Money, Financial Institutions, and Markets

Harvard Summer School

ECON S-1452

Section 1

CRN 31138

Begin Registration

This course presents a moderately advanced overview of concepts and techniques in the fields of money, banking, and finance. It examines the agents, instruments, and institutions that make up the financial system of the modern economy, such as bonds, the stock market, derivatives, and the money market, including the role of banks in deposit and credit creation. Along the way, standard concepts and tools of financial analysis are covered, including the risk-return tradeoff (Sharpe ratio), the capital asset pricing model (CAPM), option pricing theory, and the efficient market hypothesis (EMH) and its alternatives.

Credits: 4

Term

Summer Term 2026

Part of Term

Full Term

Format

Flexible Attendance Web Conference

Credit Status

Graduate, Noncredit, Undergraduate

Section Status

Open

Instructor Info

Bruce D. Watson, MA

Master Lecturer on Economics, Boston University and Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University

Meeting Info

MW 6:30pm - 9:30pm (6/22 - 8/7)

Participation Option: Online Asynchronous or Online Synchronous

Deadlines

Last day to register:

Additional Time Commitments

Optional sections to be arranged.

Prerequisites

College-level algebra and basic statistics.

Notes

This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. See minimum technology requirements. Open to admitted Secondary School Program students by petition. Harvard College students: This course is eligible for degree credit, but see important policy information.

Tuition

All Sections of this Course

CRN	Section #	Participation Option(s)	Instructor	Section Status	Meets	Term Dates
31138	1	Online Asynchronous, Online Synchronous	Bruce Watson	Open	MW 6:30pm - 9:30pm	Jun 21 to Aug 6