What is VC University?
VC University is the definitive online course in venture finance. Participants will learn the nuts and bolts of venture and earn a certificate of completion. Course components include lectures, conversations with leading venture capitalists, interactive activities, and networking.
- Self-paced, online course with live virtual office hours, webinars, and alumni network
- 10-week recommended schedule (access to course platform for 5 months)
- Perfect for professionals new to venture capital and practitioners who want to reinforce their understanding of venture fundamentals!
What to Expect
Features
- Course Platform — Leverages UC Berkeley’s online course platform to provide a self-paced learning experience.
- Lunch & Learn Webinars — Monthly live webinars with venture capital thought-leaders.
- Office Hours & Special Live Sessions — Weekly live virtual office hours with instructors, hosted during the first 8-10 weeks of the course, in addition to special sessions hosted by Aumni, PitchBook, Tome, and WilmerHale.
- Complimentary PitchBook access for 3 months.
- Participant and Alumni Network — Gain access to our VC University Slack workspace (for current and past cohorts)
Course Curriculum
The VC University certificate course features 5 modules. Each module consists of a mix of lectures, investor perspectives, exercises, and/or assessments:
- Venture Fund Fundamentals — Explores how venture funds are structured and managed.
- Startup Fundamentals — Covers how venture-backed companies are formed, managed, and funded.
- Venture Deal Fundamentals — Addresses the terms, processes, and structures that drive venture financings.
- Modeling Venture Deals — Utilizes case studies and capitalization table exercises to illustrate the economics of venture finance.
- Advanced Topics in Venture Capital — Examines issues like public policy, corporate venture, investor governance, venture capital careers, valuations, and more.
Program Dates
Cohort 16 (June 2024)
- March 11: Scholarship application opens
- March 22: Deadline to apply for a scholarship
- April 12: Scholarship recipients notified and response requested
- April 15: General registration opens
- June 3: Cohort 16 of VC University begins
- June 5-12: Sign-up window for the mentorship program
- June 28: Cohort 16 mentorship program eligibility checkpoint
- August: Cohort 16 mentorship program begins
- August: Scholarship Office Hours begin
- November 4: Cohort 16 concludes
Cohort 17 (September 2024)
- June 10: Scholarship application opens
- June 14: Deadline to apply for a scholarship
- July 19: Scholarship recipients notified and response requested
- July 22: General registration opens
- Sept. 3: Cohort 17 of VC University begins
- Oct. 4: Cohort 17 mentorship program eligibility checkpoint
- Nov.: Cohort 17 mentorship program begins
- Dec.: Scholarship Office Hours begin
- Feb. 3, 2025: Cohort 17 concludes
Impact
Stats at a Glance
16
VC University sold-out cohorts since launch in 2019
4000+
total participants
543
full scholarships awarded
Scholarship
Scholarships are available by application for new or aspiring VC investors from underrepresented backgrounds. Learn more.
The scholarship application for Cohort 17 (September 2024) is now closed.
Scholarship Sponsors
VC University Annual Scholarship Sponsors
Tuition & Discounts
General tuition is $1,850 per participant. General registration for Cohort 17 (September 2024) will open on July 22, 2024.
UC Berkeley alums and NVCA members receive a 20% discount*. Group rates are available. Only one discount may be applied, and codes cannot be retroactively applied. Contact [email protected] for discount codes before registering.
Participant Testimonials
Instructors and Guest Speakers
VC University incorporates lectures and interviews with faculty from UC Berkeley, executives from NVCA and Venture Forward, and leading venture capitalists.
Sandip Agarwala
Blue Owl Capital - Managing Director
Vikram Bajaj
Foresite Capital - Managing Director
Robert Bartlett
Stanford Law School - Professor
Sarah Bhagat
Sofinnova Investments - General Partner
Jeff Clavier
Uncork Capital - Founder & Managing Partner
Nadia Dugal
Tome - Co-Founder
Jeff Farrah
National Venture Capital Association - General Counsel
Justin Field
National Venture Capital Association - Senior VP of Government Affairs
Joseph Floyd
Emergence Capital - General Partner
Bobby Franklin
National Venture Capital Association - President & CEO
Lili Gangas
Kapor Center - Chief Technology Community Officer
Jan Garfinkle
Arboretum Ventures - Founder & Managing Partner
Aziz Giliani
Mercury Fund - Managing Director
Josh Greene
Mohr Davidow Ventures - VP, Corporate Development & Administration at Carbon 3D
Maryam Haque
Venture Forward - Executive Director
Charles Hudson
Precursor Ventures - Founder and Managing Partner
Maha Ibrahim
Canaan - General Partner
Partner & COO
Goodwater Capital - General Counsel
James Joaquin
Obvious Ventures - Co-Founder & Managing Director
Deborah Kang
Zscaler - Senior Product Counsel
Dan Kidle
Arboretum Ventures - Principal
Amit Kumar
Accel - Partner
Scott Kupor
Andreessen Horowitz - Managing Partner
Kate Mitchell
Scale Venture Partners - Co-Founder and Partner
Patricia Nakache
Trinity Ventures - General Partner
Will Price
Next Frontier Capital - Founder & General Partner
Renata Quintini
Renegade Partners - Co-Founder & Managing Director
Glenn Rieger
NewSpring Capital - General Partner
Jordan Rigberg
J.P. Morgan - Executive Director, Innovation Economy Debt Solutions
Charlotte Savercool
National Venture Capital Association - Director of Government Affairs
John Somorjai
Salesforce - Executive VP of Corporate Development and Salesforce Ventures
Otello Stampacchia
Omega Funds - Managing Director
Adam Sterling
Berkeley Law - Assistant Dean
Santi Subotovsky
Emergence Capital - General Partner
Lolita Taub
NextGen Venture Partners - Venture Partner
Kate Walsh
Silicon Valley Bank - Managing Director
Cindy Xiong
Foresite Capital - Senior Investment Analyst
Related Programs
From UC Berkeley, NVCA, and Venture Forward
- VC University LIVE – our three-day certificate program on venture finance, held in partnership with universities in emerging VC ecosystems across the country.
- Venture Capital Symposium – a two-day conference from NVCA and Stanford focused on governance best practices
From other organizations
- Black Venture Institute – Access, insight, and community for Black operators looking to become angel and venture investors
- Venture Deals Online Course – A free course from Kauffman Fellows and Techstars
- Arlan’s Academy – Over 35+ hours of startup training with new courses added weekly.
- Carta Venture Capital 101 – A 43-minute series of short videos led by Rita Astoor, Head of Venture Capital Business Development and a Product Advisor at Carta and a frequent guest instructor for VC University office hours.
Other Ways to Get Involved
If you’re interested in supporting VC University as a scholarship sponsor, Lunch & Learn speaker, mentor, or in some other way, please contact [email protected].