Financial Acumen for Non-Financial Managers

In this course, you’ll explore how financial statement data and non-financial metrics can be linked to financial performance. Professors Rick Lambert and Chris Ittner of the Wharton School have designed this course to help you gain a practical understanding of how data is used to assess what drives financial performance and forecast future financial scenarios. You’ll learn more about the frameworks of financial reporting, income statements, and cash reporting, and apply different approaches to analyzing financial performance using real-life examples to see the concepts in action. By the end of this course, you’ll have honed your skills in understanding how financial data and non-financial data interact to forecast events and be able to determine the best financial strategy for your organization.

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Syllabus

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week 1
Module 1: Introduction, Balance Sheet and Income Statement
This module was designed to give you a foundational overview of financial reporting and income statements. You’ll identify and analyze balance sheet equations and its key components such as assets, liabilities, and shareholders’ equity. Through examining a sample real-world financial statement, you’ll learn how to calculate income, revenue, and expenses transactions, and see how the income statement is linked to changes in the balance sheet. By the end of this module, you’ll have a better understanding of the key components in financial reporting and learn how to craft an accurate income statement for your organization.
Week 2
Module 2: Cash Flow Statement
In this module, you’ll examine cash flow statements further, and take a closer look at methods of creating cash flow statements. Using your understanding of financial reporting, you’ll be able to classify different business activities into separate categories such as operating, investing, and financing activities. Through analyzing the real-world financial statement from the previous module, you’ll learn about both direct and indirect methods of creating cash flow statements. By the end of this module, you’ll be able to differentiate between various business activities and effectively utilize both direct and indirect methods of creating cash flow statements for your organization.
Week 3
Module 3: Financial Statement Analysis
In this module, you’ll examine a systematic approach to ratio analysis and other common tools of financial statement analysis. You’ll develop an understanding of ratios and liquidity measures so you can accurately assess risk within your organization’s financial activities. You’ll discover different approaches to profitability measures such as Earnings Per Share (EPS), Return on Equity (ROE), and the Dupont Analysis. You will be able to match Return on Assets (ROA) to various types of companies and gain a better understanding of the drivers of ROA. Then, you’ll explore the concepts of sales revenue and different qualities of earnings. By the end of this module, you’ll understand the theoretical basis behind ratio analysis, and be able to employ different ratio analyses and accurately calculate profitability measures for your organization.
Week 4
Module 4: Linking Non-Financial Metrics to Financial Performance
In this module, you’ll discover how to determine which non-financial performance measures predict financial results through asking these fundamental questions: Of the hundreds of non-financial measures, which are the key drivers of financial success? How do you rank or weight non-financial measures which don’t share a common denominator? And what performance targets are desirable? You’ll examine comprehensive examples of how companies have used accounting data to show how investments in non-financial dimensions pay off in the future and important organizational issues that commonly arise using these models. By the end of this module, you’ll know how predictive analytics can be used to determine what you should be measuring, how to weight different performance measures when trying to analyze potential financial results, how to make trade-offs between short-term and long-term objectives, and how to set performance targets for optimal financial performance.

FAQ

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?

Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:

The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.

The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?

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. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.

Is financial aid available?

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Reviews

Wish week 4 was one long example so that we could go into more detail into making the business model. Overall learned a lot and enjoyed the course.

Very thorough. Great use of real world examples and faculty are knowledgable and present the materials in an easy to learn format.

Appreciate the works that Professors Rick Lambert and Chris Ittner have done.

One suggestion is to add more samples to explain the concepts.

Level of Difficulty is good. Challenging at times to executives in firms who don't have much exposure to financial aspects of the firm. But grit will help you go through the course and complete it.