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Back to Understanding Financial Statements: Company Position

Learner Reviews & Feedback for Understanding Financial Statements: Company Position by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

4.7
stars
423 ratings
•
98 reviews

About the Course

This course is designed to provide a basic understanding of financial statements with an emphasis on the balance sheet. However, to understand accounting driven financial statements, it is important to recognize that accounting is less about counting and more about measuring. “What is it that is being measured?” Well, as the course unfolds, you will learn about the three measurement questions and how the balance sheet helps to answer the first two of these questions. By touring a real company and interviewing real business people, the course describes the basic content of financial statements in a simple yet relevant context. The goal of the course is to leave a lasting impression about what balance sheet consists of and what it reveals. The next course in the Fundamentals of Accounting Specialization completes the conversation by addressing the remaining measurement question. Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to: • Describe the purpose of a balance sheet. • Define the three components of a balance sheet. • Recognize and understand the meaning of several items typically presented on a balance sheet. • Explain the broader purpose of financial statements and the role of accounting in producing the financial statements. • Read and, to some extent, interpret real-world balance sheets. If you enjoy this business course and are interested in an MBA, consider applying to the iMBA, a flexible, fully-accredited online MBA at an incredibly competitive price offered by the University of Illinois. For more information, please see the Resource page in this course and onlinemba.illinois.edu....

Top reviews

SN

Oct 25, 2017

I really enjoyed the professor's clear explanations. This has helped me understand the balance sheet, which will help me understand my current and future companies more clearly. Thanks!

BM

Aug 27, 2016

This course is a great introduction to understanding Balance Sheets and has been a big help to me in my job. I highly recommend this course and I really liked the Professor.

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76 - 97 of 97 Reviews for Understanding Financial Statements: Company Position

By Sabrina P T

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Nov 20, 2016

Thank you for the work and creative idea of presenting the information. I now feel as though I have an idea or overall gist of financial statements, however, I would like to get into the ratios and analysing part of these statements.

By Baghwath G B

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Nov 22, 2017

This course explains things in a simple language so that everybody can understand. The faculty is so good . Example videos are also so good and he asks the apt questions , so that the views can understand the concept. Kudos

By John E S

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Mar 25, 2018

Quite good course, but could have been more comprehensive in my opinion. Compared to other Coursera courses I have taken, it did not require so much work.

By Regan R

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Oct 15, 2017

Easy to follow, great case studies, thoroughly enjoyable. I do wish my final assignment was graded by a professor in addition to my peers.

By Kevin S

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Mar 14, 2017

I found this course to be a good introduction to reading a balance sheet, with a lot of personal examples.

By Mark S

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Mar 04, 2019

Well done with very easy-to-understand concepts. The presentation was very good.

By Hadish

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Jan 18, 2017

It was very very nice.I go forward more steps.I am so glad to take this course.

By Ahmed B

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Jul 20, 2017

Excellent course. I have really enjoyed the course.

Thank you Prof.

By Prossie

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Dec 20, 2016

I made the right choice when I chose to take on this course

By Jessica C B

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Dec 08, 2016

I learned so much, and the format was easy to follow.

By Victor V S

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May 30, 2017

It is a great course about accounting!

By vicky f

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Sep 21, 2016

Very informative, enjoyed the course.

By SHUBHAM G

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Sep 27, 2017

An excellent course for beginners.

By Ali M A M S

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Dec 10, 2019

needs to have more information

By Nagraj N

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Mar 14, 2019

Nice - Simple with demos!!

By Akahome P

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Aug 26, 2016

quite informative

By chakravarthy

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Jan 27, 2018

Too superficial.

By 李泽南

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Jul 28, 2018

very helpful

By Hailey S

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Aug 03, 2016

This course is extremely basic. It took me about four hours to complete the entire course (minus the peer reviewed assignment since I audited). This wouldn't be an issue in and of itself, but there were quite a number of issues with the presentation, from questions appearing in the wrong video, to badly worded and misleading questions. It's as if the course material was quickly thrown together and not reviewed or tested. Overall, there is some good info in it if you have no background in accounting and no idea what a balance sheet is, but if you're looking for insight into interpreting balance sheets, this is not the class for you.

By Thorsteinn A

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Apr 20, 2017

The course is well structured and remains focused on the topic on hand. It is easy to follow Kevins thought, but the discussion is quite superficial; no concrete numbers and examples are worked through in the discussion. It would have strengthened the course if the discussion went step-by-step through a balance sheet of one of the companies featured in the course.

By Doug L

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Apr 12, 2017

Easy to comprehend but far too basic to be helpful and I don't feel I received an "Understanding of financial statements" because the course was too rudimentary.

By Gina F

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Jun 09, 2018

the information is a bit dated and there are little to no students taking this so no peers to review your work....