Introduction to Finance and Accounting
Offered by University of Pennsylvania. Learn the basics of finance and accounting.
Introduction to Finance and Accounting is a beginner-level online course from Coursera in Accounting. It is structured in 4 modules, over 1 month. Learners rate it 4.6/5 from 14.4K ratings on Coursera.
Part of our Accounting courses collection, where we compare it against 16 other courses.
Course highlights
| Provider | Coursera |
| Duration | 1 month |
| Level | Beginner |
| Mode | Self-paced |
| Language | English |
| Certificate | Yes — shareable certificate |
| Rating | 4.6★ (14.4K reviews) |
| Price | Check price |
About this course
This course introduces the core tools of finance and accounting used in business decision-making. Learners explore fundamentals of finance, including how money moves through an organisation and how to read basic financial statements. The syllabus moves into introductory corporate finance, covering investment decisions and how companies value projects. Two blocks of financial accounting teach the language of balance sheets, income statements and cash flow reports, starting with core principles and building to more complex recording. By the end, a learner can prepare basic financial reports, interpret a balance sheet and understand how corporate finance decisions are made. The course is designed for beginners with no prior finance background. It is self-paced and delivered entirely online in English. A shareable certificate is available upon completion. Learners who need deeper accounting software skills may prefer the Udemy Tally Prime course listed in the alternatives, which covers GST and ledger management in detail. Free options include the Udemy Introduction to Financial Accounting course, which is also beginner-level and offers a certificate. Introduction to Financial Accounting on Udemy.
Level and time commitment
Skills you’ll gain
What this course covers
4 modulesThe 4-part outline Coursera publishes for this course, across 1 month.
Module 1 · Fundamentals of Finance
Module 2 · Introduction to Corporate Finance
Module 3 · Introduction to Financial Accounting
Module 4 · More Introduction to Financial Accounting
What learners rate it
Rated 4.6/5 by 14.4K 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.
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Finance and Accounting This |
 Coursera
|
4.6★ | Check price | 1 month | Most popular — 0 learners |
| Accounting: Principles of Financial Accounting |
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 |
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 Introduction to Finance and 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 Introduction to Finance and 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 Introduction to Finance and Accounting take?
Coursera lists it at 1 month. 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 Introduction to Finance and Accounting suitable for beginners?
Yes. Coursera lists it at Beginner level, so no prior experience in the subject is assumed.
What does Introduction to Finance and Accounting cover?
It is organised into 4 modules, starting with Fundamentals of Finance and going on to Introduction to Corporate Finance, Introduction to Financial Accounting, More Introduction to Financial Accounting. The full outline is on this page.