Best Finance Classes in Philadelphia

Hearing someone mention they work in Finance can mean a lot of things—the field of Finance generally involves money management either on an individual level or for businesses.

Money can mean investments, savings, budgeting funds, and lending. The incredible piece about Finance is there are many options, so pursuing Finance can provide many opportunities. There are numerous learning opportunities when it comes to learning Finance or skills to enter the Finance world because of how large the field is. Once you determine what you want to do, who you want to manage, and on what scale, the opportunities are practically endless. 

Best Finance Classes & Schools in Philadelphia

Penn Data Science Boot Camp 

The University of Pennsylvania offers various Penn Bootcamps that allow its participants to experience an immersive and supportive learning environment while providing advanced instruction on multiple skills needed to advance in some of the top industries. These programs are typically offered in-person, but there is currently a virtual option due to COVID-19. One bootcamp provided that can be an excellent addition for someone looking to break into the Finance world is the Penn Data Science Boot Camp. This program is 24 weeks long and offered part-time with evening hours to account for professionals currently in the workforce. While this program is aimed at beginners, a range of information will be covered to help you deep dive into the data sciences field. Students can expect to learn about Excel on an intermediate level, learn about fundamental statistics, work with business intelligence software like Tableau, cover various databases including PostgreSQL/pgAdmin and MongoDB, and work with Python 3. Students will also cover topics like data ethics and unsupervised machine learning. There is an application process to be considered for the program. It includes an initial phone interview with an advisor and an assessment that covers problem-solving and critical thinking. The bootcamp offers classes each quarter. 

Financial Analyst Training Program

Noble Desktop offers many great courses, especially if you want to break into the world of Finance. They offer a Financial Analyst Training Program in-person if you are in New York or virtually in a live online classroom. Students should expect to cover great information in this training course. The course is split into three units, and the training curriculum includes Excel Level I: Fundamentals, Excel Level II: Intermediate, and 18 hours of Financial Modeling. Excel Level I: Fundamentals involve learning how to use the different functions to speed up your workflow, turning data into visual charts, adding formatting and other visual effects to your projects, and various tips and tricks to manage workbooks easily. Excel Level II: Intermediate includes using database functions and logical statements, creating Pivot Tables to quickly summarize large databases, developing advanced combo charts from multiple charts, and students will learn how to split and join text. Finally, the Financial Modeling Bootcamp portion covers essential finance and accounting concepts while helping students discover Excel formulas and functions for Finance. This practical training program costs $1,295, and tuition includes one free retake within one year, a digital certificate of completion that can be shared on LinkedIn, supplemental materials to be used during and after the course, and a hands-on learning experience, including projects used to apply course content to real-life scenarios.

Excel—Level 1 

Microsoft Excel is a valuable tool in most industries, even if only for personal tracking and organization. In the Finance world, however, Excel is a commonly used program that most are expected to understand to be successful in their role. Certstaffix offers a Level 1 course to help introduce students to the fundamental concepts of Microsoft Excel. In this one-day class, students can expect to learn how to set up workbooks, enter data, perform calculations, visualize data with charts and grapes, and print worksheets and charts. The course costs $275 and is offered online, where a live instructor teaches it. Excel Level 1 is a beginner-level course, with the only expectation being that students can start programs, switch between programs, locate saved files, close programs, and use their internet browser. Cerstaffix offers Excel—Level 2 and 3 if you want to continue your education after taking the intro course. 

Sales & Trading

Wall Street Prep offers a three-day sales and trading bootcamp to help finance professionals boost their knowledge and skills. It runs live virtually for six hours and covers a wealth of information. Students will leave this course with an understanding of how to use Bloomberg and gain knowledge on bond math, pricing, equity options, and interest rates. The course is taught by an experienced Wall Street trader, meaning students can expect real-world examples and skills instead of traditional academic teaching methods. Day one covers financial markets, economics, and foreign exchange. The day includes exploring how markets are traded, decoding jargon used, and a trading simulation to help test the knowledge gained during the day. Day two discusses the equity market and options theory. Participants will learn how trading stocks and the Wall Street trading floor works here. The course will cover Delta One Markets, Volatility and Options, Convertible Bonds, and Structured Notes. Students will learn about fixed-income fundamentals on the program's final day. An actual bond trader will teach bond math in a simple way that still provides students with the skills required for a job. Students will also discuss proxy hedges and the cost and speed of hedging. Students are expected to be proficient in Excel to be successful in this course. As a result, registration includes access to the Wall Street PRep Excel Crash Course. The virtual bootcamp is $599. 

Philadelphia Industries That Use Finance 

Finance covers many industries, which is particularly helpful when looking for a job. Tech companies often need employees who specialize in Finance, which is excellent because Philadelphia is home to some great tech companies. Companies like Comcast Advertising, City National Bank, ZS, and TransUnion call Philadelphia home. When popular global information companies, a bank with over 5,000 employees, and a digital media company set roots in a city, you can assume plenty of job opportunities will be available. It also helps that the city of Philadelphia announced this year that they will be investing in organizations in the hope of making the city the most diverse tech hub. 

Finance Jobs & Salaries in Philadelphia 

Working in Finance can encompass careers such as financial planning, Corporate Finance, commercial banking, and even real estate. As a Finance Manager in Philadelphia, the average salary is $137,847, with a range falling between $123,369 and $154,404. A Finance Manager, Sr role can earn an average salary of $180,684, typically between $160,579 and 204,422. Remember that in both of these positions, like most, the pay can vary depending on factors such as education, certifications, additional skills, and experience. As far more entry-level positions, you can consider working as a Financial Services Professional for Bankers Life, and several companies have posts for a Financial Analyst with pay ranging from 60,000—85,000. Johnson and Johnson also offers a Summer Intern—Finance MBA Leadership Development Program actively seeking interns. The salary for this position is $50 an hour and offers medical benefits.