Skip to Main Content
HBS Online
  • Courses
    Open Courses Mega Menu
    • Business Essentials
      • Credential of Readiness (CORe)
      • Business Analytics
      • Economics for Managers
      • Financial Accounting
    • Leadership & Management
      • Leadership Principles
      • Management Essentials
      • Negotiation Mastery
      • Organizational Leadership
      • Strategy Execution
      • Power and Influence for Positive Impact
      • Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability
      • Leading Change and Organizational Renewal
      • Dynamic Teaming
      • Transforming Customer Experiences
    • Credential of Leadership, Impact, and Management in Business (CLIMB)
    • Credential of Digital Innovation and Strategy
    • Entrepreneurship & Innovation
      • Entrepreneurship Essentials
      • Disruptive Strategy
      • Negotiation Mastery
      • Design Thinking and Innovation
      • Launching Tech Ventures
      • Winning with Digital Platforms
      • Leading Change and Organizational Renewal
      • Entrepreneurial Marketing
      • Transforming Customer Experiences
    • Strategy
      • Strategy Execution
      • Business Strategy
      • Economics for Managers
      • Disruptive Strategy
      • Global Business
      • Sustainable Business Strategy
    • Marketing
      • Digital Marketing Strategy
      • Creating Brand Value
      • Entrepreneurial Marketing
    • Digital Transformation
      • Winning with Digital Platforms
      • AI Essentials for Business
    • Finance & Accounting
      • Financial Accounting
      • Leading with Finance
      • Alternative Investments
      • Sustainable Investing
      • Strategic Financial Analysis
    • Business in Society
      • Sustainable Business Strategy
      • Global Business
      • Sustainable Investing
      • Power and Influence for Positive Impact
      • Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability
      • Business and Climate Change
    • All Courses
  • For Organizations
    Open For Organizations Mega Menu
    • Corporate Learning
      Help your employees master essential business concepts, improve effectiveness, and expand leadership capabilities.
    • Academic Solutions
      Integrate HBS Online courses into your curriculum to support programs and create unique educational opportunities.
    • Need Help?
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Contact Us
    • Insights
      Open Insights Mega Menu
      • Business Insights Blog
        • Career Development
        • Communication
        • Decision-Making
        • Earning Your MBA
        • Entrepreneurship & Innovation
        • Finance
        • Leadership
        • Management
        • Negotiation
        • Strategy
      • All Topics
      • Learner on computer exploring HBS Online business lessons
        Sample Business Lessons and E-Books

        Gain new insights and knowledge from leading faculty and industry experts.

      • HBS Online Parlor Room podcast logo
        Podcast

        The Parlor Room: Where business concepts come to life. Listen now on your favorite podcast platform.

    • More Info
      Open More Info Mega Menu
      • Learning Experience
        Master real-world business skills with our immersive platform and engaged community.
      • Certificates, Credentials, & Credits
        Learn how completing courses can boost your resume and move your career forward.
      • Learning Tracks
        Take your career to the next level with this specialization.
      • Financing & Policies
        • Employer Reimbursement
        • Payment & Financial Aid
        • Policies
      • Connect
        • Student Stories
        • Community
      • Need Help?
        • Frequently Asked Questions
        • Request Information
        • Support Portal
      • Enroll Now
    Login
    My Courses
    Access your courses and engage with your peers
    My Account
    Manage your account, enrollment, and payments.
    HBS Home
    • About HBS
    • Academic Programs
    • Alumni
    • Faculty & Research
    • Baker Library
    • Giving
    • Harvard Business Review
    • Initiatives
    • News
    • Recruit
    • Map / Directions
    HBS Online
    • Courses
    • Business Essentials
    • Leadership & Management
    • Credential of Leadership, Impact, and Management in Business (CLIMB)
    • Credential of Digital Innovation and Strategy
    • Entrepreneurship & Innovation
    • Strategy
    • Marketing
    • Digital Transformation
    • Finance & Accounting
    • Business in Society
    • For Organizations
    • Insights
    • More Info
    • About
    • Support Portal
    • Media Coverage
    • Founding Donors
    • Leadership Team
    • Careers
    • My Courses
    • My Account
    • Enroll Now
    • …→
    • Harvard Business School→
    • HBS Online→
    • Business Insights→

    Business Insights

    Harvard Business School Online's Business Insights Blog provides the career insights you need to achieve your goals and gain confidence in your business skills.

