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Financial accounting deals with the analysis, reporting, and summary of a company’s financial transactions. Financial accountants are in charge of preparing the financial statements of a publically traded company for interested parties. These groups include, but aren’t limited to, investors, suppliers, employees, banks, government agencies, and stakeholders.
Whether you’re a novice or veteran, an online course is a great way to expand your knowledge of financial accounting. If you want to begin or continue a great career in financial accounting, we’re looking at what you should expect from an online course and how to find one that fits your needs.
Quick Look: Best Financial Account Courses
- Financial Accounting, Its Cycle, Statements, and Analysis by Udemy - Get this course
- Introductory Financial Accounting by Udemy - Get this course
- Financial Accounting: From Beginner to Expert by Udemy - Get this course
- Financial Accounting: Create Accounting Statement of Company by Udemy - Get this course
- Financial Accounting – Deprecation Calculation & Fixed Assets by Udemy - Get this course
- Financial Accounting – Inventory & Merchandising Transactions by Udemy - Get this course
- Automated Financial Reporting in Excel: One-Click Reports by Udemy - Get this course
- Financial Accounting: Advanced Topics by Coursera - Get this course
- Preparing Financial Statements for Auditors by Udemy - Get this course
What You’ll Learn in a Financial Account Course
A financial accounting course should teach you about cash flow, profit and loss, and financial position statements. Courses for beginners should cover the basics and serve as an introduction to general material.
Intermediate-level courses should be building upon your strong foundation, while advanced courses move to specialized coverage of a certain concept and practice.
What You Should Look for in a Great Online Course
There are several indicators that you can take into account when evaluating the worthwhileness of an online financial accounting course.
The curriculum quality, teacher’s reputation, and price should be your top priorities.
Let’s take a closer look at each consideration.
1. Curriculum Quality
When first evaluating a class, you should check the quality of the course’s curriculum. If you are out to learn the basics, make sure they’re all included. If you want a more specific lesson, make sure the course focuses on that. Proper coverage ensures you’ll learn what you need from the class.
After this, another great indicator to use is the past students’ comments and ratings.
2. Teacher’s Reputation
Next on your list of checks should be to investigate the teacher or organization behind the course. A reputable teacher can be spotted by having positive testimonials from satisfied students documented on the course page. For organizations, they’ll have favorable reviews on their pages.
If the course has poor ratings, the teacher is probably not successful in giving students what they need. Another red flag would be having a few or no reviews or comments. This leaves you with little insight into how past students have liked the course.
3. Price
When you have narrowed down your list to classes that serve your purpose and have a qualified teacher, you can take cost into consideration. Compare the classes to make sure you’re not being overcharged for what you want to learn. If you have a budget for your education, stick to it when it comes to your final selection.
It’s always important to note that courses that charge very little and claim to turn you into an expert are most likely not worth your time.
The Best Financial Accounting Courses
To help your course selection, we’ve broken down some great options into skill level and price.
Best Financial Accounting Courses for Beginners
New to financial accounting? Try one of these beginner level financial courses.
1. Financial Accounting, its Cycle, Statements, and Analysis by Udemy
Financial Accounting, its Cycle, Statements, and Analysis by Udemy is a great starting place for those looking for an introduction into the world of financial accounting. The course has a history of about 900 enrolled students.
It covers the beginner concepts and procedures of financial accounting, including how to interpret financial reports and statements, as well as balance sheets and cash flow statements.
The full syllabus consists of 3.5 hours of online video lessons to help jumpstart your career.
2. Introductory Financial Accounting by Udemy
Financial Accounting by Erik Slayter is a hugely popular beginner-level financial accounting course on Udemy, boasting more than 2,000 enrolled students and an average rating of 4.7 from over 500 ratings.
This course is for those who want to learn about inventory, receivables, depreciation, accounting cycle, and other basic concepts of financial accounting. The course also covers internal controls and cash, fixed assets, financial statements, transaction analysis, and more.
The course is made up of eight and a half hours of video lessons, 10 articles, and 20 downloadable resources. Enrolled students get lifetime access to course materials and a certificate of completion. The course costs $79.
3. Financial Accounting: From Beginner to Expert by Udemy
Financial Accounting: From Beginner to Expert is one of the longest courses in the financial accounting section of Udemy. It is a beginner’s course created by Opoola Wasiu of Networth Professional Academy.
The course is for those who are looking for an in-depth experience learning about financial accounting. It will take you through all the key concepts and principles, and the only requirement is high school arithmetic.
