Businesses commonly manage four broad categories: market, credit, operational, and liquidity risk. This course examines all four, then teaches you to measure and respond to them using Value at Risk, stress testing, sensitivity analysis, and mitigation strategies such as hedging and diversification.

Good forecasting turns uncertainty into decisions you can defend. It helps a business plan budgets, allocate capital, spot risks early, and set realistic targets. Pairing strategic forecasting with risk management, as this course does, means you not only predict the likely path but also prepare for the ones you hope to avoid.

You'll learn to analyze industry dynamics with frameworks like Porter's Five Forces and SWOT, forecast revenues and cash flows using trend analysis and Monte Carlo simulation, evaluate investments with NPV, IRR, and WACC, and manage risk through stress testing and Value at Risk. It ends with a CFO-focused capstone where you build a forecast and a risk management plan under real-world uncertainty.

It's set at intermediate level, so a basic understanding of business or finance and comfort with simple numbers will help. No advanced accounting is required. Each concept is explained and applied step by step, so you don't need to be a specialist to follow along.

Better risk forecasting usually comes from testing your assumptions harder: running multiple scenarios, stress-testing against extreme events, and quantifying uncertainty instead of relying on a single estimate. This course builds those habits directly through Monte Carlo simulation, stress testing, and Value at Risk, so your forecasts reflect a range of outcomes rather than one.

It's about seven hours across three modules, at your own pace. To access the graded work and earn the shareable certificate, you'll need the paid Certificate experience or Coursera Plus.

To access course materials, assignments, and earn a Certificate, you'll need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. Eligible learners may also have the option to start with a Free Trial. Some courses may also offer a Full Course, No Certificate option. This lets you access course materials, submit required assessments, and receive a final grade, but you won't be able to earn or purchase a Certificate.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.