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By definition, private equity represents ownership in private businesses (as opposed to public companies that are listed and traded on stock exchanges). Investment capital may come from firms or individuals who buy private company shares. In general, the private equity industry consists of accredited and institutional investors.
Fortunately, there’s a way for you to join the club. The following sections feature some of the best private equity courses that can bring you a step closer to this elite group of top performers.
Quick Look: Best Private Equity Courses
- Investment Banking: Private Equity 101 by Udemy
- Private Equity and Venture Capital by Coursera
- Fundamentals of Private Equity by Udemy
- Basics of Private Equity by Udemy
- Private Equity - Ultimate Private Equity Modeling Course by Udemy
- Private Equity: Concept for Financing Like Hedge Funds by Udemy
- Advanced Valuation and Strategy — M&A, Private Equity and Venture Capital by Coursera
- Ultimate Private Equity: How to Model Investment Rounds by Udemy
- How to Land a Job in Private Equity Real Estate by Udemy
What Makes a Good Private Equity Class?
Regardless of your level, evaluate private equity classes according to three principles: imparted skills, instructor quality and cost.
Imparted Skills
At the beginner level, a good course needs to help you understand the core concepts of private equity. These concepts usually include EBITDA calculations and the basics of private equity finance. By the end of the course, you should be able to know how to create a private equity strategy as well.
This might sound a bit intimidating if you don’t have any prior knowledge. Don’t forget that private equity is a demanding, fast-paced industry. At the same time, your success is largely influenced by the ability to apply the things you learn.
This is why the course curriculum plays such a significant role. Take a close look at the curriculum to see if you can gain enough operational knowledge to get going as soon as you complete it.
Course Instructor
Without exception, the course instructor should be a top expert in the field. This includes more than a few years of experience and a veritable private equity track record.
The instructor also needs to have serviceable teaching skills to transfer the knowledge and inspire you to pursue your career. For online courses, excellent student-teacher communication is important as well. Ideally, you should have different ways to contact the instructor and get help with the curriculum.
You may have to do a little research before you sign up for a course and ensure the existence of a well-established system for contacting your instructor.
Cost
Prices may vary based on the level of expertise, duration and institution/learning platform. At the low end, you can find excellent private equity courses for under $50 on platforms like Udemy.
On the other hand, you can find comprehensive courses that last for a number of weeks and even months that could even set you back a few thousand dollars. However, in these cases, you'll end up with a certification that might make it easier for you to land a job in the industry.
Either way, don’t forget to take a close look at the curriculum and the instructor. That alone can ensure good value for the money, regardless of the price or platform.
Best Online Private Equity Courses for Beginners
We’ve selected some of the best online private equity courses available today.
1. Investment Banking: Private Equity 101 by Udemy
With more than 3,132 enrolled students, Private Equity 101 is among the most popular courses on this subject for beginners. It offers 1 hour of on-demand videos divided into 14 lectures.
You also get 1 article and 13 downloadable resources to help you get your feet wet in the industry. The course teaches some of the key aspects like private equity business strategy and finance fundamentals. Students also learn the difference between management buyout and leveraged buyout.
2. Private Equity and Venture Capital by Coursera
Who's it for? Beginners
Price: Free, $49 course certificate upgrade
Judging by the reviews, this Coursera course is one of the most popular in the private equity field. It lasts five weeks and each week covers a specific aspect of the discipline.
During the first week, you learn about the basics of private equity and venture capital. Then you move on to learn about how to find investors and deal with legal issues. The course also features guest speakers who can give you firsthand insight into the industry.
This course is free to access with a $49 course certificate upgrade.
3. Fundamentals of Private Equity by Udemy
Who it's for: Beginners
Price: $84.99
Fundamentals of Private Equity is designed for aspiring private equity associates, investment bankers and anyone interested in pursuing a career related to private equity. It features 5 lectures condensed into 32 minutes of on-demand video to provide you with foundational knowledge.
Entrepreneur and coach Vasco Patricio covers PE positioning, private equity activities, the inner workings of private equity funds, financial engineering and value creation. You can get started today and receive a certificate of completion when you finish the course.
