Online Learning Wharton Live Online Self-Paced Online Programs Wharton Online Programs Online and Blended Programs with Emeritus Online Programs with Wall Street Prep Blended Learning Solutions for Organizations Private Equity Certificate Program Private equity is a $4.7 trillion asset class, and demand for qualified professionals who understand it has never been higher. The question is whether your training can keep pace. The Wharton Online and Wall Street Prep Private Equity Certificate Program was built to close that gap. Over 8 weeks, you’ll develop the analytical toolkit that PE investment professionals use every day, from LBO modeling and leveraged finance to deal structuring, due diligence, and investment committee presentations. The curriculum spans the full deal lifecycle, from initial screening through close, using real-world case studies that mirror actual transactions from lower middle-market to megadeal scale. This is the same training that Wall Street Prep — the industry’s leading PE training provider, trusted by the world’s top buyout firms — delivers inside the world’s largest private equity firms, now available in a self-paced online format backed by Wharton Online faculty and live weekly office hours. When you finish, Wharton Online sends you a digital certificate you can share on LinkedIn and your resume. Program Highlights Train the way the industry does. Wall Street Prep delivers PE training inside the world’s largest buyout firms. This program brings those same methods — case studies, model builds, deal process walkthroughs — to a self-paced online format, available to early- and mid-career professionals for the first time. Go deep on the technical skills that matter. Eight modules cover the complete private equity toolkit: LBO modeling, leveraged finance, accounting diligence, private company valuation, operating models, due diligence frameworks, and investment committee–level presentation. You’ll build models from scratch, not just follow along. Learn from the practitioners who do it. Guest speakers include senior leaders from Blackstone, Thoma Bravo, and The Carlyle Group, alongside Wharton faculty and Wall Street Prep instructor-practitioners with direct buy-side and investment banking experience. Every lesson is grounded in how deals actually get done. Stay connected after you graduate. Participants join an invitation-only LinkedIn group, a local Slack channel, and an active global network spanning 100+ countries and 750+ employers. In-person and virtual networking events give graduates direct access to PE professionals and career opportunities throughout their careers. Earn a credential that travels. Upon completion, you receive a digital Wharton Online certificate and module-level digital badges, which can be shared on LinkedIn and resumes, co-signed by Wharton Online and Wall Street Prep. PROGRAM DETAILS Duration: 8 weeks Time Commitment: Recommended 8–10 hours per week Format: Online, self-paced Tuition: $5,000 ($200 application fee waived before early enrollment date) Tuition Assistance: Up to $550 off — apply to qualify CPE Credits: 65 CPE credits (NASBA-registered) Certificate: Wharton Online digital certificate Cohort Frequency: February, June, and October Get the Brochure Program Format The Private Equity Certificate Program is structured as eight sequential weekly modules, each designed around the work investment professionals actually do at that stage of a deal. Modules combine video instruction, reading assignments, and practical exercises, including two multi-part case studies that simulate a live middle-market transaction from screening to investment recommendation. The program is self-paced: you complete each week’s work on your schedule, with a recommended commitment of 8–10 hours per week. Live virtual office hours with Wharton faculty are available weekly, giving participants a direct line to instructors when the material gets difficult. A dedicated enrollment team provides individualized support from registration through certificate. Participants also earn 65 CPE credits upon completion. Wall Street Prep and The Wharton School are registered with NASBA as sponsors of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. Live sessions: Weekly virtual office hours with Wharton faculty Assessments: Hands-on exercises and multi-part case studies with final exam Certification: Digital certificate from Wharton Online + Wall Street Prep, with optional in-person ceremony in NYC Eight Modules Self-paced Online Introduction to the Private Equity Asset Class & Investment Framework The Private Equity Deal Process Leverage, Accounting Diligence & Deal Structuring Private Company Analysis, Valuation & LBO Modeling (Part 1) Private Company Analysis, Valuation & LBO Modeling (Part 2) Thinking Like a Private Equity Professional (Part 1) Thinking Like a Private Equity Professional (Part 2) LBO Fundamentals & the Private Equity Case Interview Who Should Attend The Private Equity Certificate Program is built for finance and non-finance professionals in the early to mid stages of their careers who need to understand how PE firms evaluate, execute, and manage investments. Investment Banking & Consulting Professionals: Analysts and associates looking to move to the buy side and build the modeling and deal skills PE firms expect on day one. Junior Private Equity Professionals: Early-career PE professionals seeking advanced on-the-desk training to accelerate their development and strengthen technical fundamentals. Investment Professionals in Transition: Mid-career professionals in credit, equity research, or corporate finance looking to move into a private equity role or expand into PE-adjacent work. Portfolio Company Operators: Operators and executives at PE-backed companies who want a deeper understanding of how their sponsors think, analyze, and make decisions. C-Level Executives & Operating Partners: Senior leaders considering a transition into a portfolio operations or operating partner role at a PE firm. Business Owners & Founders: Entrepreneurs evaluating a sale to a PE firm or considering bringing on private equity capital for the first time. Professional Services Advisors: Lawyers, accountants, and consultants who advise private equity clients and need stronger command of how PE firms think and operate. Client-Facing Professionals: Sales teams and relationship managers who work with PE clients and need fluency in how buyout firms evaluate deals and manage portfolios. Emerging Fund Managers: Aspiring GPs who want a rigorous foundation in fund structure, deal mechanics, and the investment decision-making process. Family Office Investors: Investors building out direct, co-investment, or fund-of-funds capabilities in private markets. Undergraduate & Graduate Students: Business and finance students preparing for PE internships, analyst roles, or graduate programs where PE knowledge is expected. Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Reach out to the enrollment team at: enrollment@wharton.wallstreetprep.com Get the Brochure Delivered in collaboration with program partner Wall Street Prep: Program Directors FacultyBurcu Esmer, PhDSee Faculty BioAcademic Co-Director, Harris Family Alternative Investments Program; Academic Director, Wharton-AltFinance Institute; Senior Lecturer of FinanceResearch Interests: Research Interests: Empirical corporate finance, alternative investmentsScott RomanSee Faculty BioPrivate Equity Program Director, Wall Street Prep Program Faculty Ayodele Ekhator — Private Equity Instructor, Wall Street Prep; formerly Blackstone Strategic Capital Group and Citigroup Matan Feldman — Founder & Managing Partner, Wall Street Prep Zach Freeman — Senior Private Equity Instructor, Wall Street Prep; formerly Goldman Sachs TMT and Bernhard Capital Jessica Holton — Senior Instructor, Wall Street Prep; formerly Carlyle Group and Morgan Stanley Financial Sponsors Marc Howland — WSP Instructor; formerly Goldman Sachs and The Carlyle Group ($70B+ in M&A and financing transactions) Arkady Libman — WSP Instructor; formerly FBR Capital Markets Equity Research; trainer at Wharton, MIT Sloan, London Business School, INSEAD Martin Mellens — Senior Executive, McKinsey & Company (Private Equity Practice); 15+ years in investment strategy and portfolio transformation Adam McGowan — Senior Instructor, Wall Street Prep; formerly McNamee Lawrence & Co.; MBA, Yale Lidia Napier — Valuation specialist; formerly PwC Transaction Services; 15+ years in business and intangible asset valuation Zach Ranen — Private Equity Instructor, Wall Street Prep; formerly Warburg Pincus; Wharton undergraduate, summa cum laude Chris Reilly — M&A and FP&A instructor; formerly FTI Consulting, Hilton Worldwide, and middle-market private equity Michael Stack — Chief of Staff, DICK’S Sporting Goods; formerly Warburg Pincus and Wall Street Prep; MBA, Harvard Business School Alex Stoyanov — Senior Private Equity Instructor, Wall Street Prep; 13 years of investment banking experience; formerly Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers; CFA charterholder; MBA, Columbia Business School Keynote Speakers Martin Brand — Head of North America Private Equity, Blackstone Ed Brandman — Founder & CEO, ToltIQ (formerly Partner & CIO, KKR) Carl Chan — Senior Vice President, Thoma Bravo Paul Condra — Global Head of Private Markets Research, PitchBook Dina Dwyer — Managing Partner, Eden Capital Marc Ganzi — CEO, DigitalBridge Scott Graves — Founder, CEO & CIO, Lane42 (formerly Partner & Co-Head of Private Equity, Ares Management) Jennifer James — Managing Director, COO & Head of Investor Relations, Thoma Bravo AJ Jangalapalli — Principal, Thoma Bravo David C. Lee — Partner, Gibson Dunn Carl Press — Partner, Thoma Bravo Steven Rattner — Chairman, Willett Advisors; Economic Analyst, MSNBC’s Morning Joe David Rubenstein — Co-Founder and Co-Chairman, The Carlyle Group David Schuppan — Senior Partner & Co-Head of Healthcare, Vistria Group Ruban Selvakumar — Chief Customer Officer, ToltIQ Nizar Tarhuni — Senior Director, PitchBook Vanessa Webb — Partner, Oliver Wyman; Head of Private Equity (Americas) Larry Wieseneck — Co-President & Head of Investment Banking, Cowen/TD Bank Get the Brochure
