Student-managed investment course : a learner-centric approach to investment management

While there has been a rapid growth of business and management schools in India since 1990, the curricula, teaching methods and the mode of delivery largely remain an instructor-led approach overlooking the needs of learners and potential employers. This paper presents a learner-centric investment management course known as Student-Managed Investment Course (hereafter, SMIC). It elucidates the structure, design and implementation of SMIC based on the principles of experiential learning. SMIC has been organised to create a conducive environment for the emergence of varied experiences and encourage reflections among students on the theory and practice of investment finance. The unique feature of the course is real-time exposure to investment activity in the Bombay Stock exchange/National Stock exchange, which helps students observe and grasp the nuances of capital market functioning and to acquire requisite skills for financial decision-making. This document on SMIC has a value in being a useful guide for other business schools in India for adopting a learner-centric approach to investment management.