Education
Education at the Club.
Rooted in Mannheim's tradition of excellence in business and economics, our program equips students with the advanced knowledge, refined skills and strategic mindset needed to ascend in High Finance.
Held to industry standards
All materials are benchmarked against industry standards, Python and Excel over theoretical learning, real analytics over vague claims, production-grade code over quick scripts.
Theory that culminates in execution
Each session is created with the goal of imparting not only knowledge of the topic, but also knowledge of how to use it.
Excellence is earned
A written exam paired with a presentation of each member's custom trading strategy, graded and certified jointly by the board and our industry partners. Passing depends not only on understanding, but on consistency and effort.
Winter Term 2026
Semester Updates
- Kickoff
- CW37
- First Learning Session
- 21.09.26 (Mon)
- Learning Sessions registration deadline
- 28.09.26
- Exam Registration Period
- 12.10.26 - 26.10.26
- Exam Part I - Theory
- CW44
- Exam Part II - Presentation
- CW45
The departments
Private Markets Course
- 6-7 weeks
- Summer semester only
- Two sessions per week
- ~25 per cohort
Overview
In Private Markets, we separate the course material into two independent but heavily interlinked parts: Private Equity and Private Debt.
Our Private Equity section offers unparalleled insights into alternative investments, with a focus on sophisticated acquisition strategies, value creation, and optimal exit execution for private companies.
In Private Debt, we explore the evolving landscape of alternative lending from the perspectives of both borrowers and lenders, focusing on the dynamics of risk, flexibility, and deal structuring. Our approach aims to break down complex financing arrangements into intuitive concepts that can be applied from the get go.
Goals
Private Equity
Understand how PE investors acquire, value, improve, and ultimately exit private companies to generate returns.
Private Debt
Understand how private lending deals are assessed, structured, and managed from both borrower and lender perspectives.
- Advanced study of Private Equity and Venture Capital fund structures and operations
- Valuation methodologies for high-growth and distressed private companies
- Complex leveraged buyout (LBO) modeling and growth equity investment strategies
- Comprehensive Due Diligence processes and proprietary deal sourcing techniques
- Value creation strategies employed by top-tier PE firms
- In-depth analysis of landmark private equity transactions
- Overview of private debt strategies, e.g. direct lending, mezzanine financing, and distressed credit
- Exploration of the classification and defining features of diverse loan types
- Due diligence and credit evaluation techniques tailored to varied lending opportunities
- Loan structuring and covenant design with a walkthrough of legal documentation
- Financial modeling and sensitivity analysis to assess performance and risk
- Examination of the interplay between private debt and private equity
- Private Equity Analyst
- M&A Analyst
- Investment Director
- Private Equity Risk Manager
- Venture Capital Analyst
- Private Equity Operations Consultant
A semester with us
[PLACEHOLDER, semester program copy TBD]
The examination
Once every semester in two parts.
The exam covers the semester's curriculum of your department: models you built, cases you discussed and the reasoning behind them. If you pass, you geta an official, verifiable certificate signed jointly by the club and our industry partners.
- Format
- Written + Project
- When
- End of each semester
- Registration
- Members only
- Retakes
- Annually per department
HWS 25 Public Markets Written Exam
Our Public Markets partner
Prime Capital AG: Absolute Return Team
The Absolute Return Team of Prime Capital AG is a fund of hedge funds and is one of the most reputable players in Germany. Every winter, our public markets examinees present their group projects to our directors of education, and to a representative of the Absolute Return Team. They assess both the written paper and the project presentation, and they co-sign every certificate we issue in the Public Markets. The partnership has run since HWS 2023, which means your result is judged against the standards of real world practitioners who allocate capital for a living, not against a classroom rubric.
Learn more about Prime Capital here
HWS 25 Public Markets Presentation Exam
with Prime Capital AG
By the numbers
[PLACEHOLDER, numbers headline TBD]
Next step