Wharton Investment Courses

The International Foundation’s longstanding relationship with the Wharton School brings prestige and excellence in education to you. Spanning over 30 years, the alliance has resulted in the distinguished CEBS designation as well as high-quality investment courses.

The Wharton School, founded in 1881 as the first collegiate business school, is recognized globally for intellectual leadership and ongoing innovation across every major discipline of business education. As the most comprehensive source of business knowledge in the world, Wharton bridges research and practice through its broad engagement with the global business community.

Formed through in-depth, groundbreaking academic research and extensive industry experience, Wharton executive education programs offer a supportive and challenging context in which participants gain the skills necessary for their next level of executive development. Wharton’s Aresty Institute of Executive Education serves up to 8,000 mid- to senior-level executives annually.

Through partnership programs, International Foundation members have the opportunity to engage with faculty who are the most cited, most published faculty of all top-tier business schools.  With a profound influence upon global business, Wharton faculty members are the sought-after, trusted advisors of corporations and governments worldwide.

Who Should Attend

While there are no formal prerequisites for these courses, those without prior knowledge of fundamental investment topics will most likely find the specialty courses too difficult and are encouraged to register for the more basic Portfolio Concepts and Management program offered yearly at Wharton’s Philadelphia campus.


The Learning Environments

The Wharton School - University of Pennsylvania
Steinberg Executive Conference Center
255 South 38th Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6359

Classes are held at the Steinberg Executive Conference Center on the University of Pennsylvania campus. Lecture rooms offer a state-of-the-art, comfortable environment conducive to adult learning. Breakout rooms allow for small group discussion. Direct interaction with faculty is encouraged and aided by the limited class size.

Wharton San Francisco
Hills Bros. Building
2 Harrison Street
San Francisco, CA 94105

Classes are held in a state-of-the-art educational facility designed to facilitate the learning style that Wharton has pioneered. Wharton San Francisco is conveniently located in San Francisco’s business and financial district, in the historic Hills Brothers Building. Programs at Wharton San Francisco draw their faculty and courses from the same world-renowned resources available at Wharton’s Philadelphia campus.

Download the Brochure

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CEBS Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS)

Since the inception of CEBS in 1977, the International Foundation has been privileged to partner with the Wharton School. This unique partnership distinguishes CEBS and its university-based curriculum from other total compensation designations. In its partnership role, the Foundation is responsible for program administration and the Wharton School is responsible for all academic standards including curriculum design and examinations.

Investments Management Education

Held annually at Wharton campuses, select investment management courses are offered to International Foundation member trustees and other benefit professionals with varying levels of knowledge and experience.  Wharton’s skilled educators and researchers, award-winning authors and leading authorities in the investment management field teach and/or oversee the curriculum of the investment courses.

2012 Offerings

Portfolio Concepts and Management

May 21-24, 2012
Philadelphia, PA
This course lays the groundwork for the basic principles of portfolio theory and investment performance measurement, offering the practical tools and experiences needed to make better investment management decisions. It is intended for those who have little experience with investment-related course work.

Hedge Funds, Real Estate and Other Alternative Investments

July 16-18, 2012
Wharton San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
The curriculum provides practical education to help you determine the fine distinctions in the arena of alternative investments.


For course content call Tiffany Ulbing at (262) 373-7652; or e-mail tiffanyu@ifebp.org.