Best Intermediate Online Private Equity Courses
Next, we'll take a look at a few course options for those who have some familiarity with private equity but want to work on some fundamentals.
1. Basics of Private Equity by Udemy
Basics of Private Equity is a good option for undergraduate and graduate students who want to learn more about private equity. It’s also designed to help business owners attract private equity investors.
The course features 6 fast-paced lectures that cover some of the fundamental questions of private equity. You’ll learn about the benefits of private equity and the differences between loans, venture capital
2. Private Equity — Ultimate Private Equity Modeling Course by Udemy
This is one of the most well-rounded private equity courses on Udemy and more than 3,400 enrolled students put it among the most popular at this level.
The Ultimate Private Equity Modeling Course features 18.5 hours of video, which are divided into 161 lectures. Plus, you get one downloadable resource. The requirement is a basic knowledge of financial modeling and concepts.
It teaches you the application of corporate finance valuation techniques and how to build private equity models. You’ll learn about due diligence, deal structuring, private equity fund structure and more.
3. Private Equity: Concept for Financing Like Hedge Funds by Udemy
Who it's for: Intermediate students
Price: 34.99
This highly-rated course from Udemy consists of 1.5 hours of video lessons that teach you how to assess and value assets in the financial market. It is led by certified business intelligence analyst and entrepreneur Vincent Osemu and tailored to fit the needs of individuals with basic private equity knowledge who want to level up their expertise.
Private Equity: Concept for Financing Like Hedge Funds begins with a primer on what to expect from the course, followed by modules of basic financial concepts, unique concepts, capital (budget) allocation and stocks (shares).
The enrollment fee includes full lifetime access to 26 lectures and a certificate of completion when you reach the finish line.
Best Advanced Online Private Equity Courses
These courses are best for students who want to take their strong, fundamental understanding to the next level.
1. Advanced Valuation and Strategy — M&A, Private Equity and Venture Capital by Coursera
Who's it for? Advanced students
Price: Free to access, $49 course certificate upgrade
Advanced Valuation and Strategy is designed by Erasmus University in Rotterdam. The course duration is five weeks and it should take you about 22 hours to complete.
As an advanced course, it is a great option for ambitious professionals, graduate students, and venture capitalists. The topics include corporate strategy and cash flow analysis. You’ll also learn how to apply real options theory to your decision-making.
The course is delivered by a team of experts with Professor Han Smit at the helm. This course is free to enroll.
2. Ultimate Private Equity: How to Model Investment Rounds by Udemy
The Ultimate Private Equity on Udemy is aimed at financial analysts, startup founders and angel investors.
The course features 50 lectures with about 4.5 hours of on-demand video. It teaches you how to perform waterfall analysis and build a cap table from scratch. You’ll also gain an understanding of how term sheet provisions impact ownership percentages.
The course requires beginner to intermediate Excel skills.
9. How to Land a Job in Private Equity Real Estate by Udemy
Who it's for: Advanced students
Price: $124.99
Interested in a career in real estate private equity? How to Land a Job in Private Equity Real Estate is the perfect course for you.
It’s facilitated by real estate investing and financial modeling expert Justin Kivel. He teaches you how to navigate the real estate private equity landscape, position yourself to outshine the competition, network effectively and land a career in this budding industry.
The 56 lectures cover career paths, critical financial concepts, resume and LinkedIn profile building, networking, interview and more. Students get full lifetime access to 3.5 hours of on-demand video, 3 articles and 18 downloadable resources.
Get the Best Equity Course
The private equity industry is on a constant lookout for energetic and quick-witted individuals who can navigate the demanding world of finance. The courses featured in this article help you hone some of the skills that are needed to excel in the industry.
In addition, they can also be great for business owners and professionals who want to step up their investment game. If your passion is investments, check out our selection of best investment courses.
Southern New Hampshire University Online
SNHU Online Offers:
- Flexible schedules
- Affordable tuition
- Online tutoring
- Access to electronic research materials
- Specialized academic advising
- Supportive online community