Students

AFCP8145 – Advanced Investment Management

2026 – Term 3, Online-scheduled-weekday

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Tano Pelosi
tano.pelosi@mq.edu.au
Aaron Minney
aaron.minney@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MAppFin or GradDipAppFin
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit connects the "Why" to the "How" of investment Management. It applies strategies and techniques employed by successful investment managers for investing to match the required outcomes for these investments, particularly in the accumulation and retirement phases of the superannuation and retirement industry.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Explain the tools and techniques used by industry participants to construct investment portfolios to meet long term objectives.
  • ULO2: Critically evaluate investment management strategies and solutions and their impact on objectives over time.
  • ULO3: Develop and defend recommended investment management strategy solution(s) and judgement(s).

General Assessment Information

Late Submission Penalties (written assessments)

If you submit your assessment late, 5% of the total possible marks will be deducted for each day (including

weekends), up to 7 days. Submissions more than 7 days late will receive a mark of 0.

Example 1 (out of 100):

If you score 85/100 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 5 marks and receive 80/100.

Example 2 (out of 30):

If you score 27/30 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 1.5 marks and receive 25.5/30.

Extensions

Automatic short extension: Some assessments are eligible for automatic short extension. You can only apply

for an automatic short extension before the due date.

 

Special Consideration: If you need more time due to serious issues and for any assessments that are not

eligible for Short Extension, you must apply for Special Consideration. Need help? Review the Special

Consideration page for further details: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/assessment-exams/special-consideration

 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Formal examination 30% No Exam week 7-11 September Individual No Open
Professional practice: Portfolio construction and presentation 35% No 31/07/2026 Individual No Open
Skills development: Life-cycle investment planning 35% No 02/09/2026 Individual No Open

Formal examination

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Exam week 7-11 September
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open

The purpose of this assessment is for you to demonstrate the expertise you have gained in this unit.
 
You will participate in a 2-hour exam held during the University Examination period.
 
Important information about the exam will be made available on the unit iLearn page. You should also review the MQ Exams website for general tips. 
 
Deliverable(s): Formal exam (2hrs)
 
Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain the tools and techniques used by industry participants to construct investment portfolios to meet long term objectives.
  • Critically evaluate investment management strategies and solutions and their impact on objectives over time.
  • Develop and defend recommended investment management strategy solution(s) and judgement(s).

Professional practice: Portfolio construction and presentation

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 31/07/2026
Weighting: 35%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open

The purpose of this assessment is to develop expertise in constructing sophisticated institutional-grade multi-asset portfolios. The assessment will help you develop and apply your quantitative modelling, risk management and data analysis skills.
 
You will analyse a wide array of asset classes and factors, form reasonable return forecasts and construct and optimise a multi-asset portfolio that is in accordance with the objectives and constraints of an institutional client. The results will be provided in a report and accompanied by an "investment committee" style presentation.
 
Skills in focus:
  • Critical thinking and problem solving
  • Collaboration skills
  • Communication skills
  • Digital skills
  • Work readiness
Deliverable(s): Written report [max 2000 words] and recorded presentation
 
Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain the tools and techniques used by industry participants to construct investment portfolios to meet long term objectives.
  • Critically evaluate investment management strategies and solutions and their impact on objectives over time.
  • Develop and defend recommended investment management strategy solution(s) and judgement(s).

Skills development: Life-cycle investment planning

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 02/09/2026
Weighting: 35%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open

The purpose of this assessment is for you to gain expertise in addressing life-cycle investing and an understanding of the key challenges with investing for retirement. You will be applying stochastic modelling and multi portfolio construction tools towards decisions around retirement planning.
 
You will address a series of real-life scenarios applying investment principles used by industry participants to construct investment portfolios to meet long term objectives.
 
Skills in focus:
  • Critical thinking and problem solving
  • Discipline knowledge
Deliverable(s): Submission of assignment
 
Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain the tools and techniques used by industry participants to construct investment portfolios to meet long term objectives.
  • Critically evaluate investment management strategies and solutions and their impact on objectives over time.
  • Develop and defend recommended investment management strategy solution(s) and judgement(s).

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • Academic Success for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

See ilearn

Unit Schedule

Week 0 Overview of Investment Principles - Pre-reading

Week 1: The Investment Management Process

Week 2: Factor Models & Quant Investing

Week 3: Asset Selection & Frontier Asset Classes

Weekend Block Class 1 - Asset Allocation & Portfolio Construction

Week 4: Performance Measurement & Risk Management

Week 5: Institutional Investment & AI

Week 6: Lifecycle Investment Concepts

Week 7: Lifecycle Investment Modelling

Weekend Block Class  2: Case Studies

Week 8: Life Stage Case Studies

Week 9: Retirement Challenge

Week 10: Solutions to Retirement Challenge

Week 11: Exam

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2026.05 of the Handbook