Business Acquisition and Divestiture: Strategy and Finance

This course is intended primarily for investors looking to acquire a small to mid-sized business, or corporate executives and professionals looking to expand their company's prospects via merger and acquisition (M&A). This course combines an analytical framework with real-world applications to introduce the key processes and techniques involving business combinations. Key topics include current trends in M&A, accounting foundations, legal constraints, tax implications, business valuation techniques and M&A risk management. Students learn how to prepare, evaluate and execute business mergers and acquisitions through lectures, discussion forums, case studies and assigned practice questions. Participants leave the course with an understanding of how to put together a deal, minimize overpaying and increase their chances of success in a business combination.