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This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.
This unit explores the dynamic and increasingly vital field of alternative investments, encompassing hedge funds, private capital, real estate, infrastructure, natural resources, commodities, and emerging digital assets. Students will gain a deep understanding of the structures, strategies, and performance characteristics unique to these asset classes, along with the analytical tools required to evaluate their role in diversified portfolios. As institutional and high-net-worth investors continue to shift capital toward alternatives in search of higher returns, diversification, and inflation protection, this knowledge has become indispensable for finance professionals. The unit equips students with the practical and theoretical foundation to navigate complex investment environments and respond to the evolving demands of global capital markets.
Students must have completed 120 credit points in L98
On completion of this unit students should be able to:
Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS
For more information see the Semester Timetable
Students will engage in learning experiences via ECU’s LMS as well as additional ECU learning technologies
Students may need to utilise financial market databases to access market data in real-time and/or to conduct appropriate research for assessment tasks.
GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units
Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.
| Type | Description | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Poster | Research-based poster | 20% |
| Case Study | Alternative investment portfolio analysis and evaluation | 40% |
| Examination | Exam | 40% |
| Type | Description | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Poster | Research-based poster | 20% |
| Case Study | Alternative investment portfolio analysis | 40% |
| Examination | Exam | 40% |
For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.
Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.
Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.
Breaches of academic integrity can include:
Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).
Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).
Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.
Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.
Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.
ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.
All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.
In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.
Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.
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