VC University is a foundational certificate course on venture finance, created in 2019 through the partnership of NVCA, Venture Forward, and Startup@BerkeleyLaw at the UC Berkeley School of Law.
VC University democratizes access to quality venture capital education for early career investors, entrepreneurs, attorneys, and anyone else who’s interested in emerging company finance. The program provides a structured introduction and practical training on the nuts and bolts of venture finance.
VC University has two distinct components:
- VC University ONLINE: an online certificate course.
- VC University LIVE: a three-day, in-person program held in partnership with universities across the country.
Venture Forward is proud to offer a limited number of full scholarships for each program.
VC University ONLINE
The VC University ONLINE certificate program is offered three times a year. The online course consists of 20+ hours of lectures by UC Berkeley faculty, NVCA executives, and VC leaders, and 30-40 hours of independent coursework. The program also includes virtual office hours, monthly webinars with leading venture capitalists, and interactive assessments through which participants learn the fundamentals of venture finance. Students who complete the requirements of the course earn a certificate of completion at the end of the program.
Tuition for VC University ONLINE is $1500. Berkeley alumni and employees of NVCA member firms are eligible for a 20% discount on tuition. Venture Forward is also proud to offer a limited number of full scholarships for qualified candidates from historically underrepresented backgrounds who are pursuing careers in VC.
For programming dates and more details, please visit: https://venturecapitaluniversity.com/online-course
Impact to date:
- 4 VC University ONLINE cohorts since launch in 2019
- 500+ total participants
Important Dates for VC University ONLINE – September 2020
The next VC University ONLINE program begins on September 1, 2020.
- Jun. 22: Scholarship application opens
- Jul. 10: Deadline to apply for scholarship
- Jul. 24: Scholarship recipients notified
- Jul. 27: General Registration opens
- Sep. 1: VC University ONLINE begins
The scholarship application for the September 2020 cohort of VC University ONLINE is now closed. Visit the VC University website for more details about the program.
VC University LIVE
VC University LIVE is a three-day, in-person program held in partnership with universities in emerging VC ecosystems across the country.
VC University LIVE provides an introductory overview of the Silicon Valley model of venture capital, while shining a spotlight on emerging venture ecosystems. These events convene local industry leaders and VC leaders from the coasts; offer foundational instruction to VC newcomers; and address cutting-edge industry issues, including how to improve capital and talent flows between local ecosystems and Silicon Valley. Critically, these programs provide an opportunity to connect with local leaders as well as influencers from Silicon Valley.
Tuition for VC University LIVE is $1500. Alumni from Berkeley, alumni from the host university, and employees of NVCA member firms are eligible for a 20% discount on tuition. Venture Forward is also proud to offer a limited number of full scholarships to qualified candidates from historically underrepresented backgrounds who are pursuing careers in VC.
In 2020-21, VC University LIVE will be held in partnership with:
- the Robert B. Rowling Center for Business Law & Leadership at SMU in Dallas, Texas, and with
- the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise and the Kenan-Flagler Business School Entrepreneurship Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
For 2020 programming dates and more details on VC University LIVE, please visit: https://venturecapitaluniversity.com/live-program/
Universities who are interested in partnering with Venture Forward and Startup@BerkeleyLaw to bring VC University LIVE to your region should contact Rhianon Anderson at rhianon@ventureforward.org.
Impact to date:
- 2 VC University LIVE programs in 2019
- Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan
- A. B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University.
- 126 participants across 2 programs
Venture Forward Scholarship
Venture Forward is proud to offer a limited number of full scholarships to cover the cost of VC University for candidates from historically underrepresented backgrounds.
SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY & CRITERIA
To be eligible for consideration, scholarship applicants MUST:
- Reside in the United States.
- Intend to pursue VC careers in the United States.
- Submit a completed application by the relevant program deadline.
The goal of the Venture Forward scholarship is to mitigate the barriers to entry and success in venture for candidates who:
- Intend to pursue a career in venture capital;
- Would significantly benefit from a structured introduction and exploration of VC concepts;
- Are part of a demographic group that is historically underrepresented in venture capital;
- Are committed to expanding opportunity for others who are historically underrepresented;
- Would otherwise be prohibited from participating in VC University by the cost.
Please Note:
- While we understand that many types of people would meaningfully benefit from participating in this course, this scholarship is for underrepresented students who specifically intend to pursue careers in venture capital. Applicants who do not specifically intend to pursue careers in venture capital are unlikely to be a good fit for this scholarship.
- This scholarship is intended for students who would otherwise be prohibited from participating by the cost. If you are already working for a VC firm or a related company, we strongly encourage you to ask your employer to subsidize the cost of tuition as a professional development investment. If this is a possibility for you, please pursue this route before applying for a scholarship. Feel free to use this template to help draft your request.
- We do not ask for or accept recommendations as part of our consideration process; scholarship applicants are solely measured on the strength of their application, and any supplemental outreach or recommendations will not be considered.
Scholarship application dates can be found for each program at: https://venturecapitaluniversity.com/
Important Dates for VC University ONLINE – September 2020
The next VC University ONLINE program begins on September 1, 2020.
- Jun. 22: Scholarship application opens
- Jul. 10: Deadline to apply for scholarship
- Jul. 24: Scholarship recipients notified
- Jul. 27: General Registration opens
- Sep. 1: VC University ONLINE begins
The scholarship application for the September 2020 cohort of VC University ONLINE is now closed. Visit the VC University website for more details about the program.
Impact to date:
VC University ONLINE Scholarships
- 54 full scholarships and 33 partial scholarships awarded to women, people of color, and people from other historically underrepresented groups (out of 500+ total students.)
- June 2020 full scholarship recipient demographic breakdown:
- 78% Women
- 48% Black
- 43% Non-Black People of Color
- 66% based outside California, Massachusetts, or New York.
VC University LIVE Scholarships
- 10 full scholarships awarded to women, people of color, and people from historically underrepresented group (out of 120 students.)
Lunch & Learn Topics and Speakers
All current and alumni VC University participants have access to the monthly Lunch & Learn webinars. Past topics and speakers have included:
- LP Insights – Beezer Clarkson (Sapphire Ventures) & Lisa Edgar (Top Tier)
- Secrets of Sand Hill Road – Scott Kupor (Andreessen Horowitz)
- Portfolio Construction – Charles Hudson (Precursor) & Renata Quintini (Lux Capital)
- The Traction Gap – Bruce Cleveland (Wildcat Ventures)
- Industry Perspectives on VC-Backed Exits and Liquidity – Guru Chahal (Lightspeed Venture Partners); Tim de Kay (Deloitte); Brian Patterson (Gunderson Dettmer)
- How to Diligence, Value, and Protect Intellectual Property at Startups – Mira Chaurushiya (5AM Ventures); Shahin Farshchi (Lux Capital); Paul Parker (Perkins Coie)
- Important Public Policy Issues Impacting VCs and Startups – NVCA Policy Team
- VC AMA – Jeff Clavier (Uncork Capital)
- How to Build a Successful Career in VC – Kate Mitchell (Scale Venture Partners)
- The Good, The Bad & The Ugly of VC – Joe Horowitz (Icon Ventures)
- Emerging VC Fundraising & Fund Management Best Practices During a Downturn – Will Price (Next Frontier Capital) & Seyonne Kang (Greenspring Associates)
- Breaking into VC – Mahendra Ramisinghani (Secure Octane)