Build a practical understanding of how hedge funds operate, invest, and manage risk. Designed for intermediate learners, this course helps finance students, junior analysts, and aspiring portfolio managers develop the skills to analyze hedge fund strategies and evaluate investment performance.

Explore strategies ranging from long/short equity and merger arbitrage to statistical arbitrage and managed futures. Learn how each approach seeks to generate returns, the risks it carries, and how to assess performance using metrics such as alpha, beta, the Sharpe ratio, and drawdowns.

Go beyond investment strategies to examine the business of running a hedge fund, including capital raising, prime brokerage relationships, and regulatory compliance.

Through real-world case studies and practical projects, you’ll apply your knowledge to assess fund managers and make informed investment decisions.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Explain hedge fund structures, key participants, and the industry’s operating environment.
• Compare major hedge fund strategies and assess their applications and risks.
• Evaluate fund performance using key return and risk metrics.
• Explain how risk management supports hedge fund investment decisions and operations.
• Identify key operational, legal, and compliance considerations.
• Apply your knowledge through practical assessments and projects that reflect hedge fund decision-making.