Certified Investment Banking & Private Equity Modeling Specialist

Program Overview
How It Works
Career Paths
Testimonials
FAQ

Investment Banking & Private Equity Modeling Specialization Overview

CFI's Investment Banking & Private Equity Modeling Specialization is your pathway to mastering advanced financial analysis and modeling techniques used by top investment banks and private equity firms. This program focuses on building expertise in financial modeling (3-statement, DCF, LBO, and M&A), valuation, forecasting, and transactional decision-making — core skills for thriving in high-stakes finance roles.

Designed with flexibility in mind, this self-paced online program combines hands-on learning with real-world applications. You’ll gain practical experience applying best-in-class financial modeling standards, ensuring you’re ready to excel in investment banking, private equity, or related fields. Earn your specialization and showcase your proficiency in the financial modeling and valuation skills that matter most.

What's in the Investment Banking & Private Equity Modeling Specialization?

11 courses

Consisting of 787 lessons

80+ interactive exercises

Learn by doing with guided simulations

Blockchain certificate

To verify your skills

500,000+ 5-star ratings

Best-in-class training, as rated by you

Earning Your Certificate in Financial Analysis

Step 1.

Core Courses

Complete 11 required core courses to build your skill set in investment banking & private equity modeling.

Introduction to Leveraged Buyouts (LBOs)

1h 2min

Introduction to Mergers & Acquisitions

1h 53min

Origination Fundamentals - Debt Capital Markets Perspective

4.9 (12 Ratings)

2h 11min

3-Statement Modeling

4.8 (944 Ratings)

3h 15min

DCF Valuation Modeling

4.9 (128 Ratings)

4h 55min

Accounting for Diluted Shares and Earnings per Share

5 (4 Ratings)

1h 6min

Leveraged Buyout (LBO) Modeling

5 (50 Ratings)

4h 33min

Normalizing Income Statements

4.5 (2 Ratings)

1h 30min

M&A Accounting & Purchase Price Allocation

4.8 (14 Ratings)

1h 31min

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) Modeling

4.9 (104 Ratings)

2h 41min

Comparable Valuation Analysis

4.8 (75 Ratings)

2h 14min

Hide All Core Courses

Step 2.

Get Investment Banking & Private Equity Modeling Certified

Congratulations! Upon completion of the program, you will receive a blockchain digital certificate with your new credentials.

* Steps are for individual learners. For customized learning solutions for your team, please visit our CFI for Business page to contact us.

Skills & Learning Objectives in Investment Banking & Private Equity Modeling

Accounting

Understand key components of financial statements and how they interconnect.
Learn fundamental accounting principles that underpin detailed accounting standards.
Identify common accounting standards and how they impact financial statements, analysis, and models.

Excel

Finance

Financial Modeling

Valuation

Meet Your Instructors

Duncan McKeen

Duncan is the Executive Vice President, Financial Modeling at CFI. Since 2014, Duncan has been focused on designing courses and teaching financial modeling to employees working in accounting, valuation, investment banking, equity research, and private equity.

Jeff Schmidt

Jeff is the Vice President, Financial Modeling at CFI. Prior to joining CFI, Jeff Schmidt taught financial modeling and valuation to thousands of learners all over the world for over a decade.

Meeyeon Park

Meeyeon is based in Vancouver, BC. Having spent most of her career in Toronto, Meeyeon has previous experience in both the buy/sell-side of Finance with roles at Ontario Teachers Pension Plan in Fixed Income Portfolio Management and BMO Capital Markets in Investment Banking. Meeyeon holds a Bachelor of Business Administration, with High Distinction, from the University of Toronto.

Scott Powell

Scott is the Co-Founder and Chief Content Officer of CFI. Over the past 30 years, he has focused on designing and delivering learning solutions for clients in the financial services sector, particularly in the areas of commercial banking, investment banking, capital markets, and asset management.

Careers in Investment Banking & Private Equity Modeling

Investment Banking

Provide capital market financing and financial advisory services (e.g. M&A, restructurings).
Private Equity

Invest in businesses with the goal of increasing their value over time before divesting of the investment.
Equity Research

Analyze publicly traded companies to guide investment decisions through financial and market insights.

