In this Specialization, you’ll develop basic literacy in the language of business, which you can use to transition to a new career, start or improve your own small business, or apply to business school to continue your education. In five courses, you’ll learn the fundamentals of marketing, accounting, operations, and finance. In the final Capstone Project, you’ll apply the skills learned by developing a go-to-market strategy to address a real business challenge.

Business Foundations Specialization


Business Foundations Specialization
Solve Real Business Problems. Build a foundation of core business skills in marketing, finance, accounting and operations.



Instructors: Michael R Roberts
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Beginner level
No prior experience required
2 months to complete
at 10 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
What you'll learn
Understand branding and go-to-market strategies
Read income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements
Manage people through motivation and reward systems
Analyze and improve business processes in services or manufacturing
Skills you'll gain
- Operational Efficiency
- Financial Reporting
- Human Capital
- Corporate Finance
- Process Analysis
- Operations Management
- Process Management
- Return On Investment
- Branding
- People Management
- Financial Statement Analysis
- Peer Review
- Financial Modeling
- Go To Market Strategy
- Capital Budgeting
- Marketing Planning
- Finance
- Financial Accounting
- Financial Statements
- Marketing
Details to know

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Taught in English
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- Earn a career certificate from University of Pennsylvania

Specialization - 6 course series

Introduction to Marketing
Course 110 hours
What you'll learn
Skills you'll gain
Category: Brand Strategy
Category: Consumer Behaviour
Category: Marketing
Category: Branding
Category: Brand Awareness
Category: Customer experience strategy (CX)
Category: Customer Insights
Category: Communication Strategies
Category: Go To Market Strategy
Category: Price Negotiation
Category: Strategic Marketing
Category: Brand Loyalty
Category: Marketing Strategy and Techniques
Category: Marketing Communications

Introduction to Financial Accounting
Course 213 hours
What you'll learn
Skills you'll gain
Category: Financial Statements
Category: Depreciation
Category: Cash Flows
Category: Balance Sheet
Category: Bookkeeping
Category: Financial Accounting
Category: Accrual Accounting
Category: Financial Statement Analysis
Category: Income Statement
Category: Financial Analysis
Category: Accounting
Category: Revenue Recognition
Category: Financial Reporting

Managing Social and Human Capital
Course 37 hours
What you'll learn
Skills you'll gain
Category: Human Capital
Category: People Management
Category: Employee Performance Management
Category: Organizational Change
Category: Decision Making
Category: Job Analysis
Category: Organizational Structure
Category: Organizational Leadership
Category: Constructive Feedback
Category: Team Motivation
Category: Leadership and Management
Category: Change Management
Category: Organizational Effectiveness
Category: Talent Recruitment
Category: Compensation Management
Category: Human Resource Strategy

Introduction to Corporate Finance
Course 47 hours
What you'll learn
Skills you'll gain
Category: Cash Flows
Category: Corporate Finance
Category: Financial Analysis
Category: Capital Budgeting
Category: Financial Modeling
Category: Return On Investment
Category: Risk Analysis
Category: Cost Benefit Analysis
Category: Financial Acumen
Category: Financial Management
Category: Asset Management
Category: Business Valuation
Category: Cash Flow Forecasting

Introduction to Operations Management
Course 514 hours
What you'll learn
You will learn to analyze processes, optimize flow, and manage variability, driving improvements and achieving excellence in operations management.
Skills you'll gain
Category: Process Improvement
Category: Supply Chain Management
Category: Operations Management
Category: Continuous Improvement Process
Category: Root Cause Analysis
Category: Capacity Planning
Category: Operational Efficiency
Category: Statistical Process Controls
Category: Process Analysis
Category: Lean Methodologies
Category: Quality Management
Category: Workflow Management
Category: Process Flow Diagrams
Category: Process Management
Category: Inventory Management System

Wharton Business Foundations Capstone
Course 614 hours
What you'll learn
Skills you'll gain
Category: Business Planning
Category: Strategic Thinking
Category: Case Studies
Category: Marketing
Category: Competitive Analysis
Category: Project Design
Category: Consumer Behaviour
Category: New Business Development
Category: Accounting
Category: Marketing Planning
Category: Financial Accounting
Category: Finance
Category: Business Analysis
Category: Feasibility Studies
Category: Business
Category: Product Development
Category: Analysis
Category: Peer Review
Category: Marketing Strategies
Category: Entrepreneurship
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