Advanced Private Equity Certificate
Develop advanced financial modeling, debt valuation, and partnership governance skills through applied case studies and practitioner-led content. The CFA Institute Advanced Private Equity Certificate builds on the Private Equity Certificate and equips you with the tools to conduct due diligence, evaluate deal structures, and analyze portfolio performance at a deeper level.
Please note, you need to have completed the Private Equity Certificate before registering for this advanced certificate.
Advance your private equity expertise
The Advanced Private Equity Certificate helps you deepen your technical and strategic skills in private equity. Developed with leading practitioners, it is an advanced certificate from CFA Institute, a globally recognized leader in investment education.
Through applied case studies and graded Excel exercises, you will advance from complex financial modeling to debt valuation and governance methods, growing your skills at each step. The certificate also includes dedicated content on the perspectives of limited partners (LPs), enabling you to evaluate private equity opportunities more effectively from both investor and general partner (GP) standpoints.
Why choose the Advanced Private Equity Certificate?
Subject matter expertise
Build upon knowledge gained from the Private Equity Certificate and learn advanced tools, strategies, and skills in private equity.
Sought-after skills
Advance your financial modeling and debt valuation skills with hands-on learning to structure, analyze, and forecast scenarios for clearer investment decisions.
Career advancement
Gain a competitive edge in securing roles within private equity or transition into this increasingly vital area of finance.
Refined expertise
Pave the way for successful investment management and partnership governance in private equity.
Insights from experts
Benefit from the knowledge of established practitioners with an Advanced Private Equity Certificate developed by leaders in investment education.
Relevance for LPs and asset managers
This certificate is highly relevant for LPs, asset owners, and consultants who need advanced insight into private equity structures, performance, and governance.
Who should enroll
- Professionals who aspire to work in general partner roles.
- Private equity consultants who advise general partners.
- Investment banking professionals seeking to transition into private equity.
- Analysts or associates working in private equity firms.
- Finance professionals and career switchers looking to build technical skills in private markets.
- Limited partners, asset owners, and consultants who need a thorough understanding of private equity from the investor perspective.
Roles suited to this certificate
If you work in any of the example roles below, this certificate builds the terminology, modeling skills, and practical context to engage confidently with private equity.
- Private Equity Associate
- Corporate finance / M&A Analyst
- Credit Analyst
- Equity Analyst
- Debt Capital Markets Analyst
- Venture Capitalist
- Transaction Advisory
- Strategy Consultant
- Lawyer/Attorney (securities, contract, corporate)
- Tax Consultant
- Fund Investor Relations
- Fund Marketing
- Performance Analyst
- Risk Analyst
- Investment Consultant
- Manager of Managers
- Outsourced Chief Investment Officer
Explore our private markets certificates
Build your skills with the CFA Institute private markets learning pathway – three certificates designed to support every stage of your career, from foundational knowledge to advanced private equity. Complete one or stack them together for a deeper understanding of this growing area of investing.
Curriculum
In this course you will develop practical skills to conduct due diligence, source deals, and execute strategies in the role of a general partner (GP) in private equity. You will also explore how operational and financial management contribute to enhancing portfolio company performance. The course also includes modules on strategic communication, crisis management, partnership governance, and strategic exit planning to enable successful investment management.
In this course you’ll gain skills in analyzing and valuing corporate private debt using credit valuation adjustment (CVA) and reduced form models. You’ll also apply the backwards induction technique to build Excel-based models for valuing private debt with embedded options, like calls, puts, caps, and floors. Finally, you’ll explore distressed debt senarios and develop skills in valuing distressed private debt through a series of real-world cases studies and an interactive distressed debt valuation model.
In this course you will further improve and extend your financial modeling skills. You will master scenario analysis and updating models based on quarterly results. You will learn to work out and analyze debt capacity and add-on acquisitions. You will also be able to build models involving debt sculpting, management incentives and dividend recapitalizations.
In this course you will develop practical skills to evaluate private equity investments from the perspective of a limited partner (LP). You’ll work through real-world frameworks and tools used by LPs to assess general partners (GPs), conduct due diligence, and evaluate fund strategy, governance, and risk. You’ll also explore how to incorporate sustainability considerations and construct diversified private equity portfolios with appropriate pacing, liquidity, and risk controls. The course includes practical case studies, knowledge checks, and an applied assignment to reinforce your understanding of institutional LP practices.
As a prerequisite to taking the Advanced Private Equity Certificate you must complete the Private Equity Certificate. Access the syllabus and learning outcomes (PDF) and factsheet (PDF) for the further info.
Private Markets Certificates Question Slam Webinar
Join our Private Markets Certificates Question Slam – a live Q&A webinar where a CFA Institute expert answers your questions about our private markets certificates. Learn how they help you build practical skills for private markets roles and support your long-term career.
Learn via engaging content and activities
Work towards the Advanced Private Equity Certificate in the way most suitable for your learning style and schedule.
Self-paced online learning
Registration is now open. You will have access to the content and activities for 12 months when all content launches 19 August 2025.
Engaging, interactive content
Develop practical understanding of complex topics through a combination of screen capture videos and hands-on exercises.
Assess your knowledge as you go
Test your understanding as you progress with a variety of practical assessments and activities, plus optional knowledge check questions.
Full access to Private Equity Certificate content
Includes all materials from the Private Equity Certificate, allowing you to revisit key concepts and reinforce your learning as you advance.
What our practitioners say
The material in the Advanced Private Equity Certificate provides an in-depth look at the fastest growing financial market of the last 20 years, with crucial information on the perspectives of practitioners and investors.
The Advanced Private Equity Certificate provides a thorough understanding of private equity through insights from GP and LP perspectives and global case studies. It equips professionals with hands-on financial modeling skills to confidently evaluate opportunities and make industry-changing decisions.
The Advanced Private Equity Certificate helps investors make a real impact in private equity by focusing on process over hype — developing the skills to thoroughly evaluate opportunities and confidently decide when to pursue or walk away from a deal.
This certificate bridges theory and practice, covering foundational and advanced private equity topics. Candidates gain balanced knowledge and practical frameworks to enhance their ability to tackle complex real-world cases with analytical rigor and professional confidence.
Advanced Private Equity Certificate
- Certificate – 4 course series
- Advanced level
- 100 hours to complete
- Self-paced online learning
Frequently asked questions
When the learning materials become available on 19 August 2025, you'll have access to them for 12 months. Learning materials and assessments can be accessed anywhere online, providing maximum flexibility and convenience to candidates.
The Advanced Private Equity Certificate requires participants to have successfully completed the Private Equity Certificate. This prerequisite ensures you have a robust intermediate understanding of private equity concepts, techniques, and industry practices upon which this advanced course will build.
To successfully complete the financial modeling assignments, you'll need access to the latest version of Microsoft Excel, running on a Windows device. This ensures compatibility with all features and tools used in the course.
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