Become well-versed in the financial investments and strategies of land, agriculture, and alternative assets with just two semesters of online coursework.
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Quick Facts: 

Credential Type: Graduate Certificate 

Credential Cost: $9,060 (Rate for 2024)

Delivery Format: 100% Online

Eligibility: Learners with a bachelor’s degree

Program Length: 12 credit hours (Complete in as little as 2 semesters)

 Enrollment: Anytime

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A young woman attentively listens during a meeting, holding a pen and notepad, while seated across from another person.

Certificate Description

This online graduate certificate is for early- to mid-career professionals aiming to deepen their knowledge and expertise in alternative investments and financial planning.

The program offers comprehensive courses that provide insights into cost structures, compensation, and wealth management strategies through theoretical and practical applications. 

You will analyze the intricacies of financial planning across the consumer lifecycle, emphasizing the role of alternative investments, acquire a comprehensive understanding of alternative investment strategies, and examine essential tax strategies specific to investing in land, agriculture, and alternative assets.

Skills You Will Learn

Upon completing this certificate, you will: 

  • Describe the types and uses of alternative investments.
  • Explore the significance of alternative investments in the financial market.
  • Examine basic regulatory frameworks of governance.
  • Analyze the intricacies of financial planning across the consumer lifecycle emphasizing the role of alternative investments. 
  • Acquire a comprehensive understanding of alternative investment strategies.
  • Develop due diligence frameworks for successful investment decisions.

Course Details

The Land, Agriculture and Alternative Investing Certificate is a 12-credit hour program, consisting of three credit-bearing graduate courses and six Coursera components.

To earn this certificate, you'll complete the following: 

  • Graduate course: ACE 580 – Taxation and Regulation of Alternative Investments 
    • Students will gain a thorough understanding of alternative investments, encompassing regulations, taxation, specific investments, compliance, and reporting obligations. Students will explore these investments in financial markets and gain insights into related regulations. Other course topics include taxation, planning, compliance, reporting, due diligence, anti-money laundering rules, and investor protection in alternative investments.
  • Graduate course: ACE 581 – Financial Lifecycles and Alternative Investments 
    • Students will examine financial planning throughout the consumer lifecycle with a focus on alternative investments. Topics include wealth management, retirement plans, wealth accumulation phases, and generational wealth transfer. Through hands-on activities and engaging discussions, learners will gain knowledge of asset allocation, tax considerations, and wealth management strategies for incorporating alternative investments.
  • Graduate course: ACE 582 – Theory and Portfolio Dynamics of Alternative Investments  
    • Finance professionals and investors will examine alternative investment strategies, discuss modern portfolio theory's history and impact, and explore analysis concepts and asset classes. Students will construct portfolios using optimization techniques, discuss tax-efficient strategies, and evaluate alternative investments in institutional and consumer portfolios to develop due diligence frameworks for informed investment decisions.
      • Coursera Components:
        • ​​​​Taxation of Land and Alternative Investments (Coming soon!) 
        • Regulation of Land and Alternative Investments (Coming soon!) 

Read course descriptions in the ACE Academic Catalog.

Network with Industry Experts

Land & Everything Else Podcast logo

Clinical Associate Professor Dr. Craig Lemoine and ACE Instructor Ailie Elmore host the Land & Everything Else Podcast, where they demystify the world of alternative investments. 

Here, academics and industry professionals meet to help you understand ag-focused economic topics.

Insights from the podcast help influence content within the Coursera sections of the class, ensuring you learn real-world applications of strategies for current markets.

