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Undergraduate honors students in the Department of Finance can gain hands-on experience managing a real investment portfolio set up just as one would be in the business marketplace. The Undergraduate Student Investment Management Fund (SIM Fund) is a value-added benefit of being a finance bachelor’s degree candidate in the honors program* at Arizona State University, and a companion to the successful W. P. Carey MBA Investment Management Fund. The program is directed by Professor of Finance Herbert Kaufman.
The fund is presented in a course involving a full academic year commitment, with two credits earned in the fall semester and one in the spring semester. Students are assigned specific management responsibilities such as trend analysis, strategy development, and formulation of key indexes for gauging fund performance. This course requires initiative and dedication, and provides the return of real-world experience.
Fund Advisory Board Presentations
A Fund Advisory Board composed of investment professionals oversees the fund, and twice a year the students involved present to this board reports that include rationale for fund decisions and management, and fund performance. Here are links to full presentations for the 2008-2009 academic year reports, as well as a compilation of return information for 2006-2008:
How to Get Involved*
Each year, four to six undergraduate students become engaged in the Undergraduate SIM Fund team. Students must apply to join. Generally, undergraduate honors finance students who will have earned senior status by the fall of enrollment are eligible for consideration. Applications may be submitted for spring 2010 before November 23rd, 2009. No late applications will be accepted. Interested students should e-mail the following application materials to Jeanne Elliott at jeanne.elliott@asu.edu with the subject line SIM Fund Application:
- Resume
- Unofficial transcript
- 1-2 page statement to include the following:
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- Brief statement of candidate’s career goals and interest in fund involvement
- Half-page summary of current economic conditions
- Half-page summary of a stock the candidate would pitch to buy today
- Summary of candidate’s academic and professional background that indicates what the person would contribute to the fund
Applications will be reviewed by the fund director and current fund members.
Contact Information
Regarding questions, please contact Professor Herb Kaufman at herbert.kaufman@asu.edu, or the current Undergraduate Fund Manager, Jesse Mayfield at jesse.mayfield@asu.edu.
*NOTE: Interested students should continue to monitor this Web site for any alterations to qualifications and/or requirements prior to submitting their applications.
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W. P. Carey Undergraduates Excel in Stock Market Challenge
Undergraduate Student Investment Fund students recently competed in the UMB Bank Stock Market Challenge, a Junior Achievement event. Teams were given $500,000 of virtual cash to purchase stock in simulated companies during 60 mock trading days. Teams competed to create the highest net worth during the trading period.
W. P. Carey students turned $500,000 of initial capital into over $6,000,000 - a 1,100 percent return. The team excelled placing first out of 39 teams, outpacing the teams of several banks, law and investment firms.
“This fund gives our top undergrads real investment management experience that they can add to their resumes and continue using once they become finance professionals.”
--Jeff Coles
Chair, Department of Finance
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