     
    Filter Results Arrow Down Arrow Up

    Topics

    Topics

    • Accounting
    • Analytics
    • Business Essentials
    • Business in Society
    • Career Development
    • Communication
    • Community
    • ConneXt
    • Decision-Making
    • Digital Transformation
    • Earning Your MBA
    • Entrepreneurship & Innovation
    • Finance
    • Leadership
    • Management
    • Marketing
    • Negotiation
    • News & Events
    • Productivity
    • Staff Spotlight
    • Strategy
    • Student Profiles
    • Technology
    • Work-Life Balance

    Courses

    Courses

    • AI Essentials for Business
    • Alternative Investments
    • Business Analytics
    • Business Strategy
    • Business and Climate Change
    • CLIMB
    • CORe
    • Creating Brand Value
    • Credential of Digital Innovation and Strategy
    • Design Thinking and Innovation
    • Digital Marketing Strategy
    • Disruptive Strategy
    • Dynamic Teaming
    • Economics for Managers
    • Entrepreneurial Marketing
    • Entrepreneurship Essentials
    • Financial Accounting
    • Global Business
    • Launching Tech Ventures
    • Leadership Principles
    • Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability
    • Leading Change and Organizational Renewal
    • Leading with Finance
    • Management Essentials
    • Negotiation Mastery
    • Organizational Leadership
    • Power and Influence for Positive Impact
    • Strategic Financial Analysis
    • Strategy Execution
    • Sustainable Business Strategy
    • Sustainable Investing
    • Transforming Customer Experiences
    • Winning with Digital Platforms
    Subscribe to the Blog
    *
    Please complete this required field.
    Email must be formatted correctly.
    Please complete all required fields.
    RSS feed

    Filters

    Topics

    Topics

    • Accounting
    • Analytics
    • Business Essentials
    • Business in Society
    • Career Development
    • Communication
    • Community
    • ConneXt
    • Decision-Making
    • Digital Transformation
    • Earning Your MBA
    • Entrepreneurship & Innovation
    • Finance
    • Leadership
    • Management
    • Marketing
    • Negotiation
    • News & Events
    • Productivity
    • Staff Spotlight
    • Strategy
    • Student Profiles
    • Technology
    • Work-Life Balance

    Courses

    Courses

    • AI Essentials for Business
    • Alternative Investments
    • Business Analytics
    • Business Strategy
    • Business and Climate Change
    • CLIMB
    • CORe
    • Creating Brand Value
    • Credential of Digital Innovation and Strategy
    • Design Thinking and Innovation
    • Digital Marketing Strategy
    • Disruptive Strategy
    • Dynamic Teaming
    • Economics for Managers
    • Entrepreneurial Marketing
    • Entrepreneurship Essentials
    • Financial Accounting
    • Global Business
    • Launching Tech Ventures
    • Leadership Principles
    • Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability
    • Leading Change and Organizational Renewal
    • Leading with Finance
    • Management Essentials
    • Negotiation Mastery
    • Organizational Leadership
    • Power and Influence for Positive Impact
    • Strategic Financial Analysis
    • Strategy Execution
    • Sustainable Business Strategy
    • Sustainable Investing
    • Transforming Customer Experiences
    • Winning with Digital Platforms
    Subscribe to the Blog
    *
    Please complete this required field.
    Email must be formatted correctly.
    Please complete all required fields.
    RSS feed

    Choosing the Right HBS Online Finance & Accounting Course

    Businessman taking online finance course
    • 21 Jul 2022
    Catherine Cote Author Staff
    tag
    • Accounting
    • Alternative Investments
    • Finance
    • Financial Accounting
    • Leading with Finance
    • Strategic Financial Analysis
    • Sustainable Investing

    Finance has been called the “language of business,” and for good reason: Its principles are foundational for how any organization—regardless of industry—makes money. Similarly, accounting is crucial for recording and reporting financial information and provides insights that drive important business decisions.

    While finance and accounting knowledge is foundational to business literacy, finance is ever-evolving and requires a lifelong-learning mindset.

    Whether you’re a beginner trying to break into the field, a non-finance professional who wants to learn the basics, or a seasoned finance professional striving to stay on the cutting edge of the investment space, taking an online course can be an effective way to gain the skills and knowledge you need.

    Harvard Business School Online offers five finance and accounting courses: Leading with Finance, Financial Accounting, Alternative Investments, