Online Finance & Accounting Courses (2024)

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (1)
  • Harvard Business School
  • HBS Online
  • Online Business Certificate Courses

    • Online Business Certificate Courses
    • Business Essentials
    • Business in Society
    • Business Strategy
    • Digital Transformation
    • Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability
    • Marketing
    • Strategy

Develop an intuitive knowledge of financial principles and statements to unlock critical insights into performance and potential.

92%

Strengthened analytical skills

10X

Return on investment with an average $17,000 salary increase

90%

Are more self-assured at work

Source: 2022 surveys and course data

Certificate Courses (4)

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (4)

Leading with Finance

Professor Mihir Desai

Build an intuitive understanding of finance to better communicate with key stakeholders and grow your career.

6 weeks, 6–7 hrs/week
Apply by March 11
$1,750CertificateOnline Finance & Accounting Courses (5)

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (6)

Financial Accounting

Professor V.G. Narayanan

Discover what's behind the numbers in financial statements.

8 weeks, 6–8 hrs/week
Apply by April 8
$1,750CertificateOnline Finance & Accounting Courses (7)

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (8)

Sustainable Investing

Professors Shawn Cole & Vikram Gandhi

Evaluate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors, and measure and manage impact investments.

6 weeks, 5 hrs/week
Apply by May 6
$1,750CertificateOnline Finance & Accounting Courses (9)

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (10)

Alternative Investments

Professors Victoria Ivashina, Randolph Cohen, & Arthur Segel

Grow the value of investment portfolios with alternative investments.

5 weeks, 6–7 hrs/week
Apply by March 25
$1,750CertificateOnline Finance & Accounting Courses (11)

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (12)Complete any three courses within this subject area to earn a Certificate of Specialization in finance and accounting

Why Should You Learn Finance and Accounting?

Today’s managers depend on performance evaluation. Learning finance and accounting is crucial to understanding your business, how it's measured, and how you can effectively manage your performance. Harvard Business School Professor V.G. Narayanan shares why you should learn finance and accounting even if you're in a non-finance role.

What You Earn

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (13)

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (14)

Certificate

Boost your resume by completing an HBS Online course.

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (15)

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (16)

Certificate of Specialization

Complete any three courses within this subject area to earn a Certificate of Specialization and signify your deep expertise in finance and accounting.

Learn More about what you earn

What Learners are Saying

Operating in general management, I need to make decisions utilizing the principles we learned on a daily basis. The course empowers me to do so with confidence.

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (17)

Paul Accornero
International Commercial Director (MD)
Leading with Finance

I'd never experienced such an immersive platform online. It was more effective at building and solidifying knowledge than some in-person courses I've taken.

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (18)

Ryan Dumlao
MBA Candidate
Financial Accounting

What sets HBS Online apart?

Our flexible, online programs are designed to bring the Harvard Business School classroom to you, and are built around three key characteristics:

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (19)

Real-World Cases

Apply your learning through real-world examples and experience Harvard Business School’s signature case method. Business leaders will share challenges they’ve faced. As the story unfolds, you’ll leverage course concepts, vital tools and frameworks, and the diversity of your peers’ perspectives to analyze the problem and determine a path forward.

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (20)

Active

Immerse yourself in a dynamic, interactive learning experience. You’ll engage in a new activity every three to five minutes and apply your knowledge through polls, quizzes, and problem-solving exercises designed to accelerate and reinforce your learning. Exchange ideas with your classmates, broaden your perspective, and challenge your worldview.

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (21)

Social

Join a global community of business professionals. Learn from and network with peers before, during, and after your course. Ask questions, collaborate, give feedback, and share experiences and expertise across industries to grow or transition your career. You’ll build lasting connections that support you wherever life takes you next.