Expert appearances include:

ACE 580a: 

Module 1  

    • Craig and Derek, Significance of AI in the Financial Market 

Module 2 

    • Jeremy and Ailie, Private Equity  
    • Craig and Ilya, Private Debt 
    • Craig and Derek, Hedge Fund Strategies  
    • Craig and Tyrone Ross Jr., Virtual Currency
    • Steve and Craig, Investigate land as Investment
    • John Breen, University of Illinois and RSM US LLP
    • Ailie Elmore, University of Illinois
    • Donovan Sanchez, University of Illinois

ACE 580b: 

Module 2 

    • Craig & Iyla, Alt in the Regulatory Space

Module 3 

    • Steve and Ailie, Navigating Investing in Land
    • Craig and Derek, Hedge Funds
    • Craig and Iyla, Conversations around Alts, Alts and Business Owners
    • Craig and Makenzie, Alts with Younger Clients
    • Craig and Joe, Commodities and Derivatives

How to Enroll

Applying for this certificate

To apply for a graduate certificate program, you'll need to start an online application through the University of Illinois Graduate College. 

The following items are required for your application:

  • Bachelor’s degree: Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. A grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (A=4.0), or comparable GPA for an international applicant, for the last two years of undergraduate study is a minimum requirement for admission
  • Professional resume: This should include personal information (name, address, telephone number, and email address), academic background, work experience (start and end dates for each position and a brief description of responsibilities), educational training, professional associations, and leadership experiences. Please limit your resume to two pages.
  • English proficiency scores (international students only): If you are a non-native English speaker, you must upload your TOEFL or IELTS scores directly to your application. Review the Graduate College’s English proficiency requirements for more details on possible exemptions.

Apply as a certificate student

Applying as a non-degree student

If you're only interested in a specific course or unsure if you want to pursue a certificate right now, you can enroll as a non-degree student.

Being a non-degree student allows you to enroll in a for-credit course, complete it, and apply those graduate credits towards a certificate or degree at a later time.

This route offers flexibility as you choose which courses interest you and customize your education to fit your schedule.

Apply as a non-degree student

Accelerate Your Career

Invest in yourself with an adaptable, cost-effective education to help you succeed. 

At ACES, we design our online programs to meet you where you are and take you to where you want to be.

World-Class Faculty

Meet your instructors
Craig Lemoine

Craig Lemoine, PhD, CFP, MRFC

Clinical Associate Professor / Director, Financial Planning Program and Ag Focused Financial Planning Program

Dr. Lemoine is the Director of the Financial Planning Program at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He serves as an Associate Clinical Professor, teaching risk management, retirement, and financial planning courses. Craig earned his PhD from Texas Tech University in 2013 and holds the Certified Financial Planner ™ and Master Registered Financial Consultant™ designations.

Craig is the Executive Director of the Academy for Home Equity in Financial Planning and vice-chairman of the Master Registered Financial Consultant Board. He is working with his team to develop specialized content in agriculture-focused financial planning. Previously, Craig served on and chaired the CFP® Council of Examination (2009-2014) and was the Executive Director of the Northwestern Mutual Granum Center for Financial at The American College of Financial Services in Bryn Mawr, PA.

Before joining the University of Illinois in 2017, Craig championed CFP® education at The American College and helped develop financial planning, retirement, and risk management curricula across certificate, undergraduate, and graduate programs. While at The American College (2008 – 2017), Craig had the opportunity to help create and teach in the RICP®, ChFC®, CLU®, and WMCP® designations. His research on annuitization and the value of financial designations has been published in The Journal of Financial Planning and the Journal of Financial Service Professionals.

Craig was a founding partner of Lone Star Financial Education (2012 – 2019), a CFP® Review Company that is now part of Dalton Education. Craig continues to speak and consult within the financial services industry in risk management, planning in the LGBT+ community, fiduciary standards of care, and technological disruption.

Craig lives in Champaign, Illinois, and primarily focuses on building a world-class financial planning program. He enjoys spending time with his family, reading science fiction, running, and gardening.

John Breen

John Breen

Instructor / Senior Tax Director at RSM US LLP

John Breen is an instructor in the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. He teaches ACE 346, a tax class designed predominantly for financial planning and ag accounting students. John began his teaching career in 2013.

In addition to his academic duties, he is employed full-time as a senior director with RSM, the fifth-largest accounting firm in the United States. John provides tax accounting and consulting services for small businesses, with about half of his clients being family farmers and ag-related businesses. He recently celebrated his 30th anniversary with RSM in the Champaign, Illinois office.

