What is accounting, and why is it important to learn about?

Accounting is the “language of business,” a system for collecting, classifying, measuring, and communicating financial information. While this language includes familiar terms like revenues and costs, assets and liabilities, and profits and losses, accountants use them in specific ways to express key details about the financial health of a company. This discipline is important for anyone trying to understand the performance of an organization, whether managers or employees within a business or external parties such as investors or the government. Rigorous financial accounting is particularly important for high-level executives, who rely on this information to guide effective decision making. Thus, accounting requires much more than being good with numbers or spreadsheets. It requires a blend of analytical skills as well as interpersonal “soft skills,” as accountants must be able to interpret financial information, prepare financial statements and reports that capture this information accurately, and then convey the most important findings clearly.

What kinds of careers can I pursue with a background in accounting?

While accounting terminology is generally the same regardless of your job in this field, accounting careers can vary widely depending on the audience you are communicating to and for what purpose. Public accountants such as Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) are a familiar type of accounting professional, and they work with clients to produce legally-required financial documents such as balance sheet statements for investors or annual reports for taxation authorities. Private accountants, often known as management accountants, instead prepare findings for internal use within an organization. Managerial accounting focuses on collecting and analyzing financial information used to create business plans, forecasts, and budgets, as well as data used for performance evaluation. A background in accounting can also lead to a career as an auditor, employed within a company or by an outside organization to examine financial records and identify signs of mismanagement, waste, or fraud. Similarly, forensic accounting is a specialized job in this field that works with law enforcement agencies like the FBI to “follow the money” in criminal investigations, identifying suspicious activities and uncovering financial clues. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , most accountants have at least a bachelor’s degree, and many pursue additional certifications in more specialized areas of the field.

Can I learn accounting skills through online courses on Coursera?

Yes, Coursera offers a wide range of online courses on topics related to accounting, from introductory-level courses in financial accounting to more advanced courses and Specializations in areas like financial management, reporting, and taxation. Coursera also offers a Masters of Science in Accountancy from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to take your accounting career to the next level. Best of all, taking classes remotely lets you learn on a flexible schedule that can fit into your existing work or family life. And, although online courses and Specializations through Coursera offer the same materials and credits as on-campus alternatives, they are available at a significantly lower tuition cost.

Parcourir>
Accounting

Cours de Accounting

Découvrir et terminer un projet guidé en moins de 2 heures

Spreadsheets for Beginners using Google SheetsCoursera Project Network

Google Ads for BeginnersCoursera Project Network

Predictive Modelling with Azure Machine Learning StudioCoursera Project Network

Financial Accounting Fundamentals
University of Virginia
Cours
Noté 4.8 sur cinq étoiles. 1238 avis
76k étudiants
Beginner
Introduction to Financial Accounting
University of Pennsylvania
Cours
Noté 4.7 sur cinq étoiles. 6078 avis
210k étudiants
Mixed
Fundamentals of Accounting
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Spécialisation
Noté 4.7 sur cinq étoiles. 962 avis
42k étudiants
Beginner
Business Foundations
University of Pennsylvania
Spécialisation
Noté 4.7 sur cinq étoiles. 17313 avis
530k étudiants
Beginner
Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination
West Virginia University
Cours
Noté 4.7 sur cinq étoiles. 2393 avis
47k étudiants
Mixed
Managerial Accounting Fundamentals
University of Virginia
Cours
Noté 4.8 sur cinq étoiles. 241 avis
14k étudiants
Beginner
Accounting for Decision Making
University of Michigan
Cours
Noté 4.8 sur cinq étoiles. 165 avis
12k étudiants
Intermediate
More Introduction to Financial Accounting
University of Pennsylvania
Cours
Noté 4.9 sur cinq étoiles. 401 avis
42k étudiants
Mixed
Accounting: Principles of Financial Accounting
IESE Business School
Cours
Noté 4.8 sur cinq étoiles. 1226 avis
40k étudiants
Beginner
Financial Reporting
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Spécialisation
Noté 4.8 sur cinq étoiles. 280 avis
14k étudiants
Intermediate
Business Analytics
University of Pennsylvania
Spécialisation
Noté 4.6 sur cinq étoiles. 13264 avis
300k étudiants
Beginner
Fundamentals of financial and management accounting
Politecnico di Milano
Cours
Noté 4.8 sur cinq étoiles. 37 avis
Beginner
Excel Skills for Business
Macquarie University
Spécialisation
Noté 4.9 sur cinq étoiles. 21276 avis
320k étudiants
Beginner
U.S. Federal Taxation
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Spécialisation
Noté 4.8 sur cinq étoiles. 340 avis
13k étudiants
Intermediate
Advanced Financial Reporting: Accounting for Business Combinations and Preparation of Consolidated Financial Statements
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Cours
Noté 4.8 sur cinq étoiles. 31 avis
2.8k étudiants
Advanced
Financial Markets
Yale University
Cours
Noté 4.8 sur cinq étoiles. 9508 avis
570k étudiants
Beginner
Formal Financial Accounting
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Cours
Noté 4.8 sur cinq étoiles. 171 avis
5k étudiants
Intermediate
Financial Management
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Spécialisation
Noté 4.7 sur cinq étoiles. 3345 avis
86k étudiants
Intermediate
Auditing I: Conceptual Foundations of Auditing
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Cours
Noté 4.6 sur cinq étoiles. 121 avis
12k étudiants
Mixed
Finance for Non-Financial Managers
Emory University
Cours
Noté 4.4 sur cinq étoiles. 181 avis
14k étudiants
Intermediate

