FIN4545 Alternative Investments

4 Advanced Management Credits

This course provides an overview of alternative investments along with several non-traditional investment strategies. It is intended not only for finance and investment professionals, but also for those with an entrepreneurial and disruptor spirit. The course begins with a brief review of traditional investments of publicly traded stocks and bonds along with their limitations and imperfections. Students will then consider alternative investment vehicles such as private equity, venture capital, commodities, income producing real properties, licensing and royalty rights, cryptocurrencies, and social impact investing. We will also consider the move toward ESG investments (environment, social and governance) and their emphasized role in the alternative sphere. Students will analyze case studies involving The Endowment Model for Investing, Fund of Funds, Peer-to-Peer Lending, and Social Impact Investing, culminating in a team based capstone project. The course materials will challenge students to recognize investment anomalies that the marketplace has not recognized. The course will also provide an overview of the material for the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Program (CAIA) professional certification. Students will develop a robust knowledge base for careers in portfolio management, investment product development, compliance, consulting, and risk management.

Prerequisites: SME 2021 or FIN2000

  • Program: Undergraduate
  • Division: Finance
  • Level: Advanced Elective (UGrad),Advanced Management (UGrad)
  • Course Number: FIN4545
  • Number of Credits: 4

QTM3610 Applied Multivariate Statistics

(Formerly QTM2610)
4 Advanced Liberal Arts Credits
This course extends the modeling tools presented in prior statistics courses and focuses on the application and validation of models developed using real data in the context of finance, economics, and marketing research. Examples of applications include modeling the impact of advertising on sales, admission yields for business schools, patterns of voting behavior and a variety of survey data. This course focuses on implementing data analysis techniques using a statistical software package and interpreting the results in a decision-making environment. Emphasis is placed on understanding the limitations of modeling approaches, as well as the diversity of potential applications in business.


Prerequisites: QTM1010

  • Program: Undergraduate
  • Division: Mathematics Analytics Science and Technology
  • Level: Advanced Elective (UGrad),Advanced Liberal Arts (UGrad)
  • Course Number: QTM3610
  • Number of Credits: 4

NST1011: Astrobiology

4 foundation liberal arts credits


Introduction to the new science of astrobiology, study of the origin and evolution of life on Earth, and the search for microbial and intelligent life elsewhere in the Universe. Study of the information necessary to make estimates of the probability of extraterrestrial life, what characteristics it might have and how we might expect to communicate with it if it exists.

Prerequisites: None

  • Program: Undergraduate
  • Division: Mathematics Analytics Science and Technology
  • Level: Foundation Liberal Arts (UGrad)
  • Course Number: NST1011
  • Number of Credits: 4

NST2070 Astrobiology and the Emergence of Complex Systems
4 Intermediate Liberal Arts Credits
The prospects for simple and intelligent life beyond earth are discussed in terms of planetary science, molecular biology, complexity theory, evolution and thermodynamics. Discussions will focus on the processes leading to the emergence of complex systems as well as the biological and physical interdependencies of life and the environment.

Prerequisites: NST10XX

  • Program: Undergraduate
  • Division: Mathematics Analytics Science and Technology
  • Level: Intermediate Liberal Arts (UGrad)
  • Course Number: NST2070
  • Number of Credits: 4

NST1010 Astronomy
4 Credits
The evolution and structure of the universe are explained using underlying basic physical principles along with the historical development of our present understanding. We will explore the instruments and data collection techniques used by astronomers and learn how they can be applied to solve problems in other disciplines.

Prerequisites: None

  • Program: Undergraduate
  • Division: Mathematics Analytics Science and Technology
  • Level: Foundation Liberal Arts (UGrad)
  • Course Number: NST1010
  • Number of Credits: 4

FIN4521 Babson College Fund I
4 General Elective Credits
The Babson College Fund is a two-semester course, where selected students manage a portion of the Babson College endowment. The Babson College Fund Office selects undergraduate and graduate students to be analysts and portfolio managers.

By learning the basics of security analysis and portfolio management, it is hoped that students will be prepared to take jobs in the Investment Management and Investment Banking industries post-graduation.

The Program Director and Executives in Residence are committed to helping this pursuit as much as possible. The course also requires that students refine their networking skills and develop a proficiency in the analytical tools available through the Cutler Center to maximize their employment prospects.

