M&A is not just about the bankers though. CFOs, CEOs, business owners, M&A consultants and lawyers, regulators etc. all have a part to play. Their perspective may slightly different from the bankers, but they are just as responsible for the success of an M&A transactions and in some cases more so. A lot of mergers end up failing due to a myriad of issues and it is imperative to understand what makes them tick before diving in. M&A specialists perform activities ranging from due diligence and valuation to documentation and negotiations. You need to master these diverse set of skills in order to succeed as an M&A specialist and these courses and certifications have been hand picked to help you do just that.
1. The Deal Maker from Financial Edge
(Note: Use code BBD25 for 25% off at Financial Edge)
Course Review
My first year on the job, I spent a lot of time with the various in-house training sessions that the bank would arrange for us Management Trainees. These were high-quality sessions organized by industry veterans with a focus on real world insights and stories. I guess that is what made them interesting – we all knew the academic theory since we were fresh out of B-School but this real world focus is what made those sessions great. Financial Edge is one of those training providers that some of the worlds top investment banks use to train their bankers. With this online course, now everyone has the chance to experience that same training and also get access to the same certifications to distinguish themselves.
The course is made up of a number of modules that cover various aspects of an M&A deal. Content is delivered in video format although you can download pdf files as well. I found the instruction to crisp and high quality and there are over 50 practical exercises to complete as well. These definitely go a long way to help you put what you learned into practice and give you an extra confidence boost which is so critical when you are competing at this level.
The modules cover topics like nature of an acquisition, valuation with respect to M&A, financing transactions, sources and uses of funds, transactions fees, deal analysis, share issuance, debt ratings, synergies, RoI metrics, earn-outs, structures, accounting considerations, debt capacity and tranching, debt seniority and subordination and so on. There is even a whole module just on Leveraged buy Outs (LBO) covering LBO analysis and models, assumptions, funding, operating forecasts and leveraged valuations.
You will have to complete all the online tests to earn your certification which is good because it signals that you actually have the skills an knowledge necessary to pass this rather rigours program that actual investment bankers go through. You can use this certification to add value to your LinkedIn profile, build up your resume and showcase your expertise.
Click here and use code BBD25 for a 25% discount on all Financial Edge courses!
Summary
| Duration | Around 10 hours |
| Format | Fully online, on-demand |
| Level | Intermediate |
2. Mergers and Acquisitions from Columbia Business School
Who should take this?
CXOs, consultants, mid level managers and others that may have to deal with M&A transactions from a strategic perspective.
Course Review
This is an executive level course meant for professionals with some years of experience and an understanding of basic financial concepts. If you find that you need to make decisions regarding corporate mergers or that your role needs a better undertaking of how mergers and acquisitions work, then this is the course for you. For example, lets say you are a finance manager at a company and your company is active in the M&A market. In that case, it might be a good idea to learn how everything works so that you can better deal with the investment bankers and transaction lawyers.
Based on my experience in the finance and corporate world, I think this is essential knowledge to have at the mid to top levels. In fact, a lot of the CFOs that I have interacted with had M&A background themselves. This I feel is the best course to get some foundational knowledge about M&As at a strategic level.
M&A bankers have a lot of jargon and there are a lot of special structures and bespoke terms that you need to make yourself familiar with. This is what the course starts with. You will learn all the terminology, all the concepts like synergy, valuation techniques specific to MA&A, various forms of analysis, due-indulgence, deal types, documentation, legal considerations, post-merger stuff and so on. This is all relevant and being armed with this knowledge should be a definite plus in any career that is remotely linked with finance. There is also a module on takeover defence which means that even if your company is not active in the M&A market, you should at least be armed with the knowledge to protect yourself should you ever be targeted.
There are also a lot of real world case studies here including a final project that gets you the closes most people ever get to a real deal. Overall, this course presents an opportunity to learn what happens at the absolute zenith of the corporate decision making from one of the most reputable business schools on the planet. Sure to spruce up any resume and give you more than enough to talk about.
Preview Course/ Enroll NowSummary
| Duration | 9 weeks, 4-6 hours per week |
| Format | Fully online |
| Level | Executive |
Similar options
There are a couple of other courses that are targeted at the same audience with similar curriculum. These are also from highly reputable British and French universities and you should take a look at these as well:
3. Mergers & Acquisitions Professional Certificate from NYIF
Who should take this?
A purpose-built certification for M&A professionals from one of the pioneers of financial education in New York.
Course Review
This is one of the best overall M&A package that you will find anywhere. The New York Institute of Finance is a well-respected name with a long and storied lineage of training professionals in the financial services industry. This certificate will add a tonne of value to your CV. And with the amount of competition for these roles, you need every little bit of advantage that you can get.
