Programme Content
Over the course of eight weeks, you will learn the concepts and practical technical methods investment professionals deploy in both evaluating and executing private transactions. Delivered in a weekly self-paced online format, the program culminates in a closing ceremony and the receipt of a Certificate from Wharton Online.
Module 1
The foundation for your learning experience is an overview of the private equity asset class, how private equity firms function, and the investment approaches, value creation strategies, and valuation methods deployed by private equity firms.
Module 2
Practical exercises, real life examples and case studies bring the private equity deal process to life. In this module, we explore the end‑to‑end corporate buyout process, including key workflows, roles and responsibilities on the deal team, and all of the key documents and deliverables that investment professionals encounter throughout the process.
Module 3
Understand financing considerations; EBITDA and net working capital; key adjustments and the QoE report; purchase price allocation; how stock versus asset deal structures affect taxes, proceeds, and returns; and how these factors drive buyer and seller preferences.
Module 4
Using real case studies of both private and public investments, here you’ll build the analytical base for a middle‑market LBO, including private‑company analysis, valuation methodologies, and how to create robust forward projections that you’ll carry into a transaction model.
Module 5
Through the middle-market transaction simulation and case study, this module walks through a full LBO model build and shows how to incorporate transaction mechanics, debt schedules, and covenants; integrate operating assumptions; and use the LBO to frame and construct an investment recommendation.
Module 6
This module begins to explore how private equity professionals think about investment opportunities in the context of the due diligence process. In this module, you’ll learn how to build a view on industries, moats, growth, and intrinsic value, and how diligence questions translate into modeling assumptions.
Module 7
This module continues the operating model deep dive and covers cost structures, expense modeling, and data analysis. The module concludes with an in-depth look at recurring revenue businesses and the Software-as-a-Service (“SaaS”) business model, and explores how AI applications are being applied across the Private Equity space.
Module 8
The final module is designed to reinforce your conceptual and technical understanding of the mechanics of an LBO. In this module, you will build an LBO model from the ground up in the context of a private equity case interview. This exercise will sharpen your understanding of how to build an LBO model efficiently, communicate information clearly, and show good judgment related to operating and exit assumptions and sensitivities.