Prerequisites: Program Director (Patrick Gregory) Permission

  • Program: Undergraduate
  • Division: Finance
  • Level: Advanced Elective (UGrad),Advanced Management (UGrad)
  • Course Number: FIN4520
  • Number of Credits: 4

FIN4521 Babson College Fund II
4 General Elective Credits
The Babson College Fund is a two-semester course, where selected students manage a portion of the Babson College endowment. The Babson College Fund Office selects undergraduate and graduate students to be analysts and portfolio managers.

By learning the basics of security analysis and portfolio management, it is hoped that students will be prepared to take jobs in the Investment Management and Investment Banking industries post-graduation.

The Program Director and Executives in Residence are committed to helping this pursuit as much as possible. The course also requires that students refine their networking skills and develop a proficiency in the analytical tools available through the Cutler Center to maximize their employment prospects.

Prerequisites: Program Director (Patrick Gregory) Permission

  • Program: Undergraduate
  • Division: Finance
  • Level: Advanced Elective (UGrad),Advanced Management (UGrad)
  • Course Number: FIN4521
  • Number of Credits: 4

SCN3600: Biomimicry Applying Natures Design for Business

4 advanced liberal arts credits

In this course we will investigate the tools and principles of biomimicry, which seek to sustainably solve current challenges by taking inspiration from how nature solves these same problems. Nature provides us with an incredible amount of research and development for effective problem-solving methodologies with the ultimate test for organisms being survival of the fittest. For the past 3.8 billion years, life has evolved strategies that are constantly integrated and optimized to create conditions conducive for life to continue. Successful examples of biomimicry include something as simple as Velcro (imitating burrs that stick to sheep) to cutting edge advancements like a bionic leaf producing hydrogen fuel from sunlight (imitating photosynthesis) and medical grade internal adhesives (imitating how mussels adhere underwater).

In this course we will begin by exploring design principles in biology, chemistry and physics and applying them to specific technological design strategies by asking questions like "How does nature make color?" and "How does nature water-proof something?" Then we will explore ecological design principles to understand how we can use nature's strategies of interconnectedness and cycling as a way to solve problems in businesses and organizations and move toward the circular economy. This course will emphasize the development of skills in critical thinking, synthesis of information, scientific literacy, hand-on exercises, and current topical issues in biomimicry.

Prerequisites: NST1XXX

  • Program: Undergraduate
  • Division: Mathematics Analytics Science and Technology
  • Level: Advanced Elective (UGrad),Advanced Liberal Arts (UGrad)
  • Course Number: SCN3600
  • Number of Credits: 4

NST2030 Case Studies in Biomedical Science
4 Intermediate Liberal Arts Credits
An in-depth study of the process for developing and commercializing biomedical technologies. The course explores understanding the role of translational research as a foundation for diagnostic and therapeutic products. The mechanisms underlying selected biomedical devices will also be described.

Prerequisites: NST10%

  • Program: Undergraduate
  • Division: Mathematics Analytics Science and Technology
  • Level: Intermediate Liberal Arts (UGrad)
  • Course Number: NST2030
  • Number of Credits: 4

QTM2000 Case Studies in Business Analytics
4 Intermediate Liberal Arts Credits
This course builds on the modeling skills acquired in the QTM core with special emphasis on case studies in Business Analytics - the science of iterative exploration of data that can be used to gain insights and optimize business processes. Data visualization and predictive analytics techniques are used to investigate the relationships between items of interest to improve the understanding of complex managerial models with sometimes large data sets to aid decision-making. These techniques and methods are introduced with widely used commercial statistical packages for data mining and predictive analytics, in the context of real-world applications from diverse business areas such as marketing, finance, and operations. Students will gain exposure to a variety of software packages, including R, the most popular open-source package used by analytics practitioners around the world. Topics covered include advanced methods for data visualization, logistic regression, decision tree learning methods, clustering, and association rules. Case studies draw on examples ranging from database marketing to financial forecasting. This course satisfies one of the core requirements towards the new Business Analytics concentration. It may also be used as an advanced liberal arts elective or an elective in the Quantitative Methods or Statistical Modeling concentrations.

Prerequisites: QTM1010 (or QTM2420)

  • Program: Undergraduate
  • Division: Mathematics Analytics Science and Technology
  • Level: Intermediate Liberal Arts (UGrad)
  • Course Number: QTM2000
  • Number of Credits: 4