Given the M&A focus, expect to learn about M&A rationale and decision making, sourcing and pitching deals, pricing transactions, valuations, projections, legal aspects, documentation, taxation, structuring, implementation and dozens of such topics. This is as good as you get and you won’t find a more comprehensive course on M&A anywhere. I looked.
The course is perfect for analysts, associates or interns looking to break into M&A. Whether you want to prepare for the selection process or impress the MD during you’re your internship/ rotation, this is the course you need.
They have designed this course with a laser focus on M&A, so you won’t have to worry about wasting time on unrelated fluff either. This laser focus is what you need to succeed in ac competitive field like M&A. There are plenty of other generic finance courses out there, but if you have deciding on M&A, then this is it.
Summary
| Duration | 40 hours |
| Format | Fully online, on-demand |
| Level | Intermediate |
4. The Law and Economics of Mergers and Acquisitions from LSE (London School of Economics and Political Science)
Who should take this?
M&A bankers, M&A legal and due diligence teams, economists, senior corporate management dealing with mergers and acquisitions.
Course Review
LSE is a premiere, higher-education institute with 18 Nobel prize winners and 37 world leaders among its alumni and staff. It’s the ideal place to learn about the economics and legal principles of M&A. Some people tend to underestimate the importance of the legal aspects of M&A, but that is where the most time and effort is spent and its something that M&A bankers should be deeply interested in.
There are several modules with the first one focusing on the explaining the basic legal and economic structure of corporate transactions including contract theory and other relevant accounting and finance concepts. Then we move on to even more interesting topics like hedge fund activism and private M&A transactions, structures and contracts. The material provided is insightful even form the perspective of experienced bankers.
Next we move on to private equity transactions from a contractual point of view, value drivers, timelines and the general process. This is followed by public M&A transactions which is a whole different beast unto itself. Agency theory, synergies, value distribution, mandatory legal obligations, regulatory aspects and other such familiar concepts are explored in greater deal. There is good stuff here and I highly encourage you to download the brochure using the link below to see whats worth learning in M&A.
We round things off the a topic on hostile takeovers. How to mount a defense against them, how to defeat them, the functions and types of defences as well as their pros and cons. The regulations surrounding these takeover defences across various jurisdictions and corporate law. All in all, this is a rigorous undertaking into the mechanics of M&A form the perspective of corporate leaders and senior M&A professionals at both banks and law firms.
Click here and use code GS-AF-BBD15 for a 15% discount on this course!
Summary
| Duration | 6 weeks (About 8 hours per week) |
| Format | Fully online |
| Level | Advanced |
5. Certified Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA)
Who is it for?
A highly versatile certification suitable for all investment banking and finance roles. May be customized for M&A by selecting the right electives.
Course Review
The FMVA certification, in my opinion, is like the Lego of the finance world. There are so many electives you can choose from and you can customize it for almost any role within Investment Banking. Want M&A? Sure, there’s a module for that. Debt markets? Of course. LBO, Real Estate, even Start-Up modeling is available as an optional elective. Use all the tools they give you to make the right certification for you.
This versatility is essential in today’s world as deal flows and transactions are becoming less standardized with increasing volatility and disruption. Gone are the days where you could specialize in one vertical and expect to spend the next 5 decades there. Now you have to be agile and the FMVA has been built with that agility in mind and with 850K learners having signed up with CFI already, it seems to be working.
The CV value of the certification also does help. Its an up and coming certification which is rapidly gaining recognition around the world. The Corporate Finance Institute is well known in the finance community and the FMVA is their flagship certification. So you would be adding significant brand value to your CV and LinkedIn profile with this certification. Of course your academics still matter the most, but such certifications are your best at getting that extra boost in a highly saturated job market.
Click here and use code BBD10 for 10% off!
Summary
| Duration | 120 hours |
| Format | Fully online, on-demand |
| Level | Intermediate |
6. Finance of Mergers and Acquisitions from University of Illinois
Course Review
This is a combination of four courses that cover various aspects of an M&A transaction. From designing a deal to valuation, pricing, divestitures, tax considerations and even accounting. You don’t have to complete all the courses and can pick and choose what you need. I recommend you complete it all if you are going to work extensively in M&A. But if you only need to know broader points, then you can skip the accounting stuff.
Overall, its a good package that I recommend for beginners or someone who does not need to be in core M&A and just needs a basic overview. For example, business executives who need to know how mergers work but don’t actually have to do all the grunt work and execution. This package will give you a good enough understanding to speak authoritatively on the subject and make any decisions necessary for execution.
Summary
| Duration | 24 hours |
| Format | Fully online, on-demand |
| Level | beginner |
7. International Mergers & Acquisitions Expert (IM&A)
Who should take this?
Chief Executives, General Management.
