The course M&A Fundamentals: Core Skills and Introduction provides a practical introduction to the world of mergers and acquisitions. Across four structured sessions, students will develop a foundational understanding of key concepts, processes, and success factors in M&A transactions.

The course covers the full transaction lifecycle, including strategic rationale, target identification, basic valuation techniques, deal structuring, and execution. In addition, students will be introduced to essential financial and legal considerations, as well as core negotiation principles. 

A strong emphasis is placed on linking theory to practice. Real-world examples and case discussions will help students understand how M&A transactions are carried out in a business environment and what challenges practitioners face.

The aim of the course is to equip students with a solid grounding in M&A and to develop essential analytical and practical skills relevant for careers in corporate finance, investment

The course will take place in the premises of the Company:
MP (Schottenring 12, 1010 Vienna)

Upon completion of this course, graduates will be able to:

• understand and describe the structure of an M&A process as well as the key interdependencies required for its successful execution;
• identify and analyse the critical success factors of an M&A transaction process;
• determine the different interests and motivations of the key stakeholders involved in an M&A process and articulate the value created by the transaction for these stakeholders;

1. Furthermore, upon completion of this course, graduates will be able to:

• organise themselves effectively, in particular with regard to the efficient use of available resources and capabilities;
• contribute constructively and independently within a team to solving various problems in pursuit of a common objective;
• prioritise tasks under time pressure and within given deadlines, ensuring the efficient and goal-oriented execution of different workstreams;
• prepare content and transaction-supporting materials in a manner tailored to the relevant target audience;
• present research findings as well as extensive and complex documentation in a structured, focused and purpose-driven way.

Students have to attend at least 80% of all lectures, at most one lecture can be missed without excuse.

The course is composed of two parts, a lecture part and an interactive part. The lecture part is organized in one big class for all students of the specialization. The interactive part is organized in small groups. Based on the introduction material, students will have to prepare homework and prepare a presentation.

The final grade is based on the following components:

• 20% active participation and contribution during the course
• 40% homework assignments
• 40% final presentation, which will be held during the last workshop

The grading scale is as follows:

Courses I and II of Finance: Market, Institutions and Instruments.

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Courses I and II of Finance: Market, Institutions and Instruments.

Consultation hours by appointment via email (sbwl.finance@wu.ac.at).