Commodities are important markets for business professionals to understand, whether they are interested in investment, risk management, trading, supply chain or geopolitics and global economics.  The J.P. Morgan Center for Commodities (JPMCC) at the Business School at the University of Colorado Denver, offers a commodities specialization certificate to both undergraduate and graduate levels students.  Through this specialization certificate, students learn to navigate commodity markets and broaden their financial acumen.

Our students network with industry executives and have opportunities for internships as well as shadowing days and field trips. Upon completing the Specialization in Commodities Certificate, our graduates are prepared to enter and advance their careers, with sharpened skills, vigor and understanding of changing global markets.

Academic Offerings
The J.P. Morgan Center for Commodities offers two classes in the Fall semester and two in the Spring semeseter.

CMDT 1000: Introduction to Commodites This course will expose undergraduate students to the business side of commodity markets – energy, minerals and agriculture. Students will learn about potential career options in commodities, such as risk management, supply chain, trading, and investment. They will become acquainted with the Commodities Center computer lab and relevant financial software including Bloomberg, Morningstar, and CQG through live demos. This class will have the opportunity to meet and interact with guest speakers and industry executives in the commodity field.

Prior to being named the Executive Director of the J.P. Morgan Center for Commodities at the University of Colorado Denver Business School, Dr. Thomas Brady was the Chief Economist at Newmont Mining Corporation where he was responsible for generating key commodity price, foreign exchange and other financial assumptions used throughout the company. In this role, Dr. Brady also developed methods to effectively quantify and communicate the economic impact of Newmont’s operations to host communities and countries. Prior to this position, Dr. Brady led Newmont’s Strategic Planning function that developed and implemented portfolio modeling analytics. Before Newmont, Dr. Brady was a Senior Manager at Risk Capital Management, a consultancy that advised energy and natural resource companies on financial risk, valuation and commodity hedging. He has also worked with CQG, Inc. where he developed a suite of automated trading systems for commodity futures contracts using the company’s short-term, price and volume charting methods. Dr. Brady is also a member of the J.P. Morgan Center for Commodities’ Research Council at the University of Colorado Denver Business School. He holds a Ph.D. in Mineral Economics with research emphases in commodity markets from the Colorado School of Mines. In addition, Dr. Brady holds a Master’s degree in Mathematics, also from the Colorado School of Mines.

CMDT 6802: Foundations of Commodities This course introduces students to the physical aspects of commodities and connects them to the financial markets in which commodities are traded.  Fundamental concepts and terminology necessary for understanding commodity production, transportation, economics, financial analysis and marketing are described, in addition to the production and market structure knowledge needed to be successful professional participants in commodity trading capacities.  The course also serves as a foundation for more focused education in the specific commodity sectors, as well as the applied use of marketing and financial trading concepts learned in other courses.

Mr. Lance Titus serves as Managing Director of Business Development, Origination and Structured Transactions at Uniper Global Commodities. He has over twenty years of commodities trading, structuring and risk management experience. Having held senior leadership roles from Wall Street to the energy industry, working for an investment bank, as well as for leading utilities, unregulated entities and merchant energy firms. He has transacted over $15 Billion in deals across the energy and environmental commodity markets with a sector focus in electricity, natural gas, renewables, carbon and emissions. Mr. Titus has been a featured panelist at Bloomberg's "The Future of Energy Summit" in New York, and also serves as an adjunct professor for the course, "Foundations of Commodities" at the University of Colorado Denver. Mr. Titus holds an MBA from the University of Denver, Daniels College of Business. and a B.S. degree in Finance and Marketing from Clarion University. He serves on the Advisory Board of cQuant.io,  is a member of the J.P. Morgan Center for Commodities Advisory Council, serves on its Research Council and is a member of the Global Commodities Applied Research Digest Editorial Advisory Board.

Prior to being named the Executive Director of the J.P. Morgan Center for Commodities at the University of Colorado Denver Business School, Dr. Thomas Brady was the Chief Economist at Newmont Mining Corporation where he was responsible for generating key commodity price, foreign exchange and other financial assumptions used throughout the company. In this role, Dr. Brady also developed methods to effectively quantify and communicate the economic impact of Newmont’s operations to host communities and countries. Prior to this position, Dr. Brady led Newmont’s Strategic Planning function that developed and implemented portfolio modeling analytics. Before Newmont, Dr. Brady was a Senior Manager at Risk Capital Management, a consultancy that advised energy and natural resource companies on financial risk, valuation and commodity hedging. He has also worked with CQG, Inc. where he developed a suite of automated trading systems for commodity futures contracts using the company’s short-term, price and volume charting methods. Dr. Brady is also a member of the J.P. Morgan Center for Commodities’ Research Council at the University of Colorado Denver Business School. He holds a Ph.D. in Mineral Economics with research emphases in commodity markets from the Colorado School of Mines. In addition, Dr. Brady holds a Master’s degree in Mathematics, also from the Colorado School of Mines.

Mike Miller is Vice President of Trading and Risk Management at Ardent Mills, the independent joint venture of owners Cargill, Conagra Brands and CHS. In his role, Mike leads Ardent Mills’ price risk management for wheat and millfeed. Additionally, he leads the company’s Customer Risk Management team which helps customers of Ardent Mills manage their flour price risk.With over 25 years of experience, Mike has held various trading and leadership roles with Cargill, Horizon Milling, along with his current role with Ardent Mills. Mike also serves on the Board of Directors of the Minneapolis Grain Exchange in which he Chairs the Contract Committee as well as the Cash Committee. He also serves on the Advisory Council of the JP Morgan Center for Commodities, University of Colorado Denver. Mike graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1990 with a degree in Agribusiness. In his spare time, he enjoys the outdoors with his sons.