Learn More about the HBS Online Learning Model

HBS Online vs. Other Top Business Schools with Online, Asynchronous Courses

HBS OnlineHBSO Others
Online Finance & Accounting Courses (22) Considered more impactful than other online programs by learners*

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (23)

Yes

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (24)

No

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (25) The preferred brand among prospective online learners*

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (26)

Yes

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (27)

No

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (28) Reimagined the case study method through a proprietary platform featuring courses created by renowned faculty

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (29)

Yes

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (30)

No

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (31) Collaboration with fellow online learners through unique simulations and interactive activities

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (32)

Yes

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (33)

Some

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (34) Discount for repeat participants

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (35)

Yes

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (36)

Some

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (37) Certificate awarded upon completion of program

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (38)

Yes

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (39)

Some

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (40) Invitation to a global professional network, including the HBS Online Connext conference, HBS faculty events, and HBS Online Community

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (41)

Yes

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (42)

No

*Considered more impactful than other online programs (From a 2023 survey of participants across all HBS Online programs, conducted by City Square Associates). Better overall experience (From a 2023 survey of prospective learners, conducted by City Square Associates).

Related Content

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (43)

Free E-Book

Learn about the difference between finance and accounting, the financial skills all managers need, and how taking an online course can help you achieve your educational goals and accelerate your career.

Access your free e-book

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (44)

Free Finance and Accounting Flowchart

Which HBS Online Finance and Accounting Course Is Right for You?

This flowchart will help you determine which HBS Online finance and accounting course best aligns with your experience, learning objectives, and educational goals.

Access Your Free Flowchart

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (45)

Article

The Importance of Financial Literacy in Business

Financial literacy can help you succeed in any area of business, and elevate your decision-making, negotiation, and leadership skills. Here's a closer look at how.

Go to Article

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (46)

Article

What is Sustainable Investing?

Learn how investors are using sustainable investing to build and diversify their portfolios and ensure financial success.

Go to Article

You May Also Be Interested In

  • Business Essentials

  • Strategy

  • Business in Society

  • Marketing

90% are more self-assured at work, 10x return on investment, 92% strengthened analytical skills (Business Analytics) - From two 2022 surveys of past participants across all HBS Online programs, conducted by City Square Associates.

All FAQs

Finance and Accounting FAQs

What will I learn in a finance and accounting course? +–

Finance is often referred to as the "language of business." It affects every business function and can be used to assess, evaluate, and strategize your organization's financial health.

A finance course will teach you the key levers that drive your company's performance and cover topics such as cash flow, value creation, and the cost of capital. An accounting course will equip you with skills to report and communicate information through financial statements, including income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements.

Because finance is an ever-evolving field, you might consider taking a more specialized course covering a topic like alternative investments or sustainable investing. An alternative investments course can help you assess investment opportunities beyond traditional stocks and bonds, while a sustainable investing program can teach you how to incorporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors into investment decisions.

Which finance and accounting course is right for me? +–

Finance and accounting are essential in any business. All industries require accountants and finance professionals for financial reporting, revenue management, and financial forecasting.

While a finance and accounting course is incredibly useful regardless of the industry, there are several courses to choose from. It is important to know which finance and accounting course is right for your professional goals.

While a finance and accounting course is incredibly useful regardless of your industry, there are several to choose from. It’s important to know which finance and accounting course is right for your goals. Download our free course flowchart to determine which HBS Online course is the best fit.

What's the difference between finance and accounting? +–

Finance focuses on how an organization generates and uses capital, while accounting refers to the process of reporting and communicating financial information. Accounting leverages past and present transactional data to determine a company's health, while finance is inherently forward-looking. Each can help you assess your firm's position and performance and develop your financial literacy, but it’s vital to learn the differences between finance and accounting to pick the right course for you.

Online Finance & Accounting Courses (2024)

FAQs

Are online accounting classes hard? ›

In fact, accounting is one of the easiest subjects to study remotely. Of course, it's important to make sure your university of choice offers the specialization you're interested in. For instance, if you want to be a forensic accountant you should pick a college that offers a forensic accounting degree specialization.

Can I study accounting and finance online? ›

Can I learn about financial accounting through online courses on Coursera? ‎ Absolutely. Coursera offers a wide range of courses and Specializations in business and finance topics, including financial accounting, from top-ranked schools such as the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Virginia.

