Projects That Actually Matter
Our students don't just complete assignments. They build financial tools, analyze real market data, and create solutions that people might actually use. Because learning finance means doing finance, not just reading about it.
What Makes These Projects Different
Most educational projects feel disconnected from reality. Ours don't. Students work with actual market conditions, messy data sets, and the kind of problems you'd face in an entry-level finance role.
We started asking: what would a hiring manager want to see? Then we built projects around those answers. The result is work that demonstrates practical capability instead of just theoretical knowledge.
- Work with real financial data from public sources
- Build tools that solve specific budgeting or analysis problems
- Present findings the way you would to stakeholders
- Collaborate with peers on multi-week initiatives
- Receive detailed feedback from professionals in the field
Recent Student Work
Here's what students completed during our winter 2025 session. Each project took between six and nine weeks and required combining multiple skills.
Investment Portfolio Tracker
Built a spreadsheet-based system to monitor portfolio performance across different asset classes. Included automatic risk calculations and rebalancing recommendations.
Personal Budget Planner
Created a customizable budgeting tool with expense categorization and monthly trend analysis. Helped identify spending patterns and set realistic savings targets.
Cash Flow Forecasting Model
Developed a small business cash flow projection tool using historical data. Included scenario planning for different revenue and expense situations.
Loan Comparison Calculator
Built a tool to compare different loan options side-by-side. Showed total interest paid, monthly payments, and break-even points for refinancing decisions.
Rent vs. Buy Analysis Tool
Created a detailed comparison showing financial implications of renting versus buying property. Factored in maintenance, taxes, opportunity cost, and market appreciation.
Retirement Savings Simulator
Designed a planning tool that projects retirement savings based on current contributions, expected returns, and inflation. Included visual timelines and adjustment scenarios.
How Projects Actually Unfold
Every project follows a similar rhythm. Here's what the typical experience looks like over eight weeks.
Project Selection & Planning
Students choose from several project options based on their interests and career direction. We spend the first week outlining scope, defining deliverables, and identifying what success looks like. This phase includes researching similar tools and understanding user needs.
Data Collection & Structure
The second and third weeks focus on gathering appropriate data sources and building the foundational structure. Students learn where to find reliable financial information and how to organize it for analysis. This often involves cleaning messy data and making practical decisions about what to include.
Building Core Functionality
Weeks four through six are spent creating the actual tool or analysis. This is where technical skills meet financial knowledge. Students write formulas, build dashboards, and test their work with different scenarios. Regular check-ins help catch issues early.
Testing & Refinement
Week seven involves thorough testing with different inputs and edge cases. Students swap projects with peers to get fresh perspectives. This reveals gaps in logic, unclear instructions, or assumptions that don't hold up under scrutiny.
Presentation & Documentation
The final week focuses on presenting the work clearly. Students create documentation that explains their approach, document assumptions, and demonstrate how to use what they built. They present to the group and receive feedback on both technical execution and communication.
What You Walk Away With
Completing one of these projects means you have something concrete to show prospective employers or clients. More importantly, you've dealt with the kind of challenges that come up in actual finance work.
Our next cohort starts in September 2026. Applications open in July.
View Learning ProgramPortfolio Material
Work samples you can actually share during interviews that demonstrate practical capability beyond coursework.
Technical Skills
Experience with spreadsheet modeling, data analysis, and financial calculations applied to real problems.
Communication Practice
Multiple opportunities to explain financial concepts clearly to others who may not share your technical background.
Peer Feedback
Regular input from others working on similar challenges, which helps identify blind spots and alternative approaches.