Accounting: Principles of Financial Accounting

Accounting: Principles of Financial Accounting is a beginner-level course offered by IESE Business School on Coursera. The course runs for 13 hours and 27 minutes and is taught in English. It is designed for self-paced study.

The syllabus covers four core topics. The first module introduces the balance sheet and explains how it reports a company's financial position at a point in time. The second module focuses on the income statement, showing how revenues and expenses are matched over a period. The third module explains the cash flow statement, tracking cash inflows and outflows across operating, investing, and financing activities. The final module covers accrual accounting, which records transactions when they occur rather than when cash changes hands.

By the end of the course, you will be able to prepare and interpret the three main financial statements: the balance sheet, the income statement, and the cash flow statement. You will also understand how accrual accounting differs from cash-based recording and how to use these documents for basic financial analysis.

The course does not cover advanced topics such as consolidated financial statements, cost accounting, or tax compliance. Learners who need those subjects may prefer the Udemy alternatives listed on this page, which include courses on Zoho Books, bank accounting, and practical accounting in Hindi or Marathi.

This course is a good fit for beginners who want a clear, concise introduction to financial accounting. It is especially useful for people who interact with financial data but do not have a formal finance background, such as managers, entrepreneurs, or students.

Enroll for free and access the course materials. If you want a certificate, you can purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll. Financial aid is available for eligible learners.