Accounting: Principles of Financial Accounting
Accounting: Principles of Financial Accounting is a beginner-level online course from Coursera in Accounting. It is structured in 4 modules with 1 stated learning outcome, over 13h 27m. Learners rate it 4.8/5 from 3.4K ratings on Coursera.
Part of our Accounting courses collection, where we compare it against 16 other courses.
Course highlights
| Provider | Coursera |
| Duration | 13h 27m |
| Level | Beginner |
| Mode | Self-paced |
| Language | English |
| Certificate | Yes — shareable certificate |
| Rating | 4.8★ (3.4K reviews) |
| Price | Check price |
About this course
The Accounting: Principles of Financial Accounting course teaches you how to understand and use financial statements. It covers the core components of business finance: the Balance Sheet, the Income Statement, and the Cash Flow Statement. You learn how these statements are built and what they reveal about a company's financial health. The course also explains Accrual Accounting, a key method for recording revenues and expenses when they are earned or incurred, rather than when cash changes hands.
Offered by IESE Business School on Coursera, this beginner-level program focuses on applying accounting principles to make informed business decisions. It helps you develop foundational skills in Financial Accounting and Financial Statement Analysis. The self-paced format allows you to complete the material, which takes about 13 hours and 27 minutes, at your own speed. You can enroll for free to access course materials and potentially earn a certificate.
Upon completing this course, you can perform basic financial analysis and interpret company financial statements. You will understand how to work with Income Statements, Balance Sheets, and Cash Flows. The program also introduces you to using Microsoft Excel for accounting tasks, giving you practical skills for financial reporting and managing accruals.
Who This Course Serves
This course is ideal for beginners who need a solid introduction to the principles of financial accounting. It provides a strong theoretical foundation for understanding how businesses track and report their finances. The course is rated 4.8 out of 5 stars from 3356 reviews, showing its effectiveness for new learners.
Consider Other Accounting Options
While Accounting: Principles of Financial Accounting covers essential concepts, it focuses on general principles rather than specific accounting software or advanced topics like Indian tax regulations. If you are looking to master specific software, consider options like Tally Prime : Beginner to Advanced Tally ERP with GST 2026 or Zoho Books - Master the Accounting Software. For a broader introduction to the subject, you might also look at Introduction to Financial Accounting. You can explore more options on our main Accounting courses page.
What you’ll learn
Level and time commitment
Skills you’ll gain
What this course covers
4 modulesThe 4-part outline Coursera publishes for this course, across 13h 27m.
Module 1 · Introduction to Accounting: The Balance Sheet
Module 2 · The Income Statement
Module 3 · The Cash Flow Statement
Module 4 · Accrual Accounting
What learners rate it
Rated 4.8/5 by 3.4K learners on Coursera (checked 10 Aug 2026).
This rating is collected by Coursera from its own enrolled learners. We reproduce it as reported and do not accept paid or incentivised reviews. See it on Coursera →
Compiled by the CoursesGlobal editorial desk. Fees, ratings, duration and certificate details for the 1 course shown are read directly from Coursera course pages — we never estimate a price or a rating. Last verified 10 August 2026.
How we compare and rank courses · Our review policy · Affiliate disclosure
Compare with alternatives
Same topic, different trade-offs — here's who runs each one and what it's best at.
| Course | Provider | Rating | Price | Duration | Why pick this one |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting: Principles of Financial Accounting This |
 Coursera
|
4.8★ | Check price | 13h 27m | Highest rated (4.8★ from 3.4K reviews) |
| Introduction to Financial Accounting |
Coursera
|
4.7★ | Check price | 15h 26m | Beginner-friendly · 15h 26m |
| Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination |
Coursera
|
4.7★ | Check price | PT6H56M16.073S | Beginner-friendly · PT6H56M16.073S |
| Basics of Accounting (தமிழ் மொழியில் கணக்கியல் அடிப்படைகள்) |
 Udemy
|
4.7★ | Free | Free — and still gives a certificate |
Where Accounting leads
Roles we map to Accounting on CoursesGlobal. This is our own mapping of subject to job, not a placement claim by Coursera.
Browse every course we track for one of these — courses for accountants.
Common questions
How much does Accounting: Principles of Financial Accounting cost?
Coursera does not publish a price we can read on the course page, so we do not show one. Check the fee on the provider site — we would rather say nothing than quote a number we did not collect.
Does Accounting: Principles of Financial Accounting come with a certificate?
Yes — Coursera lists a certificate on completion. It is a course certificate, not a formal qualification or university credit.
How long does Accounting: Principles of Financial Accounting take?
Coursera lists it at 13h 27m. It is self-paced, so that is the volume of material rather than a deadline — how long it actually takes depends on the hours you put in each week.
Is Accounting: Principles of Financial Accounting suitable for beginners?
Yes. Coursera lists it at Beginner level, so no prior experience in the subject is assumed.
What does Accounting: Principles of Financial Accounting cover?
It is organised into 4 modules, starting with Introduction to Accounting: The Balance Sheet and going on to The Income Statement, The Cash Flow Statement, Accrual Accounting. The full outline is on this page.