The syllabus includes 26 hours of video lessons and 19 downloadable resources. Those who enroll receive full lifetime access to the learning materials, as well as a certificate of completion. The full price of this in-depth course is $199.99.
Best Intermediate Financial Accounting Courses
If you have financial accounting experience, you may find the following courses useful.
1. Financial Accounting: Create Accounting Statement of Company by Udemy
If you’re stuck on accounting statements, you might want to take the Financial Accounting: Create Accounting Statement of Company course on Udemy. The course has an average rating of 4.6 stars from over 40 ratings and around 2,000 enrolled students.
The course is subject-specific and made for those who want to learn about accounting statements and how to prepare them. It covers balance sheet, income statement, and their relationship. The course relies on simple and easy to understand illustrations and examples.
If you decide to enroll, you will get 32 minutes of online video lessons, three articles, and two downloadable resources. The full price of this course is $19.99.
2. Financial Accounting – Deprecation Calculation & Fixed Assets by Udemy
Fixed assets and depreciation calculation can get tricky. If you’re having trouble understanding them, or want a refresher, you might find the Financial Accounting – Deprecation Calculation & Fixed Assets course very interesting. It has a stellar 4.8 average rating and more than 500 enrolled students.
This class also discusses plant and property equipment accounting, depreciation models, how to record revenue and capital expenditures, and more. To get the most out of the course, you should have a basic understanding of financial accounting.
Twelve hours of video material and 25 downloadable resources come with this course. If you decide to enroll, be ready to spend $74.99.
3. Financial Accounting – Inventory & Merchandising Transactions by Udemy
If you want to deepen your knowledge of merchandising transactions, you should look for classes that specialize in this topic. Luckily, Udemy offers Financial Accounting – Inventory & Merchandising Transactions, which is among the leading intermediate-level financial accounting courses on the site.
The course has a 4.5 average rating and over 600 enrolled students. It is offered by Robert Steele and covers a wide range of topics regarding average methods, LIFO, FIFO, discounts, returns, and sales and purchase of inventory. Basic understanding of financial accounting principles is required for this course.
The class has 22.5 hours of video lessons and 39 downloadable resources included. If you enroll, you will receive lifetime access to course materials and a completion certificate. The course costs $144.99.
Best Advanced Level Financial Accounting Courses
Are you an experienced financial accountant? These courses will enhance your accounting skills.
1. Automated Financial Reporting in Excel: One-Click Reports by Udemy
Advanced students should be looking to improve their productivity on top of expanding their knowledge. Automation enters the mix of financial accounting with the Udemy course Automated Financial Reporting In Excel: One-Click Reports.
This course aims to make the preparation of financial statements and reports as fast and efficient as possible. It will teach you how to link your system-generated report and financial statement, create pivot tables, and work with dynamic formulas.
The course has an average rating of 4.2 and is offered by Illumeo Learning. The syllabus contains one hour of online videos, three articles, and three downloadable resources. The full price of this course is $49.99.
2. Financial Accounting: Advanced Topics by Coursera
- Who's it for? Advanced
- Price: On sale
Looking to sharpen your existing financial accounting knowledge and level up at work? Financial Accounting: Advanced Topics is offered as a part of Coursera’s finance classes, some of which are offered by the University of Illinois.
This course focuses on fixed assets, preparation of cash flow statements, accounting for liabilities, and more. The course also covers shareholders’ equity with respect to a company’s balance sheet.
The course has a high average rating of 4.7 out of over 600 ratings and more than 80 reviews. It is fully online and takes around nine hours to finish. The course costs $49 a month after 7-day free trial.
3. Preparing Financial Statements for Auditors by Udemy
Knowing the ins and outs of financial statements come in handy when faced with preparing an independent audit. If you struggle with the statements or want to brush up on your skills, you should check out the Preparing Financial Statements for Auditors course on Udemy.
The course even applies to professionally trained financial accountants. It will teach you how to avoid potential audit issues, complete with tips on where to look for potential mistakes and misstatements. You’ll also learn the concept of materiality in various auditing standards like GAAS, ASC, FASB, and PCAOB.
One hour of video lessons, two downloadable resources, and two articles come with this course. The full price is $74.99.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, investing in a quality online course can advance your career efforts all while staying in the comfort of your home.
Determine what aspects of financial accounting you seek to master, and find a class that satisfies these all while staying in your price range and time commitment.
Southern New Hampshire University Online
SNHU Online Offers:
- Flexible schedules
- Affordable tuition
- Online tutoring
- Access to electronic research materials
- Specialized academic advising
- Supportive online community
About Sarah Horvath
Sarah is an expert in the insurance, investing for retirement and cryptocurrency space.