Are accounting or finance classes harder? ›

Is finance harder than accounting? Accounting relies on precise arithmetic principles, making it more complex, whereas finance requires a grasp of economics and accounting without as much mathematical detail.

Is financial accounting class hard? ›

No, financial accounting is not a hard class. Generally speaking, accounting is overall a difficult major, but financial accounting is a very straightforward class in the beginning. Financial accounting class teaches you the fundamentals of accounting.

Are accounting classes a lot of math? ›

While there is a commonly held belief that accounting is all about the complexities of mathematical operations such as calculus and geometry, this is not true. Accountants, instead, mainly work with basic arithmetic, percentages, and some algebraic concepts to complete their professional duties proficiently.

Is accounting hard if you're bad at math? ›

Expertise in mathematics is not required to succeed as a bookkeeper or an accountant. What is needed, however, is the confidence and ability to be able to add, subtract, multiply, divide as well as use decimals, fractions and percentages.

Which is the easiest course in accounting? ›

Intermediate accounting is a course that is at the professional core level and has many reviews for being one of the easiest accounting courses. Accounting majors must take intermediate accounting I and II. Some students find that Intermediate Accounting II is easier after taking Intermediate Accounting I.

Which course is best for finance and accounting? ›

Top 13 Accounting Courses in India
  1. Chartered Accountancy (CA) ...
  2. Association of Chartered Certified Accountants(ACCA) ...
  3. Certified Management Accountant (US CMA) ...
  4. US Certified Public Accountant Course (US CPA) ...
  5. Certified Financial Planner (CFP) ...
  6. Company Secretary (CS) Course Details. ...
  7. B.Com in Accounting and Finance.
Jun 6, 2024

Is an online accounting degree worth anything? ›

Whether you're interested in an accounting job or a related career (such as auditing or taxation), having an online accounting degree can help elevate your career opportunities and job prospects in the process.

What pays better, accounting or finance? ›

Salary expectations

In an analysis of the top-paid business majors for US graduates, NACE (the National Association of Colleges and Employers) reported that starting salaries for accounting majors in the US averaged US$57,511, while finance majors started at a slightly higher salary of US$58,464.

What level of math is needed for accounting? ›

Accountants need to be proficient in basic arithmetic, algebra, and statistics to analyze financial data, prepare reports, and ensure accuracy in their work. They may also use mathematical principles to perform tasks such as budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis.

What is the hardest subject in accounting? ›

What Is the Most Difficult Accounting Course?
  • Advanced Financial Accounting. ...
  • Auditing. ...
  • Taxation. ...
  • Cost Accounting. ...
  • Financial Statement Analysis. ...
  • International Accounting. ...
  • Forensic Accounting. ...
  • Governmental and Nonprofit Accounting.

How do I pass my accounting class? ›

I recommend a process that includes twelve steps: (1) know what the professor expects, (2) be your own teacher, (3) work hard from the first day, (4) attend every class, (5) take good notes, (6) participate in class, (7) read the textbook several times, (8) look for patterns, (9) do the homework, (10) study with a ...

How long does it take to learn financial accounting? ›

It can take anywhere from two to four years overall to learn. While learning accounting skills, individuals begin with researching and determining the type of program they wish to pursue. Throughout years two through four, individuals complete accounting, finance, and taxation classes.

Why do some people struggle with accounting? ›

Accounting is similar to a foreign language, and many people have trouble learning new languages. Also, some people struggle with anything dealing with numbers but excel at language skills. Sometimes it's more of a lack of interest or enjoyment in the subject than an inability.

How hard is an accounting course? ›

Moreover, accounting is hard due to its detailed nature; you'll find yourself submerged in financial records, business courses, and advanced financial accounting classes. Critical thinking skills are essential, and most accounting professionals will tell you that the journey involves a steep learning curve.

Is accounting easier online or in person? ›

When it comes to accounting, or any other major, the differences are very subjective. Students who prefer to learn independently, at their own pace, are likely to find online courses far more beneficial.

Is an online accounting degree worth it? ›

An online accounting associate degree in accounting provides students with foundational knowledge in finance, economics and business concepts. This degree also builds career skills to qualify learners for various positions in the accounting field.

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