The Investment Banking & Private Equity Modeling Specialization has upskilled teams at:

What Our Students Say

This course was very detailed and structured. I would definitely recommend this Certification for any budding Financial Analyst.

Anirudh Ganeshan

I believe the program fully performs what it promises, bridging the gap between work and higher education. For me it means an added value that I cannot describe in words. The program focuses on technical knowledge, which is highly valued since, on average, a student only learns theory before starting work.

Benjamin Briner

Strongly recommend to everyone who wants to receive new careers opportunities and enhance their knowledge in finance. CFI FMVA is perfect opportunity for everyone to obtain neccessary and strong background in financial modeling and valuation of companies. CFI helped me a lot with providing a financial aid and now my profile as a finance specialist is much more attractive and I receive additional confidence in my valuation skills. Thanks to everybody in the CFI team for creating such brilliant courses.

Alexandr Palienko

The resources are very educational and will go a long way not only for me but also for our colleagues in the energy regulatory agency. I appreciate very much the CFI material!

Arthur Evangelista, Chairman, Grid Management Committee Inc.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you haven’t found your answer from our FAQ, please send us a message.

Contact Us

Are CFI courses accredited?

CFI is accredited by the Better Business Bureau® (BBB) to maintain training standards, and by the CPA Institutions in Canada, and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) in the US for CPE credits. You can find more information here.

Will these courses help me advance my career?

Reviews from learners who have taken CFI courses include numerous stories about how people have been able to advance their careers. There is a proven track record of CFI graduates marking successful transitions into the careers of their dreams and this is based largely on the resources that we make available to our learners upon enrolment. Our training is designed to be fully practical and simulates the experience of being trained as a professional financial analyst. Additionally, we offer a wealth of information through our free career resources. The unique blend of all these elements is what sets us apart from other e-learning platforms when it comes to giving you all the tools you need to create a successful career in finance.

Admission Requirements

All of our certification programs are open to learners and professionals in various industries and levels of experience. Our curriculum is designed to teach what you need to know from basic fundamentals to the advanced practical case studies. To take the courses and complete the exercises, learners will only need access to a PC and/or Mac, Microsoft Suite (2016 or newer), and a stable internet connection.

What is the duration of the program?

It takes an average of 4-6 months to complete the entire program. However, you are given the freedom to complete all of the training at your own pace! Please see the “How the Investment Banking & Private Equity Modeling Specialization Works” section for recommended study hours for each course to give you a better idea for your time management.

How much time do I have to complete the courses?

Take as much time as you need. You will have access to all courses and all future upgrades in your subscription. You can review the video lessons as many times as you like and complete the courses at a pace that is most convenient for you.

How are the exams conducted?

Learners are required to complete an online assessment (MCQ’s, Fill-in-the-Blanks, and Excel Questions) at the end of each course. You can take the exams at your own schedule and will need to earn at least 80% to pass the course and earn your certificate of course completion. Please note that course exams can be repeated as many times as you need.

Can I email the instructor if I have questions regarding the learning materials?

While the courses are designed mainly for self-study, we are happy to provide email assistance for general or technical support inquiries. The Full Immersion bundles include a premium email support function which allows you to communicate directly with in-house experts in the area of study you are focusing on. This is one of the key features that sets the Full Immersion bundle apart and makes it a worthwhile upgrade over the more affordable self-study bundle.

Can I download and edit the course material and templates?

Yes! You can download and edit the Excel models and templates included in your courses. All of the files needed in a course are available for download. Please note that while our study materials can be downloaded, the lecture videos are only available online due to copyright infringement issues.

How do I earn my certificates?

You need to complete all the video lessons, quizzes, and final assessments in each course to earn your course certificates. The certificate will then be available on your learner dashboard and also emailed to you as soon as you have completed all of the requirements.

Can I take more than 3 electives?

Take as many electives as you would like — all our content is available to you in your CFI subscription.

What currency are your courses priced in?

All of our online courses and programs are priced in USD.

What payment methods do you accept?

As this is a recurring payment, we accept all major credit and debit cards including Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. Additionally, We also offer ACH and Wire transfer options exclusively for corporate transactions, though not available for self-service payment. Contact our team for more details.

Are there any additional fees or costs?

None! The program tuition includes everything and there are no additional fees required to earn your digital certification.

Investment Banking & Private Equity Modeling Specialization