Top 7 Divestment Courses On The Market

Divestitures are a specific area of M&A that is a discipline in and of itself.

If an acquisition begins with origination and finishes with integration, the first task of a divestment is often to ensure a unit or asset being divested is fully separated, followed by sounding out, potential buyers.

At DealRoom we help corp devs organize divestiture processes and In this article, we look at seven of the best courses currently available on the market.

1. Financial Edge Divestiture Modeling

Cost: $119

Location: Fully online

More info: here

The Financial Edge course is a useful introduction to divestiture-related financial modeling that takes about 3.5 hours to complete and features 20 practical exercises for students to get to grips with various forms of divestment.

The exercises are all Excel-based, and tuition is via 105 minutes of pre-recorded video. Modeling is a key aspect of divestment, and this course is a well-structured program that prepares students for most eventualities.

2. Divestitures and Spin-Offs (CPE Course)

Cost: $25

Location: Fully online

More info: here

In a sense, the divestiture and spin-offs course developed by Accounting Tools should be treated as a companion to one of the other courses on this list.

The course is excellent for issues that tend to dog divestments, including defining the separation management office, accounting issues that arise during the divestment process, and the legal issues that need to be contended with.

One of the important aspects which is also explained is an assignment by operation of law that typically occurs in the context of transfers of rights and obligations and can be specifically included in or excluded from assignment provisions. Professional law assignment help by Edubirdie could be a good resource for you to learn as well.

3. Divestitures: Planning to Execution

Cost: $150/month (billed annually); $175/month (billed monthly).

Location: Fully online

More info: here

The divestitures course on M&A Science is just one of the dozens provided by the platform. The big difference here is that courses are developed and delivered by experienced M&A practitioners.

The divestiture course shows students what to prepare before selling a business, common divestiture roadblocks, anticipating transition services, and how to help organizations with divestitures (aimed at investment bankers and other intermediaries).

You can also check out other M&A Science Academy courses here.

4. Business Acquisition and Divestiture: Strategy and Finance

Cost: -

Location: Fully online (when available).

More info: here.

Although currently unscheduled (new courses should open up in Q1 2023), UCLA’s business acquisition and divestiture course takes a broad lens to the divestiture process.

The course is aimed at executives working for SMEs considering engaging in M&A. Its aim is to provide students with the analytical framework to prepare, evaluate, and execute divestitures as well as acquisitions in the SME space.

5. M&A Council: The Art of M&A for Divestitures and Carve-Outs

Cost: $750.

Location: In-person (location TBD).

More info: here.

Like M&A Science, the M&A Council offers a range of M&A-related courses taught by experienced practitioners. As a result, courses tend to be similarly detailed and well-structured.

The divestitures and carve-outs component bring students through all aspects of divestments, including how to optimize the seller’s business to generate more value, addressing people issues that arise during the process, and how to disentangle IT and shared services.

6. AMT Training: Divestiture Analysis, Modeling, and M&A Modeling Issues

Cost: $700 (650 GBP).

Location: Online.

More info: here.

This is an intensive one-day course aimed at new hires for corporate development departments or investment banks, with limited experience in divestments. The focus is on modeling and the complexities that arise specifically in modeling for M&A, including non-coterminous year ends, using a flexible deal date, currency translation, and the creation of the non-controlling interest. Participants are expected to have some grasp of M&A modeling.

7. University of Illinois: Mergers and Acquisitions Specialization

Cost: Free

Location: Online.

More info: here.

As the only free course on this list, the University of Illinois’s Mergers and Acquisitions Specialization is surprisingly thorough. Students are required to spend around 3 hours per week studying the material, which is delivered over six months.

This isn’t strictly a course on divestments but features many of the modeling, valuation, due diligence, and organizational issues that are key to successful divestitures.