Do I need to take the courses in a specific order?

No, you can take the courses in this Specialization in any order.

Will I earn university credit for completing the Business Foundations Specialization?

Coursera courses and certificates don't carry university credit, though some universities may choose to accept Specialization Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more.

Is this course really 100% online? Do I need to attend any classes in person?

This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.

Can I just enroll in a single course?

Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.

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.

Can I take the course for free?

No, you cannot take this course for free. 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. If you cannot afford the fee, you can apply for financial aid.

Will I earn university credit for completing the Specialization?

This Specialization doesn't carry university credit, but some universities may choose to accept Specialization Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more.

Business Foundations Specialization

Business Foundations Specialization

Solve Real Business Problems. Build a foundation of core business skills in marketing, finance, accounting and operations.

Instructors: Michael R Roberts

Included with Coursera Plus

Learn more

6 course series

Get in-depth knowledge of a subject

4.7

(19,027 reviews)

Beginner level

No prior experience required

2 months to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

6 course series

Get in-depth knowledge of a subject

4.7

(19,027 reviews)

Beginner level

No prior experience required

2 months to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

Understand branding and go-to-market strategies
Read income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements
Manage people through motivation and reward systems
Analyze and improve business processes in services or manufacturing

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Taught in English

54 practice exercises

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

logos of Petrobras, TATA, Danone, Capgemini, P&G and L'Oreal

Advance your subject-matter expertise

Learn in-demand skills from university and industry experts
Master a subject or tool with hands-on projects
Develop a deep understanding of key concepts
Earn a career certificate from University of Pennsylvania

Specialization - 6 course series

In this Specialization, you’ll develop basic literacy in the language of business, which you can use to transition to a new career, start or improve your own small business, or apply to business school to continue your education. In five courses, you’ll learn the fundamentals of marketing, accounting, operations, and finance. In the final Capstone Project, you’ll apply the skills learned by developing a go-to-market strategy to address a real business challenge.

Introduction to Marketing

Course 112 hours

What you'll learn

Taught by three of Wharton's top faculty in the marketing department, consistently ranked as the #1 marketing department in the world, this course covers three core topics in customer loyalty: branding, customer centricity, and practical, go-to-market strategies.

You’ll learn key principles in - Branding: brand equity is one of the key elements of keeping customers in a dynamic world in which new startups are emerging constantly. - Customer centricity: not synonymous with customer service, customer centricity starts with customer focus and need-gathering. - Go-to-market strategies: understand the drivers that influence customers and see how these are implemented prior to making an investment. Complete this course as part of Wharton's Business Foundations Specialization, and you'll have the opportunity to take the Capstone Project and prepare a strategic analysis and proposed solution to a real business challenge from Wharton-governed companies like Shazam and SnapDeal or to a challenge faced by your own company or organization. Wharton-trained staff will evaluate the top submissions, and leadership teams at Shazam and SnapDeal will review the highest scoring projects prepared for their companies.

Skills you'll gain

Consumer Behaviour, Brand Strategy, Marketing, Marketing Analytics, Market Opportunities, Target Market, Customer Insights, Branding, Strategic Marketing, Marketing Strategy and Techniques, Go To Market Strategy, Customer experience strategy (CX), and Marketing Communications

Introduction to Financial Accounting

Course 215 hours

What you'll learn

Master the technical skills needed to analyze financial statements and disclosures for use in financial analysis, and learn how accounting standards and managerial incentives affect the financial reporting process. By the end of this course, you’ll be able to read the three most common financial statements: the income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows. Then you can apply these skills to a real-world business challenge as part of the Wharton Business Foundations Specialization.

Skills you'll gain

Financial Statements, Cash Flows, Depreciation, Financial Statement Analysis, Financial Accounting, Balance Sheet, Bookkeeping, Accrual Accounting, Income Statement, Return On Investment, Financial Analysis, Accounting, Business Metrics, General Ledger, Financial Reporting, and Revenue Recognition

Managing Social and Human Capital

Course 39 hours

What you'll learn

People are the most valuable asset of any business, but they are also the most unpredictable, and the most difficult asset to manage. And although managing people well is critical to the health of any organization, most managers don't get the training they need to make good management decisions. Now, award-winning authors and renowned management Professors Mike Useem and Peter Cappelli of the Wharton School have designed this course to introduce you to the key elements of managing people. Based on their popular course at Wharton, this course will teach you how to motivate individual performance and design reward systems, how to design jobs and organize work for high performance, how to make good and timely management decisions, and how to design and change your organization’s architecture. By the end of this course, you'll have developed the skills you need to start motivating, organizing, and rewarding people in your organization so that you can thrive as a business and as a social organization.

Skills you'll gain

People Management, Decision Making, Employee Performance Management, Job Analysis, Human Capital, Organizational Structure, Organizational Leadership, Constructive Feedback, Recruitment, Leadership and Management, Compensation Management, Team Motivation, Organizational Effectiveness, and Change Management

Introduction to Corporate Finance

Course 49 hours

What you'll learn

This course provides a brief introduction to the fundamentals of finance, emphasizing their application to a wide variety of real-world situations spanning personal finance, corporate decision-making, and financial intermediation. Key concepts and applications include: time value of money, risk-return tradeoff, cost of capital, interest rates, retirement savings, mortgage financing, auto leasing, capital budgeting, asset valuation, discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis, net present value, internal rate of return, hurdle rate, payback period.

Skills you'll gain

Corporate Finance, Cash Flows, Return On Investment, Financial Analysis, Financial Modeling, Capital Budgeting, Cost Benefit Analysis, Working Capital, Financial Management, Depreciation, Financial Acumen, Risk Analysis, Forecasting, Loans, Cash Flow Forecasting, Business Valuation, Capital Expenditure, and Finance

Introduction to Operations Management

Course 516 hours

What you'll learn

You will learn to analyze processes, optimize flow, and manage variability, driving improvements and achieving excellence in operations management.

Skills you'll gain

Operations Management, Process Improvement, Process Analysis, Continuous Improvement Process, Capacity Planning, Supply Chain Management, Root Cause Analysis, Statistical Process Controls, Lean Methodologies, Operational Efficiency, Workflow Management, Quality Management, Inventory Management System, Process Flow Diagrams, and Process Management

Wharton Business Foundations Capstone

Course 615 hours

What you'll learn

Skills you'll gain

Peer Review, Project Design, Competitive Analysis, Accounting, Business, Marketing, Business Planning, Finance, Analysis, Strategic Thinking, Business Analysis, Business Strategy, Constructive Feedback, Report Writing, Marketing Strategy and Techniques, and Financial Accounting

Earn a career certificate

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

Instructors

Michael R Roberts

University of Pennsylvania

4 Courses300,994 learners

Christian Terwiesch

University of Pennsylvania

8 Courses187,650 learners

Brian J Bushee

University of Pennsylvania

5 Courses507,999 learners

Offered by

University of Pennsylvania

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Frequently asked questions

Time to completion will vary based on your schedule, but we anticipate most learners being able to finish the material in 6 months.

Each course in the Specialization is offered every two months.

No specific background is required—this Specialization is ideal for entrepreneurs, small business owners, managers, consultants, or anyone aiming to hone their core business skills. Knowledge of high-school level math (through pre-calculus) is suggested.

Business Foundations Specialization

What you'll learn

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Advance your subject-matter expertise