Accounting courses can help you learn financial reporting, budgeting, tax preparation, and auditing principles. You can build skills in analyzing financial statements, managing cash flow, and ensuring compliance with regulations. Many courses introduce tools such as Excel for financial modeling, QuickBooks for bookkeeping, and various accounting software that streamline processes and enhance accuracy. By engaging with these topics and tools, you can gain practical knowledge that prepares you for various roles in finance and business.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Skills you'll gain: Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Reporting, Intercompany Accounting, Financial Accounting, Technical Accounting, Consolidation, International Financial Reporting Standards, Business Valuation, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Financial Statements, Business
Build toward a degree
Advanced · Course · 1 - 3 Months

Skills you'll gain: Identity and Access Management, Single Sign-On (SSO), User Provisioning, User Accounts, Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML), Authorization (Computing), Authentications, Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), OAuth, Public Key Infrastructure, Multi-Factor Authentication
Advanced · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Browse the accounting courses below—popular starting points on Coursera.
These beginner-friendly courses introduce essential concepts like balance sheets, debits and credits, and financial statements:
The Introduction to Finance and Accounting Specialization by the University of Pennsylvania lasts 4 weeks and focuses on:
It uses tools like R.
On the other hand, the Financial Accounting: Master Core Concepts & Analysis by EDUCBA also spans 4 weeks but emphasizes:
It uses tools like Python and Excel.
Both courses cover core accounting and financial analysis topics but differ in specific areas of focus. Choose based on whether you prefer:
Start by identifying whether you're building a foundation, preparing for certification, or applying accounting in business, finance, or data roles.
Click here to ask ChatGPT to find the right accounting course on Coursera for your learning goals.‎
Yes. You can start learning accounting on Coursera for free in two ways:
If you want to keep learning, earn a certificate in accounting, or unlock full course access after the preview or trial, you can upgrade or apply for financial aid.‎
Accounting courses cover core concepts like financial statements, balance sheets, debits and credits, and cash flow. Some courses also teach you how to use spreadsheets or accounting software, and how to apply accounting principles in business or tax settings.‎
No prior experience is needed. Many Coursera courses start with the basics and build your understanding step by step, so you can learn at your own pace—even if you’re completely new to accounting.‎