What are the basic accounting concepts covered?

<text variant="body1">You will gain a solid understanding of fundamental accounting terms and concepts, enabling you to interpret financial information and contribute to financial reporting.

What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

Is financial aid available?

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Finance for Non-Financial Professionals

Finance for Non-Financial Professionals

This course is part of Career Success Specialization

Instructor: David Standen, MBA

196,107 already enrolled

Included with Coursera Plus

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4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

4.6

(4,562 reviews)

7 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

97%

Most learners liked this course

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

4.6

(4,562 reviews)

7 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

97%

Most learners liked this course

What you'll learn

Apply the concepts of accounting and finance
Understand key accounting and finance terms
Examine financial statements by using key ratios
Explain the importance of budgeting process

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

5 assignments¹

AI Graded see disclaimer

Taught in English

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This course is part of the Career Success Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

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Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

This course is for non-financial professionals, managers, and business leaders seeking to understand core finance and accounting concepts to drive organizational growth and impact financial decisions. You will gain a basic understanding of finance and accounting principles, enabling you to analyze financial information and assess the impact of your decisions across functional areas. Specific topics include financial analysis, planning, forecasting, budgeting, cash flow management, and strategic financing. You will learn to apply these concepts through practical exercises, potentially leveraging tools like Microsoft Excel for financial analysis and forecasting.

Upon completing this course, you will be able to: 1. Explain the importance of finance and interpretation of financial information. 2. Apply accounting and finance concepts to analyze financials. 3. Understand key accounting and finance terms. 4. Examine financial statements using key ratios. 5. Explain the importance of the budgeting process. 6. Learn key components needed to improve profitability. To be successful in this course, no prior finance or accounting background is required.

What's included

5 videos3 readings2 assignments

5 videosTotal 38 minutes

Introduction 3 minutes
1.1 The Building Blocks of Accounting5 minutes
1.2 Overview of the Finance Principles4 minutes
1.3 The Four Financial Statements 9 minutes
1.4 The Practice of Accounting 15 minutes

3 readingsTotal 30 minutes

About this Course10 minutes
Finance Quick Reference Guide10 minutes
Module 1 Lecture Slides10 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 33 minutes

Module 1 Review15 minutes
Module 1 Quiz18 minutes

What's included

4 videos2 readings1 assignment

What's included

4 videos3 readings1 assignment1 peer review

4 videosTotal 20 minutes

3.1 Liquidity Ratios 5 minutes
3.2 Asset, Profitability, and Debt Ratios 9 minutes
3.3 DuPont Pyramid 2 minutes
3.4 Earnings and Dividends 2 minutes

3 readingsTotal 30 minutes

Module 3 Lecture Slides10 minutes
Supplemental Reading10 minutes
Financial Statement for Gap (for Peer Review)10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 22 minutes

Module 3 Quiz22 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 120 minutes

Optional: Perform a DuPont Analysis120 minutes

What's included

4 videos2 readings1 assignment

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.

Instructor

Instructor ratings

4.7 (622 ratings)

David Standen, MBA

University of California, Irvine

11 Courses330,376 learners

Offered by

University of California, Irvine

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Learner reviews

4.6

4,562 reviews

5 stars
67.44%
4 stars
25.16%
3 stars
5.85%
2 stars
0.94%
1 star
0.59%

Showing 3 of 4562

Reviewed on Aug 20, 2015

I am enjoying this class so far. It has given me a new way to look at companies and evaluate their financial stability. I look forward to taking more classes from University of California.

Reviewed on Sep 22, 2017

Loved the course contents, the explanations and the pace. I would have liked to have a discussion forum and see the correct solutions to the test, and especially the peer assignment.

Reviewed on Aug 27, 2017

An amazing course for someone interested in finance and entrepreneurship. The syllabus is exactly for someone who has less prior knowledge about finance which makes this course even better.

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Frequently asked questions

This course clarifies how understanding core finance and accounting principles empowers non-financial professionals to make informed business decisions, impacting profitability and organizational growth.

You will learn to examine financial statements using key ratios, understand budgeting processes, and apply financial forecasting techniques to assess business performance.

The program provides foundational financial management knowledge, covering cash flow analysis, cost management, and strategic financing to optimize resource allocation within your unit.

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.