Investor Education

The VC/PE Masterclass

Learn Venture Capital & Private Equity From VU's Top Performing General Partners

Taught by VU’s top decile performing General Partners with 100+ years of VC experience, $2B+ invested across 300+ companies, early positions in 30+ unicorns, and 20+ multi-billion-dollar exits.

Apply to the Masterclass Download Program Deck

Prefer self-paced? View the on-demand video course

Hours Of Live Instruction

300+

Slides & Case Studies

Core Curriculum Modules

200+

Fireside Chats On Demand

What's Included

Inside The VC/PE Masterclass

A comprehensive 40 hour / 300+ slide masterclass covering core concepts, case studies, frameworks, and the exceptions to those frameworks.

Live Lecture Masterclass

300+ slides taught live by VU's top decile performing General Partners, with Q&A throughout. Join in-person at one of five global offices or virtually from anywhere.

Recordings & On-Demand Access

Every live session is recorded. The live program also includes the full on-demand video course so you can revisit any module on your own schedule.

AI Digital Twin Q&A

Ask follow-up questions any time with access to the AI Digital Twin of J. Skyler Fernandes, built on the masterclass material.

VC/PE Masterclass Certificate

Complete the program to earn the VC/PE Masterclass Certificate, issued through Credly and shareable on your LinkedIn profile.

WHO YOU LEARN FROM MATTERS

Learn From & Work Alongside VU's Top Performing General Partners

$0B+

Invested

Years of VC Experience

Investments

Unicorns

Multi-Billion-Dollar Exits

Your Instructors

Who Teaches The Masterclass

Taught by VU's top decile performing General Partners, who have invested in 300+ companies including 30+ unicorns.

J. Skyler Fernandes

Co-Founder & General Partner — Global

Ranked Top 100 Powerlist VC; 15+ years of VC/PE investing
150+ portfolio companies including OpenAI, Figure AI, Beyond Meat (IPO, $14B)
Bear Flag Robotics (acq. by John Deere, $250M), Sensity (acq. by Verizon)
Former MD of Investments at Cleveland Avenue
Founder & Former MD of Simon Venture Group (Simon Property Group)
Adjunct Professor at New York University teaching Venture Capital

Andrew Zalasin

General Partner — North America, Europe & LatAm

25+ years of venture capital and private equity experience
Early investor in Facebook, Uber, Twitter, Venmo, MakerBot
Nearly 200 investments; served on 30+ boards across US, Europe & Asia
Former General Partner for 17 years at RRE Ventures ($1.5B across seven funds)

Plus guest lectures from investors, founders, and industry experts across the library of 200+ recorded Fireside Chats.

Core Curriculum

The VC/PE Masterclass

A comprehensive 40 hour / 300+ slide masterclass taught by VU's top decile performing General Partners who have over 100+ years of VC experience, have invested $2B+, in 300+ companies, including being early investors in 30+ unicorns, and have had 20+ multi-billion-dollar exits plus additional exits between $100M to $1B.

Introduction to Venture Capital & Private Equity

History and evolution of VC/PE Industry
Key players (Founders, Builders, Accelerators, Funds, LPs, Strategics)
Creating a career in the VC/PE industry

VC Fund Thesis, Structure, Strategy, & Economics

Thesis: Generalist vs. Vertical Specialist
Structure: Limited Partnerships (LP) vs. General Partnerships (GP) vs. Mgmt. Co.
Strategy: Leading vs. Co-investing, Stage, Geography, Fund Size, Portfolio Construction, Initial Capital vs. Reserve vs. Opportunity Fund
Economics: Management fees, carry, and fund lifecycle
Understanding fund metrics (IRR, DPI, TVPI)

Deal Sourcing, Due Diligence, & Securing Allocations

How to source startups & deal flow management
12 Criteria for Investment Evaluation + 5 Core Lenses

VC/PE Financings: Investment Terms & Valuation

Types of financing rounds (Seed, Series A, B, C, etc.)
SAFEs, Convertible Notes, Term Sheets Of Preferred Equity
Pre-money vs. Post-money valuation
Evolutions Cap Tables: Common, Preferred Equity, Options/Warrants, Debt

Portfolio Management & Value Creation

Active vs. passive investment strategies
Adding value to portfolio companies
Follow-on investments and pro-rata rights

Exit Strategies

IPOs, M&As, and secondary sales
Structuring exits and liquidity events
Timing and maximizing returns

Legal Aspects

Accredited Investors vs. Qualified Purchasers
506b vs. 506c

Launching & Raising A Syndicate or VC/PE Fund

Evolution of fund managers
Tools To Do Your Job: CRM, Deal Flow Mgmt, Research
Legal Docs
Investor Portal
Fund Administration: Tax, Accounting, etc.
Capital raising strategies

Emerging Trends & The Future Of VC/PE Industry

Historical Returns of the VC/PE Asset Class
Risk/Return Opportunities Of The Past & Future
Impact of technology on VC (AI, blockchain, etc.)
Global venture capital markets
Diversity and Inclusion in VC investing

Case Studies

Case Studies of Funds
Case Studies Of Startups

Tuition & Formats

Two Ways To Learn VC

Choose the live quarterly scheduled masterclass or the self-paced on-demand video course. Both earn the VC/PE Masterclass Certificate.

Live Quarterly Scheduled Masterclass

USD $5K / €4.5K

Offered once per quarter

Live VC/PE Masterclass: West Cohort 5 days at 8 hrs/day · East Cohort 10 days at 4 hrs/day
Access to recordings of the live masterclass
Access to the on-demand video course of the masterclass
Access to the AI Digital Twin of J. Skyler Fernandes for Q&A
Earn the VC/PE Masterclass Certificate

Apply Now

Learn VC on your own schedule

On-Demand Video Course

USD $2.5K

Start any time

On-demand video course of the VC/PE Masterclass
Watch the 300+ slide curriculum whenever it suits you
Lifetime access to the course materials
Access to the AI Digital Twin of J. Skyler Fernandes for Q&A
Earn the VC/PE Masterclass Certificate

Enroll In The Video Course

Join in person at one of VU's five global offices, or virtually from anywhere.

Recognition

Earn Your VC/PE Masterclass Certificate

Complete the masterclass to earn the VC/PE Masterclass Certificate. Certificates are provided by Credly, so you can share yours on LinkedIn and link to a verifiable record of your achievement.

Certificates Provided By Credly

Shareable on LinkedIn with a verifiable link

Reviews & Testimonials

Reviews

4.9Excellent

Based on 64 reviews

“Excellent program! You gain high quality VC/PE investment work experience, with a very hands-on "learn by doing" approach with the apprenticeship program.”

— David L.

“An incredible gateway into venture capital. The mentorship, curriculum, and real-world investment practice are unmatched. Highly recommend to anyone serious about breaking into VC.”

— Sara G.

Masterclass FAQ

The live masterclass runs once per quarter. West Cohort: the first week of the cohort schedule, 5 days at 8 hours per day. East Cohort: the first two weeks of the cohort schedule, 10 days at 4 hours per day.

Learn VC

Master Venture Capital In One Program

40 hours of live instruction, 300+ slides, and the frameworks VU's General Partners use to evaluate 300+ investments.

Apply to the Masterclass View The On-Demand Course

Apply to The VC/PE Masterclass