Searches related to accounting

accounting: principles of financial accounting

accounting analytics

accounting and finance

accounting for decision making

accounting data analytics with python

accounting and finance for it professionals

accounting records

accounting analysis i: the role of accounting as an information system

Questions fréquentes sur comptabilité analytique

Accounting is the “language of business,” a system for collecting, classifying, measuring, and communicating financial information. While this language includes familiar terms like revenues and costs, assets and liabilities, and profits and losses, accountants use them in specific ways to express key details about the financial health of a company.
This discipline is important for anyone trying to understand the performance of an organization, whether managers or employees within a business or external parties such as investors or the government. Rigorous financial accounting is particularly important for high-level executives, who rely on this information to guide effective decision making.
Thus, accounting requires much more than being good with numbers or spreadsheets. It requires a blend of analytical skills as well as interpersonal “soft skills,” as accountants must be able to interpret financial information, prepare financial statements and reports that capture this information accurately, and then convey the most important findings clearly.
While accounting terminology is generally the same regardless of your job in this field, accounting careers can vary widely depending on the audience you are communicating to and for what purpose.
Public accountants such as Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) are a familiar type of accounting professional, and they work with clients to produce legally-required financial documents such as balance sheet statements for investors or annual reports for taxation authorities.
Private accountants, often known as management accountants, instead prepare findings for internal use within an organization. Managerial accounting focuses on collecting and analyzing financial information used to create business plans, forecasts, and budgets, as well as data used for performance evaluation.
A background in accounting can also lead to a career as an auditor, employed within a company or by an outside organization to examine financial records and identify signs of mismanagement, waste, or fraud. Similarly, forensic accounting is a specialized job in this field that works with law enforcement agencies like the FBI to “follow the money” in criminal investigations, identifying suspicious activities and uncovering financial clues.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most accountants have at least a bachelor’s degree, and many pursue additional certifications in more specialized areas of the field.
Yes, Coursera offers a wide range of online courses on topics related to accounting, from introductory-level courses in financial accounting to more advanced courses and Specializations in areas like financial management, reporting, and taxation. Coursera also offers a Masters of Science in Accountancy from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to take your accounting career to the next level.
Best of all, taking classes remotely lets you learn on a flexible schedule that can fit into your existing work or family life. And, although online courses and Specializations through Coursera offer the same materials and credits as on-campus alternatives, they are available at a significantly lower tuition cost.

Autres sujets à explorer

Technologies de l'information

145 cours

Santé

471 cours

Mathématiques et logique

70 cours

Développement personnel

137 cours

Sciences physiques et ingénierie

413 cours

Sciences sociales

401 cours

Apprentissage des langues

150 cours

Ce que Coursera peut vous apporter

Programme d'apprentissage

Description

projet guidé

Développez une compétence adaptée à votre emploi que vous pourrez utiliser aujourd'hui en moins de 2 heures grâce à une expérience interactive guidée par un expert en la matière. Accédez à tout ce dont vous avez besoin directement dans votre navigateur et terminez votre projet en toute confiance grâce à des instructions étape par étape.

Cours

Suivez des cours donnés par les meilleurs enseignants et universités du monde. Les cours comprennent des devoirs enregistrés auto-notés ou notés par les pairs, des vidéos de cours et des forums de discussion communautaires. Lorsque vous terminez un cours, vous pouvez demander à recevoir un Certificat de Cours électronique moyennant des frais raisonnables.

Spécialisation

Inscrivez-vous à une Spécialisation pour maîtriser une compétence professionnelle spécifique. Vous aurez l'opportunité de mener à bien une suite de cours rigoureux, de vous mesurer à des projets pratiques, et d'obtenir un Certificat de Spécialisation à utiliser au sein de votre réseau professionnel et auprès d'employeurs potentiels.

Certificat Professionnel

Que vous souhaitiez faire progresser votre carrière ou en changer, les Certificats Professionnels de Coursera vous aident à vous préparer pour un emploi. Apprenez à votre propre rythme auprès des meilleures entreprises et universités, appliquez vos nouvelles compétences lors de projets pratiques qui mettent en valeur votre expertise auprès d'employeurs potentiels et obtenez une qualification pour donner un coup d'envoi à votre nouvelle carrière.

MASTERTRACK™ CERTIFICATE

Avec les Certificats MasterTrack™, les composants des programmes du master ont été répartis dans des modules en ligne, afin que vous puissiez obtenir une qualification professionnelle de haute qualité délivrée par une université, à un prix défiant toute concurrence et dans un format flexible et interactif. Bénéficiez d'une expérience d'apprentissage des plus motivantes grâce à des projets réels et à des cours en ligne dispensés par des experts. Si vous êtes accepté(e) pour le programme du master complet, votre travail en cours MasterTrack compte pour l'obtention de votre diplôme.

Diplôme

Transformez votre CV avec un diplôme d'une université de premier plan pour un prix encore jamais vu. L'expérience d'apprentissage modulaire de nos diplômes vous permet d'étudier en ligne à n'importe quel moment, et de recevoir des crédits à mesure que vous terminez les devoirs de vos cours. Vous recevrez les mêmes qualifications que les étudiants qui suivent les cours en présentiel. Les diplômes de Coursera coûtent beaucoup moins que les programmes comparables qui ont lieu sur les campus.

Cours de Accounting

Découvrir et terminer un projet guidé en moins de 2 heures

Afficher 449 résultats totaux pour « accounting »

Searches related to accounting

accounting: principles of financial accounting

accounting analytics

accounting and finance

accounting for decision making

accounting data analytics with python

accounting and finance for it professionals

accounting records

accounting analysis i: the role of accounting as an information system

Questions fréquentes sur comptabilité analytique

Autres sujets à explorer

Ce que Coursera peut vous apporter

Meilleurs cours en ligne

Meilleures spécialisations en ligne

Certificats en ligne

Programmes diplômants en ligne

Coursera

Communauté

Plus