# Advanced Excel for Financial Modeling

Canonical URL: <https://www.graduateschool.edu/courses/excel-for-finance>

## Overview

Master the advanced Excel tricks, techniques, and tools used by financial analysts to build and audit financial models. By the end of this course, you’ll know how to create efficient, flexible formulas, perform sensitivity analysis, and fully leverage Excel’s finance-specific features.

 
- Begin working with cash flow modeling and projections in Excel
- Master Excel shortcuts and techniques for financial modeling, including navigation, formula writing, and working without the mouse
- Audit financial models and write efficient, flexible formulas
- Use advanced analytical tools for sensitivity analysis
- Apply financial functions for NPV, IRR, Bond Yields, and Mortgage Payments
- Master advanced functions essential for analysts: Nested functions, VLOOKUP-MATCH, INDEX-MATCH

 

This course is included as the first day of our Financial Modeling Bootcamp. In the Bootcamp, you’ll build a valuation model on a public company while analyzing its financial statements and creating meaningful projections. The Bootcamp also reviews financial accounting, corporate finance, and corporate valuation concepts and includes smaller projects in LBO modeling and integrated 3-statement modeling.

## What you'll learn

- Financial functions: NPV, IRR, XNPV, and XIRR
- Advanced database functions: VLOOKUP-MATCH, & INDEX-MATCH
- Create Data Tables to show outputs based on various scenarios
- Use Goal Seek's powerful calculation tools
- Create financial projections based on historical data
- Learn Hot Keys to work in Excel without the mouse
- Master Excel with a variety of shortcuts finance professionals need

## Prerequisites

Prior financial experience is helpful, but not required. 

Excel proficiency equivalent to [Intermediate Excel for Business](/courses/intermediate-excel-classes) is required, including VLOOKUP, Pivot Tables, and IF statements.

## Curriculum

### Advanced techniques to Expedite Workflow

#### Efficient formula writing

#### Formula & model auditing

#### Advanced cell locking

#### Hot Keys to work without the mouse

#### Windows & work with multiple applications

#### Go To Special

#### Paste Special

### Project #1: Revenue build-up by store count and same store sales growth

#### Learn different methods for projecting company revenues

#### Apply advanced Excel techniques to quickly build out projections

### Advanced Analytical Tools & Sensitivity Analysis

#### Goal Seek

#### Data Tables

#### Scenario Manager

### Project #2: Cash flow modeling & sensitivity analysis

#### Project revenues and expenses

#### Discount cash flows to the present value

#### Run a sensitivity analysis for valuation based on revenue growth and gross margin

### Database Functions for Finance

#### Advanced SUMIFS

#### VLOOKUP-MATCH

#### INDEX-MATCH

### Functions for Financial Modeling

#### Financial functions

#### Date functions

#### Nested IF statements

#### IF Statements with AND/OR

#### CHOOSE function

#### Weighted average calculations

#### IFERROR

### Projects #3: Loan amortization model

#### Model cash flows from an amortizing loan

#### Use advanced functions to aggregate the data

## Schedule
- Jun 17, 2026 10:00am–5:00pm — Live Online

## Instructors

### Alan B. Robinson — Instructor

Mr. Robinson is a seasoned legal and federal employment expert with over two decades of experience. He recently retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, where he spent 11 years as Deputy Director/Director for the Office of Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity (ODEO) and 8 years as Chief of Employee and Labor Relations. In these roles, he provided extensive guidance on federal employment matters, showcasing his deep expertise in labor relations and diversity initiatives.

A graduate of the University of Virginia with a B.A. in Government, Mr. Robinson earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Maryland School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Before his federal service, he built a robust legal career, starting as a law clerk for the Baltimore City Orphan’s Court, followed by 10 years as a civil defense litigator with a D.C. law firm, and later operating his own solo practice for 5 years. His private practice focused on representing federal agencies, employees, municipalities, and private entities in employment-related cases before the EEOC, Merit Systems Protection Board, and various courts.

Currently, Mr. Robinson shares his wealth of knowledge as an adjunct instructor with the Graduate School USA and serves as a registered arbitrator for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). His extensive background in law, federal employment, and diversity makes him a valuable resource in his field.

## Pricing

**Tuition:** $350