Gain the tools to begin a personal financial plan and explore careers in investing

Establish a financial literacy foundation and become familiar with the investing landscape
The UCLA Introduction to Investments Summer Institute is a three-week program designed to provide a broad introduction to investments to explore career paths related to investing and gain the tools to begin a personal financial plan- all while earning college credit at one of the top-ranked economics departments in the world.
Students will be provided with a financial literacy foundation to better grasp the investing landscape with a highlight on key concepts and functionality related to money, banking, and personal investment decisions. No previous economic or math background is needed to understand the structure of US and global financial markets, why they exist, and how they impact our daily lives.
Introduction to Investments Summer Institute Program Overview
Students will participate in person at UCLA, experiencing all that our campus has to offer during their summer program.
For participants in the Introduction to Investments Summer Institute, living in on-campus housing is mandatory. The total cost for housing, which includes room, board (two meals per day), student supervision, and evening and weekend activities, is an additional $2,223.
For more information on UCLA housing precollege programs, please see the Housing for Minors page.
The Introduction to Investments Summer Institute awards credit for the following UCLA coursework:
- Economics 4: Introduction to Investments (4 units)
During the Introduction to Investments Summer Institute, students will attend and participate in lectures on economics with a focus on investment options by UCLA faculty, as well as discussion sessions, led by UCLA Economics majors, to share their ideas in smaller group settings.
Students have the chance to apply their knowledge and foundation while analyzing case studies relevant to coursework.
Planned topics will include but are not limited to:
- Financial Markets, how they work and why they exist
- Stock Ownership, bonds, commodities
- The Federal Reserve, Economics cycles
- Financial panics through time
- Valuation Styles and Quantitative analysis
- Personal Investments
- Global Markets, Efficient Markets
- Money, Banking and Cycles
- International Investing
- Other Investment Types
- Venture Capital
- Private Equity and Hedge Funds
- Careers in Finance
- Investing Educational Paths to Prepare for Careers in Finance and Investing
Eligibility
To apply for the Introduction to Investments Summer Institute, students must be enrolled in:
- 14 years of age or older as of June 20, 2022
- Grades 8 – 12 during Spring 2022
Students who do not meet the eligibility requirements will not be considered and are encouraged to explore other opportunities.
Admission
The program has application requirements for admission. Eligible applicants who successfully submit all requirements will be reviewed and notified via email of an admission decision within 3 weeks. See Application Requirements below for details. Early application is strongly encouraged.
Applicants are required to provide the following during the online registration process:
- Copy of most recent academic/grade transcript (unofficial)
- A short essay responding to the following prompt:
- In 250 words or less, tell us about yourself and your learning style. What do you expect to gain and accomplish from this program?
- Proof of English proficiency – Citizens from non-English speaking countries ONLY (Citizens of the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Singapore, and Canada are exempt from English Proficiency requirements):
- TOEFL: Minimum score of 80 (iBT) or 550 (PBT); IELTS – 6.5 or higher;
- iTEP: 5 or higher;
- CEFR/CAE/CPE: Level C1- Grades A, B, and C;
- International Baccalaureate (IB): IB students may submit a transcript or verification of enrollment from their school; OR
- Proof of completion in English as a language course
Applying for the Introduction to Investments Summer Institute can be done conveniently online with the following steps:
- Prepare all “Application Requirements” prior to starting the registration process.
- Access the Summer Institute Online Registration Form starting February 15 at 8am Pacific Standard Time (PST). Read all terms and conditions, then scroll to the bottom and select “Yes, Continue to Registration.”
- Provide responses to all required questions on both pages of the registration form and then “Submit”.
- Once your form is submitted, you will be directed to the Retrieve Registration page. Select “File Uploads” to upload application materials (see Application Requirements above for more information).
- Allow up to two weeks for the program instructor(s) to review your application after submission. An email will be sent to you with the official decision.
- If accepted to the program, follow the steps in your acceptance email to make payment of the $350 non-refundable registration fee* to reserve your space in the program.
A space in the program is not reserved until a valid payment of the $350 non-refundable registration fee* is made. If you are not prepared to pay after submitting the registration form, you may retrieve your registration at another time to make payment; however, this risks losing a space in the program if it reaches capacity prior to payment being submitted. An email with instructions to retrieve registration with your five-digit registration number will be sent within an hour after submitting your registration.
*The registration fee is required for each program and is not refundable under any circumstances including, but not limited to, drop for non-payment and withdrawal, even if you withdraw from the program before it begins.
If the program is full, you will not be prompted to make payment. If the program offers a waitlist and your application is accepted from the waitlist, you will be notified by email with instructions for how to submit payment. Please note if the payment is not submitted within 24 hours of receiving the email, you will be moved to the end of the waitlist.
If registering after May 1, full payment of the program fee and non-refundable registration fee will be required to reserve your space in the program. Additional fees, such as the document fee and IEI fees, will be assessed after enrollment.
For questions and assistance, please contact us at info@summer.ucla.edu.
UCLA Summer Sessions Summer Scholars Support
Qualified students attending grades 8th – 11th in Spring 2022 in the state of California may be eligible for Summer Scholars Support, a need- and merit-based scholarship offered by the UCLA Summer Sessions Office. A limited number of full and partial scholarships are available to support enrollment in SCIP/eSCIP, one Summer Course, or a Precollege Summer Institute.
Summer 2022 deadline to apply: April 1.
Program Dates:
June 20, 2022 – July 9, 2022
The schedule and syllabus are subject to change. Enrolled students will be given updated materials closer to the program start date.
Fees and Payment Info
The program fee includes the unit fees for the UCLA coursework offered as part of the program and thus varies by UC student status. In addition to the program fee, students are assessed other campus and administrative fees during the summer. This is a summary of fees that commonly apply to the selected student type.
Actual tuition and fees are subject to change by the University of California. Visit the fees, payment, and financial aid section for important disclaimer, as well as more details on fees, payment instructions, and information on delinquency, refunds, and financial aid.
**MANDATORY HOUSING FEE** = $2,223
Students living in on-campus housing will be charged an additional housing fee.
Program Fee | $1,550 |
Registration Fee | $350 |
IEI Fee | $61 |
Document Fee (for first-time Summer Sessions students) | $50 |
Meet your instructors
Dr. Patrick Convery
Assistant Adjunct ProfessorDr. Patrick Convery teaches econometrics for undergraduates and MAE students. He also teaches corporate finance and mathematical finance as well as an MAE elective in applied big data. In all his teachings, he emphasizes a fundamental and intuitive understanding of core principals along with an understanding of applications to the real world. His research leverages his academic and applied background in data science and statistical signal processing with applications to understanding and forecasting financial and energy markets. He also has a passion for value investing.

Introduction to Investments Summer Institute FAQ
Students are expected to complete approximately 0.5-1.0 hour of homework per day with mostly reading. Class discussion is an important component in this program. To be an active participant (asking and answering questions, stating your perspective, etc…) you need to be prepared by completing assigned readings each day for the next day’s discussions.
No.
Students will be provided with a broad introduction to financial concepts and career paths in finance. This program is useful for those that want to increase their financial literacy and gain the tools needed to begin a personal financial plan.
Students will receive a Pass/No Pass (P/NP) upon completion. To receive a “Pass” notation, students must earn a letter grade of C or better. See University Credit, Grades and Transcripts for more information about academic credit.
Still have questions? Check out the general Summer Institutes FAQ.