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Master Financial Fundamentals

Master Financial Fundamentals

This course is part of Strengthen Your Business Savvy Specialization

Instructor: Harvard Business Review

2,839 already enrolled

Included with

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3 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

15 reviews

Intermediate level

Some related experience required

1 week to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

3 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

15 reviews

Intermediate level

Some related experience required

1 week to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

Understand and analyze financial statements to gauge financial health and monitor operational success
Weigh costs and benefits, track financial performance, and make the most of resources
Create operating budgets and capital outlay budgets that support organizational strategic objectives
Analyze budget variances and perform sensitivity analysis to optimize financial planning and control

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

4 assignments¹

AI Graded see disclaimer

Taught in English

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

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Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Strengthen Your Business Savvy Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 3 modules in this course

Organizations are powered by sound financial decisions: informed choices about resources, investments, and strategic spending that fuel long-term success. No matter your role, you can create immense value by understanding how to interpret financial data and make decisions that maximize your team's resources. In this course, you'll learn how to read financial statements, create effective budgets, and invest wisely to produce desired returns. Discover evidence-based strategies to analyze financial performance and guide your organization toward sustained profitability.

Module details

Let’s face it—money is the fuel that keeps your organization running. No matter your role, by understanding the fundamentals of finance, you ensure your team will make the most of its resources. Learn how to interpret financial statements, create a budget, and invest wisely to produce the desired returns.

What's included

13 videos34 readings1 assignment

13 videosTotal 33 minutes

Tackle Finance with Curiosity3 minutes
Cash Is King—Don't Give It Away4 minutes
How Managers Should Read Financial Statements2 minutes
Finance Doesn’t Have to Be Intimidating2 minutes
Confronting a Bad Deal3 minutes
Realistic Budgets3 minutes
Understanding NPV1 minute
The (Im)precision of Finance2 minutes
How to Use Breakeven Analysis2 minutes
Look Beyond Obvious Risks3 minutes
Create Efficiencies2 minutes
Use Bad News to Your Advantage3 minutes
Face Your Fear3 minutes

34 readingsTotal 340 minutes

Understand Financial Statements10 minutes
Why financial intelligence matters10 minutes
Accounting methods10 minutes
Three financial statements10 minutes
Assumptions, estimates, and biases10 minutes
Assess Financial Health10 minutes
Ratio analysis10 minutes
Valuation methods10 minutes
Other assessment methods10 minutes
Develop a Budget10 minutes
Definition10 minutes
Budgeting activities10 minutes
Budget approaches10 minutes
Prepare a budget10 minutes
Articulate your assumptions10 minutes
Quantify your assumptions10 minutes
Defend your assumptions10 minutes
KSS example10 minutes
Perform Cost/Benefit Analysis10 minutes
Cost/benefit analysis defined10 minutes
Return on investment analysis10 minutes
Payback period analysis10 minutes
Net present value analysis10 minutes
Internal rate of return analysis10 minutes
Breakeven analysis10 minutes
Sensitivity analysis10 minutes
Estimate unquantifiable benefits and costs10 minutes
Track Financial Performance10 minutes
Track your investment10 minutes
Track your operating budget10 minutes
Adapt to changes10 minutes
Build Your Team’s Financial Intelligence10 minutes
Why it matters to your team10 minutes
Financial literacy strategies10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Finance Essentials Assessment30 minutes

Budgeting isn’t just for finance teams. Each decision a manager makes needs to take into account the resources that are available to them. Learning to budget ensures you can allocate resources wisely, communicate financial expectations, and keep teams on track with their budgets.