Dealmakers – Application and Information

Applications are accepted each Spring for Dealmakers in Mergers and Acquisitions (ACCT 447 for undergraduates or ACCT 647 for graduates) for the following Fall semester.  Admission requirements include:

  1. Must be either a 4th year undergraduate or 5th year graduate student in good standing with minimum GPA of 3.40 from any major at the Mays Business School.
  2. Course prerequisites for undergraduate students include:
    • ACCT 229/230 (Introductory Accounting), and
    • FINC 341 (Business Finance).
  3. Strong applicants should possess the following qualities:
    • A strong academic performance, generally and within their major,
    • Desire and interest to work collaboratively in teams, and
    • Interest in investment banking, corporate M&A, private equity, transaction consulting or other investment and / or transaction professional services roles.
    • Demonstrated leadership and meaningful involvement in classroom, community and / or student life.

Application Instructions and Requirements:

  1. All interested applicants are expected to attend the Dealmakers in M&A Information Session for Class 12 on April 5, 2023 from 5:30 – 7:00 pm, Wehner Room 114.  Former Dealmakers students, Dealmakers key industry sponsors and faculty will be present to discuss this special course and to answer questions.
    Zoom Information Session
    https://tamu.zoom.us/j/5039371779    ; Meeting ID: 503 937 1779; Passcode: 388002
  2. Complete the Dealmakers in M&A Application Form:
    • Open the PDF in browser; fill out the form from this view.
    • Insert a color photo at the top right corner of the first page of the application
    • Download / save completed application to your computer.
    • Email a copy of the completed application and a current resume to Professor Carlos Rodriguez, crodriguez@mays.tamu.edu no later than 2:00 pm on Friday April 14, 2023.
  3. Provide at least one short nomination from a Texas A&M faculty member in PDF format (see below)
    • This should be submitted from the Texas A&M faculty member by email directly to Professor Carlos Rodriguez, crodriguez@mays.tamu.edu
  4. Sign up for an interview time here. Interview slots are available during the following the interview dates and times below. They will be conducted in person by Professor Carlos Rodriguez.
    • Interview dates:  Monday, April 17th, April 18th, April 20th, and April 21st (time slots 8:30 am-12:30 pm & 2:00 – 6:00 pm)
    • Prior to your interview with Professor Carlos Rodriguez, you need to have submitted your completed Application Packet.
  5. If your Application Packet does not include all of the required documentation and/or you do not meet the prerequisites, it is considered incomplete and will not be processed.
  6. All applicants will be notified of an admission decision by email by the end of the Spring semester.

Nomination Information:

Nominations must come from a Mays Business School faculty member. Most nominations for business students come from Texas A&M Accounting and Finance faculty members. For your convenience, links to contact information for Accounting and Finance professors are below:

More Dealmakers in M&A Information:

Class Size: Limited to about 30-40 qualified students.

Class Format:

Class meets during the fall semester only once a week on Fridays from 9:00 AM-noon. The TAMU Executive Professor delivers content and facilitates case preparation every other week.  The alternating content and cases are provided by 6-7 active M&A professionals from leading investment banking, private equity, corporate and advisory firms from across the nation.

Course Description/Purpose:

Selected students learn the real world dynamics of mergers and acquisitions from experienced and currently active M&A professionals through a combination of lecture and actual deal cases.  Group case presentations are critiqued by prominent Dealmakers brought in from around the country on a biweekly basis.   Specific topics include finding the right deal, valuation methods and techniques, price and terms, negotiation skills, legal and tax aspects of deal structuring, pre and post-closing considerations and effective integration of acquired businesses.

Other Activities:

Outside speakers sponsor group lunches on Fridays after class.   Students will have the opportunity to interact with the real life Dealmaker’s in this social setting, allowing for a relaxed exchange of career ideas, market opportunities and other life lessons.

Key Industry Sponsors:

Drew Koecher, Class of 1988, Managing Director of Transaction Advisory Services and Co-Head of Financial Advisory Services practice at Houlihan Lokey, Dallas; former Partner and Transaction Services Leader with KPMG; 30+ years’ experience in global corporate and financial M&A.

Sean D. Murphy, Class of 1996, Managing Director and National Practice Leader Houlihan Lokey Transaction Advisory Services practice, Dallas; 25+ years of experience serving private equity investors in their global M&A endeavors.   

Executive Professor:

Carlos Rodriguez, Class of 1992, CPA with over 28 years finance, accounting, and mergers & acquisitions experience across a wide variety of industries in both public and private equity backed companies.

Questions?  Please address your questions to Professor Carlos Rodriguez.