Course Review
This certification is best suited for corporate professionals looking to shore up their M&A credentials, although investment banks can also benefit from it. The idea behind certifications like these is to signal your expertise to employers or other stakeholders. IMAA has built a reputation for training M&A professionals over the years and its a good brand to have on your CV.
The certification covers four key modules. The first one covers the basics like deal types, the process,. strategies, negotiation, success factors etc. This should give most learners a basic idea of what M&A is all about. You will also learn about LBOs, IPOs, divestitures, and other structures.
The second module covers due diligence. I know due indulgence doesn’t get much attention in the news or popular media, but it actually forms the core of an M&A transactions. Without proper due-diligence, any deal is bound to fall flat. This includes financial due-diligence, tax and legal due diligence, commercial due diligence and even HR and cultural fit analysis. You will learn all about it here.
This is followed up by the valuation module which is where all the math happens. DCF, multiples, valuation, payment structure etc. This is corporate finance 101 and then some. The final module is all about post-merger integration and that is where the magic happens. Trust me, getting the deal done is the easy part. Post-merger is where success is determined which is why due-diligence is so important. Its good that this module exists and it does a good job of informing participants of what to expect post-merger and how to navigate any challenges successfully.
Summary
| Duration | 60 hours |
| Format | Online or Onsite |
| Level | Intermediate |
8. Executive Finance Programme from Oxford University
Course Review
This is an Executive level program meant for senior business leaders, CXOs, business owners, senior consultants and legal experts and other decision makers. Its also a great opportunity to get the Oxford brand on your CV and give your personal branding a serious boost.
This course covers the gamut of the financial challenges and decision making that finance executives have to deal with. IPOs, M&A, risk and other considerations are covered in detail from the perspective of top down decision making.
The approach that we have here is one where the basic concept is explained first so that even non-finance managers can understand it and then you dive deeper into its strategic implications. I really like this approach as this is how executive level courses should be designed and structured.
Click here and use code GS-AF-BBD15 for a 15% discount on this course!
Summary
| Duration | 6 weeks, 8 hours a week |
| Format | Fully online, on-demand |
| Level | Executive |
9. Advanced Valuation and Strategy – M&A, Private Equity, and Venture Capital from Erasmus University Rotterdam
Course Review
Another short course better suited for a general audience – finance, economics and business students, corporate executives and corporate finance professionals, general management, CXOs and so on. That does imply its an easy course though. Going for the honours certificate that they offer can prove rather interesting even for investment bankers.
The course covers all topics like NPV, Discounted Cash Flow modelling, real options, game theory etc. In addition to these basics, it touches upon some interesting topics like like how do value a leveraged buyout, how to value a high-tech venture with negative cash flows, how to incorporate rival bidders int he analysis and so on. Its an interesting, strategic take on things.
I highly recommend taking the honours certificate for some additional learning and extra brand value. They have managed to keep things interesting with a unique angle to some common M&A problems and everyone from IB hopefuls to experienced bankers and even senior managers should find something useful here.
Summary
| Duration | 16 hours |
| Format | Fully online, on-demand |
| Level | Intermediate |
10. Chartered Investment Banking Analyst (CIBA)
Course Review
This is more than a course, it is a full-commitment certification designed specifically for investment banking roles. If you want something more to fortify your CV as well as your understanding of what being an investment banker is all about, this is it.
The New York Institute of Finance has custom built this for investment bankers based on almost a century of experience training bankers. This is more than just an academic course – it is designed and delivered form an industry perspective to get you ready on desk ready.
There is an entire week dedicated to M&A but other topics to get you ready for investment banking are also covered. Starting form financial accounting an credit risk to corporate finance, valuations, financial modelling and everything in between.
I would recommend this certification to anyone who is serious about a career in investment banking and willing to commit to it. M&A is by no means an easy field to break into and you need every edge you can get.
Summary
| Duration | 25 days |
| Format | Fully online virtual classroom |
| Level | Advanced |
What to look for in an M&A Course
- Personal Branding – M&A is pretty much the pinnacle of financial decision making with stakes higher than almost anything else. Which is why only the best bankers, lawyers, executives and business managers are selected for these roles. You need to demonstrate that capability.
- M&A Focus – There are plenty of well-known finance certifications like the CFA or FRM but none of them focus on M&A specifically. Which is why this list is made up of courses that focus on M&A and the skills that you need for this role. This topic is distinct and expansive enough to be covered on it’s own.
- Live Deal experience – Academic theory is all well and good, but you need practical knowledge and learn from actual M&A transactions. A good, solid case study is worth a hundred pages of theory in my opinion and this list has been ranked based on that philosophy.
Related Articles
- Wealth Management
- Valuation Courses
- Real Estate Investing
- Technical Analysis
- Algorithmic Trading
- Sustainable Finance/ ESG Courses
About the Author
