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The Beginner’s and Intermediate's (Complete) Guide to M&A (Udemy.com)

With a Side Dish of Accounting, Finance, and Corporate Law.

Created by: Jerome ("J") Egan

Last updated August 2023

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What you will learn

  • Get a "Crash Course" in the accounting, finance, and legal principles underlying M&A.
  • Understand the difference between a “merger" and an "acquisition”, what drives M&A activity, and how value is created (or destroyed) through an M&A transaction.
  • Know the difference between a public and private company and the process by which a private company "goes public".
  • Recognize the potential impact of state and federal laws on M&A transactions.
  • Understand what's meant by a company's "capital structure".
  • Learn the steps in the M&A process.
  • Understand "deal structuring" and the structures used in an M&A transaction (Asset Purchase, Stock Purchase, and Merger).
  • Learn what makes an M&A transaction “friendly” or “hostile,” the steps and tactics for each, and what takeover defenses are available to a Target company.

How it compares

Against the other 1,210 rated Udemy courses in Business on CourseDuck:

  • Rating4.6 out of 5higher than 74% of them
  • Reviews28#1,200 of 1,211 by number of reviews
  • Length5.2 hourslonger than 71% of them
  • Last updatedAugust 2023earlier than 77% of them

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Course Description

Overview. The Beginner’s and Intermediate's (Complete) Guide to M&A is a course in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and the M&A market.  We will be covering all of the important aspects of M&A transactions, using real-world business examples and case studies wherever possible to make the connection between learning and application.  And we’ll have a lot of fun doing it!  I have been fortunate in my career to have worked on many “headline deals” that involved some big personalities (and egos).  They make for great case studies to review during class, but make for even better behind-the-scenes stories.  In addition, we’ll cover some areas that aren’t addressed in most M&A courses, but that I think you’ll find both fascinating and entertaining.  For example, “Hostile Takeovers” and “Poison Pills” have been in the news for much 2022, but what exactly are they?  We’ll talk about those, and many other current trends in the M&A market.


Who is this Course For? The Beginner’s and Intermediate's (Complete) Guide to M&A is intended for beginners and intermediates and provides a basic (but thorough) overview of the entire M&A process.  For those with no business background, and anyone who could benefit from a review, I have included a "Crash Course" (see below) that covers many concepts related to M&A.


Crash Course. Mergers & Acquisitions is a subject that brings together multiple disciplines, including accounting, finance, and corporate law.  For anyone with no background in these topics or who would benefit from a review, the course includes a comprehensive "Crash Course" that covers concepts that are applicable to this course.


Downloadable Materials. The course includes a significant amount of content that you are free to download and keep, including recorded lectures, a PowerPoint Slide Deck for every lecture, Case Studies, and Study Aids.

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Instructor Details

Jerome (

My name is Jerome Egan (I go by "J").  I grew up outside of Philadelphia, have lived most of my life in New York and Los Angeles, with stops in Asia and Australia, and have three beautiful daughters.

I began my career as a corporate attorney specializing in mergers and acquisitions.  In that role, I worked on over $60 billion of M&A transactions, including the following:

- MCI | WorldCom: Largest corporate acquisition at that point in U.S. history ($37B).

- AHP | American Cyanamid: Largest cash hostile takeover at that point in U.S. history ($9.7B).

- Universal Studios: Acquisition of PolyGram NV ($10.4B); sale of TV operations to Home Shopping Network ($4.1B).

I later entered the private equity industry, where I led nearly $2 billion of acquisitions across North America, Europe, and Australia.

I hold a B.S. in Business Administration and a B.A. in Psychology from Penn State University, where I graduated third in my class from the College of Business with Highest Distinction.  I later received my J.D. from the New York University School of Law and my M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business.

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Reviews

4.6

28 ratings on Udemy

Select a bar to show only those reviews.Select the bar again to show every rating.

By Adi Heesom on 12/17/2025

Yes, I am learning a lot

By Pedro on 8/24/2025

I like how he brings real life experiences.

By Shelby Leland on 9/13/2024

Clear and concise info

By Ben Hanowell on 3/21/2024

A very clear introduction to the topic of M&A for a beginner like me. I know a lot more than when I started, and the course made me hungry for more knowledge.

By Precious Moyo on 8/2/2023

Very audible and clear picture quality

By Aakash Sridharan on 6/3/2023

The instructor was really good, i was hoping for a more step by step breakdown of how M and A deals are done but either way it was good over. Thank you Mr. J.

By Yvonne Marron on 4/12/2023

This course is amazing. Professor J has an amazing ability of explaining complex concepts. Highly recommend.

By Tanya Schnipper on 1/21/2023

Excellent professor, easy to follow, great sense of humor

By Anonymized User on 1/20/2023

Love Prof J!! Makes everything easy to understand and has fantastic real life examples, case studies, etc. Awesome class! Can't wait for his other courses to be available!

By Dennis Spaar on 1/10/2023

Professor J is amazing, and his style of teaching is exactly what I wanted - lots of real-world examples, stories about the M&A deals he worked on, and he's funny!

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Overall Score : 92 / 100