EDUniversity of Pennsylvania · on edX
Introduction to Financial Accounting
Beginner 14 hours English University CertificateFREE
Our recommendation
The University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) course on edX, taught by the well-regarded Brian Bushee. It teaches you to read and understand financial statements — the income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement — and how the numbers connect. Clear, well-paced and genuinely useful for anyone who needs to make sense of company accounts.
Skills you'll gain
Financial accountingFinancial statementsBalance sheetIncome statementCash flowRatio analysis
Is this course right for you?
A good fit if you…
You want to understand company accounts
You are moving into a business, finance or management role
You value a rigorous, well-taught course
Consider something else if you…
You want hands-on bookkeeping or QuickBooks/Xero skills
You need a professional accounting qualification
You want personal-finance rather than corporate accounting
About this course
Introduction to Financial Accounting is the University of Pennsylvania's (Wharton) popular course on edX, taught by the well-loved Brian Bushee. You can audit it free; a verified certificate costs around $199.
What you'll learn
Read a balance sheet, income statement and cash-flow statement
Understand how transactions flow into the accounts
Prepare basic financial statements
Analyse a company's financial health
Understand accruals and the matching principle
Interpret common financial ratios
This course includes
14h
On-demand video
Yes
Certificate
English
Language
What it costs
You can audit the course free on edX. A verified certificate costs around $199. Financial assistance is available.
Comparison · LBS
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Prices & availability can change — confirm on the provider's site. We're not affiliated with any single provider.
Is the certificate recognised?
A Wharton verified certificate on edX carries strong brand recognition, though it is a course certificate rather than a professional accounting credential such as ACCA or CPA.
Last updated
Instructor
BJ
Brian J. Bushee
edX instructor
Brian J. Bushee is a Wharton accounting professor known for making financial accounting genuinely approachable, with a teaching style learners consistently praise.
About this provider
ED
edX
Non-profit online learning platform founded by Harvard and MIT. 45M+ learners worldwide.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. You can audit the full course free on edX; only the verified certificate (around $199) is paid.
No. It teaches you to read and understand financial statements, not day-to-day bookkeeping or accounting software.
No. It starts from the basics and builds up, so beginners can follow it.
It is an excellent foundation, but professional qualifications like ACCA, CPA or CIMA require separate accredited study and exams.
Yes — the Wharton brand is well recognised, though this is a course certificate rather than a full credential.
Around four weeks at a few hours per week.