximately 45 minutes of video content and one to two hours of practice exercises.

Because this is a self-paced course, participants can take as much time as necessary to complete the work. Finally, a recorded panel discussion featuring Nobel Prize-winning economist William Sharpe will delve into greater detail about asset management.

This massive open online course is part of a larger Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) initiative to use technology to extend its expertise beyond its physical campus, as well as enhance the on-campus learning experience.

There are no formal prerequisites, but students will ideally have had some exposure to college-level courses in economics or finance. Prospective participants may find more information, including a video overview, and register for the course online.

regions: San Francisco

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