With the growth of impact investing, there has been increasing demand for education on how to implement impact investing strategies. Online courses provide a flexible and cost-effective way to learn the fundamentals. The best online impact investing courses cover topics like impact measurement, portfolio construction, deal sourcing, due diligence, and exiting investments. Leading business schools and organizations now offer impact investing courses on platforms like Coursera, EdX, and FutureLearn. When selecting a course, it’s important to consider the instructor expertise, interactive components like projects and feedback, and opportunities to network with peers. Some top options provide certification upon completion. By taking an online course, investors, entrepreneurs, and job seekers can gain valuable skills to advance their impact investing careers.
Wharton’s impact investing specialization stands out for curriculum breadth
The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School offers a 4-course specialization on Coursera covering impact measurement and management, portfolio construction, innovative financing structures, and practitioner perspectives that provide real-world context. Learners explore investor motivations, emerging business models, and case studies across sectors. The capstone project entails building an impact investing portfolio. Wharton provides exceptional thought leadership in this space. The curriculum breadth and professor expertise make this program a top choice.
Berkeley Haas course focuses on impact entrepreneurship
UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business offers an edX course on founding, funding, and scaling high-impact enterprises. The four-week program developed by Professor Laura Tyson covers strategies for aligning financial and social goals, measuring impact, and engaging stakeholders. Learners review business model examples and gain skills for pitching impact ventures. The course is geared toward entrepreneurs but also suits investors exploring early-stage deals.
Harvard course emphasizes real-world projects and feedback
Harvard Business School offers an online program called Impact Investing for the Next Generation on HBX. Students learn from faculty as well as guest lecturers working across sectors worldwide. The six-week program includes live sessions, interactive projects, and personalized feedback focusing on topics like theory of change and term sheets. Participants build skills while contributing to actual initiatives at HBS’s Social Enterprise Initiative. The program issues a credential from Harvard upon completion.
Cambridge course provides certification for professionals
For a comprehensive certification program, Cambridge Judge Business School offers an online Diploma in Impact Investing on FutureLearn. The five-course sequence is taught by Professor Gunnar Beck and other faculty experts. Learners explore deal sourcing, due diligence, portfolio management, and exit strategies while working on real case studies. Graduates earn a diploma endorsed by Cambridge to validate their impact investing capabilities, which can provide a competitive edge in the job market.
The best online impact investing courses help build hard and soft skills for implementing effective strategies across asset classes. Wharton, Berkeley, Harvard, Cambridge, and other top providers offer dynamic curricula blending academic expertise, practitioner insights, interactive projects, and networking. Learners can earn credentials to advance their impact investing careers.