John grew up on a family farm in Southwest Champaign County, Illinois, and has several relatives still farming and in other agriculture-related businesses. He also spent four years with Cargill as a Financial Team Leader in Central Illinois.

Ready to start the certificate?

Apply now

FAQ

Who should pursue this certificate?

The Land, Agriculture and Alternative Investing Certificate is in high demand for:

  • Certified Financial Planner Professionals (CFP(R) Professionals)
  • Chartered Financial Consultants (ChFC Professionals)
  • Chartered Financial Analysts Charter holders
  • Insurance agents 
  • Agents of Broker-Dealers
  • Investment Advisors 
  • Bankers
  • Lenders
  • Credit Union Employees
  • Researchers and Educators of Wealth Management 
  • Financial Planning and Financial Portfolio Managers working with land, agriculture, and alternative asset classes

What is the ACES Online Learning Experience like?

ACES Online offers a clear path for graduate-level learners. Move from Coursera (open learning components) to For-Credit Graduate Courses (credit-bearing) to Certificate Completion.

Coursera (non-credit open learning components)

The College of ACES develops Coursera open learning components that are open to anyone and are available on Coursera. These courses serve as the foundational content for our graduate certificate programs.

While completion of the Coursera components is required to complete the for-credit graduate courses, please note that Coursera completion alone is not credit-bearing.

You can begin your learning journey at your own pace at any time by starting with one or more Coursera components. These low-cost entry points allow you to gain foundational knowledge necessary for the certificate courses. If you're not ready to commit to a full graduate certificate, these courses provide a flexible, accessible, and affordable entry point.

For-Credit Graduate Courses

You can complete Coursera components either before or concurrently with graduate course enrollment. The graduate courses build on the foundational content from the Coursera components and include high-engagement features such as:

  • Weekly Live Sessions: Participate in real-time interactions with instructors and peers. Recordings are available for those who cannot attend live.
  • Assessments: Regular assessments help reinforce learning and track your progress.
  • Group Projects: Collaborate with fellow students on practical projects.
  • Office Hours: Weekly office hours offer direct access to instructors for additional support and clarification.

The for-credit graduate courses are hosted on Canvas, providing an interactive and supportive learning environment.

Certificate Completion

You earn a graduate certificate by completing the graduate credit courses. This certificate signifies mastery of the subject matter and can be a significant step towards further academic or professional goals.

Each certificate page will list and link the relevant Coursera courses required for that certificate, ensuring you have direct access to the necessary Coursera components.

This structured approach allows you to start with non-credit Coursera components, build on that knowledge with for-credit courses on Canvas, and ultimately earn your graduate certificate.

What is a Coursera Component?

  • Open learning, affordable, flexible, and accessible online course
  • Self-directed and self-paced
  • Non-credit
  • On-demand, start anytime
  • Provides foundational knowledge for a corresponding for-credit graduate course

What is a for-credit Graduate Course?

  • For-credit graduate courses count towards your pursuit of a graduate certificate
  • Enroll as a non-degree student to explore a variety of degree programs
  • Start at various times in Spring, Summer, or Fall

What is a Graduate Certificate?

  • 12-credit hours, comprised of 3 to 4 graduate courses
  • Designed around specific skills and competencies
  • Earn a transferable certificate that can be stacked toward a master’s degree

What is an Online Master's Degree?

  • 32 to 36 credit hours
  • Flexible and adaptable to fit your schedule
  • 100% Online
  • Features the same rigor and faculty you would have in the on-campus program
  • Applications are accepted throughout the year
  • Begin in the Spring, Summer, or Fall

Is this certificate applicable to other University of Illinois programs?

Students who have completed this certificate may use the certificate courses to satisfy the following degree requirements, provided they apply and are admitted to the degree program:

  • 12 hours of Field Specialization coursework requirements of the Agricultural and Applied Economics, MAAE degree program

Have more questions?

Email us at acesonline@illinois.edu or call 217-265-4194

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