CMDT 6582: Commodity Supply Chain Management Commodity Supply Chain Management In this class, students will be able to Comprehend the basic terminology, concepts and structure of supply chains. Evaluate supply chain factors in the cost of commodities, investigate strategies & identify/manage common risk factors. Guest speakers will be present to speak to commodity-specific supply chains. Impact on underlying costs and market availability will be explored.

Michael Harper's professional history includes working at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where research included nuclear containment at Nevada Test Site, micro-earthquake research, tsunami research, rock mechanics and fragmentation of oil shale, decision modeling, and Bayesian statistics. He was also vice president at Professional Geophysics Incorporated, where consulting included software development and project management. Harper has taught at the University of Denver, Denver Seminary, Colorado School of Mines, and the University of Colorado Denver Business School. He holds a traditional approach that includes lectures to present tools, techniques, and strategy along with assignments to develop knowledge and skills. He also utilizes case studies or projects to challenge application in a business environment.

CMDT 6682: Commodity Valuation and HedgingThis course introduces students to the physical aspects of commodities and connects them to the financial markets in which commodities are traded.  Fundamental concepts and terminology necessary for understanding commodity production, transportation, economics, financial analysis and marketing are described, in addition to the production and market structure knowledge needed to be successful professional participants in commodity trading capacities.  The course also serves as a foundation for more focused education in the specific commodity sectors, as well as the applied use of marketing and financial trading concepts learned in other courses.
Dominick Paoloni is the Managing Principal and Chief Investment Officer of IPS Strategic Capital and has served the investment community for over 35 years. Dominick received his Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®) through the Wharton School of Business and completed the College for Financial Planning’s CFP certification program. An Adjunct Professor at the University of Denver, he frequently lectures in Denver and internationally on the real-world use of derivatives in risk-defined money management. Dominick is a nationally known writer, facilitator, and radio host and commentator.  In 2009, he was recognized by Morningstar Advisor Magazine for successfully protecting his clients against the disastrous 2008 meltdown with innovative portfolios which weathered the storm with only a small fraction of the market’s losses.  He has also been featured in numerous other publications, including EQ Derivatives Magazine, Financial Planning Magazine, the Denver Post, and the Journal of Investment Consulting, which published one of his white papers.  His life’s work is striving to deliver a risk management solution that doesn’t rely on market timing or asset allocation.
CMDT 6782: Commodity Data Analysis This course is an applied introduction to commodity data analysis. Students will learn how to analyze commodity prices using quantitative techniques. Relationships between commodities and the global economy will be investigated. In addition, commodities  will be looked at as an asset class and cross-asset relationships will be studied. Students will be introduced to forecasting techniques and be able to develop and evaluate various forecasting models. Students will work with the EViews statistical software throughout the course and gain proficiency.
Dr. Daniel Jerrett is Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer at Stategy Capital LP, a global alternative investment management firm. His responsibilities include portfolio construction and management, as well as quantitative research.  He holds a Ph.D. in Mineral and Energy Economics from the Colorado School of Mines with an emphasis in econometrics and forecasting. Dr. Jerrett is also a member of the J.P. Morgan Center for Commodities’ Advisory Council.

CMDT 6490: Commodity Trading In this course, students will learn the theory and practice hands on commodity trading and strategy.

Joel Rubano is a commodity trader with twenty years of energy trading experience. He has hedged the financial exposures of multi-billion dollar asset portfolios and managed speculative trading books at six different firms in power, natural gas, oil, and coal. Mr. Rubano founded Instradev, LLC, a consultancy that presents multi-day trader development and risk management programs for energy & financial firms and lectures to MBA/Masters classes at leading universities. He is the author of Trader Construction Kit, a practical guide to developing the skills and techniques employed by professional traders, currently in its second edition. 

Our undergraduate certificates are intended to help anyone with a high school diploma expand his or her business knowledge. You do not need to have completed an undergraduate degree by the time of admission. You can also be enrolled at a different university and still receive this certificate. Undergraduate credit can be earned as a part the certificate and could count towards your undergraduate degree at another university. To earn the Undergraduate Commodities Certificate, students must take 3 of the J.P. Morgan Center for Commodities courses, worth 9 credits total. 

Our graduate Commodities Specialization is an option for Masters in Finance and MBA students at the CU Denver Business School. Students must be enrolled in a degree program and complete the J.P. Morgan Center for Commodities course requirements to receive this Specialization option on their transcripts upon graduation. Students can obtain this specialization by taking 4 J.P. Morgan Center for Commodities classes, 12 credits total. To add this to your degree plan, reach out to your academic advisors.

These certificates are offered in specialized business areas and designed to update skillsets or explore a new area of business. The Post-Bachelors Certificate is available to professionals who do not plan to complete a degree. Courses are tailored to the working professional with online class options. Some post-graduate certificates require prior knowledge in the area being studied. This certificate can be obtained specialization by taking 4 J.P. Morgan Center for Commodities classes, 12 credits total.
How to Apply
Admission to our post-graduate certificates is open to any professional who has completed his or her BA/BS. Applicants are required to submit all application materials including the online application and copy of your degree bearing transcripts. As an applicant, please fill the online application out as the following for the Academic Interests page:
1. Select: Certificate and On-Campus (even though all our graduate classes are fully online starting January 2022)
2. Certificate: Business School Certificates
3. Subplan: Business – Graduate Certificate
Select the term you wish to start taking classes. For any questions, please contact our admissions team at bschool.admissions@ucdenver.edu and note that you are interested in a Commodities Certificate.