COUniversity of Pennsylvania (Wharton)· on Coursera
Introduction to Financial Accounting
4.8(19,000) on Coursera·820K enrolled
Beginner 16 hours English University Certificate
Our recommendation
Wharton's introduction to financial accounting, a rigorous grounding in reading and understanding financial statements. It is well taught but genuinely challenging for a beginner course, and rewards steady effort. A strong foundation if you are heading towards business or finance.
Good for: Learners who want a solid, credible grounding in financial accounting.
Less suitable if: You want a gentle overview, or you already know accounting basics.
You want to understand financial statements properly
You are heading towards business or finance
You are ready to put in steady effort
Consider something else if you…
You want a quick, light overview
You already know accounting basics
You want practical bookkeeping software training
Requirements: None, though it is demanding for a beginner course.
Realistic time: About 16 hours; three to four weeks part-time, more if the material is new to you.
About this course
Introduction to Financial Accounting is Brian Bushee's legendary Wharton course — consistently one of the highest-rated and most-enrolled business courses on Coursera. It teaches you to read and analyze the three core financial statements (balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement) with the same rigor Wharton MBA students receive, but structured for people who've never studied accounting before.
What you'll learn
Read and interpret a balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement
Understand accrual accounting and how it differs from cash accounting
Analyze how business transactions flow through the financial statements
Recognize common financial reporting choices and their implications
Apply financial statement analysis to evaluate business performance
This course includes
16h
On-demand video
Yes
Certificate
Yes
Mobile access
English
Language
What it costs
Runs on Coursera; a free audit of the videos is usually available, and the certificate needs a subscription with financial aid available.
Comparison · LBS
Compare alternatives for Introduction to Financial Accounting
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The certificate is issued through Coursera with the University of Pennsylvania (Wharton). It carries the Wharton name; the value is a real understanding of financial statements.
Instructor
BB
Brian Bushee
Coursera instructor
820K+ learners4 courses4.8 instructor rating
Taught by Brian Bushee, Geoffrey T. Boisi Professor at Wharton, a long-recognized accounting educator whose teaching has reached hundreds of thousands of students on Coursera.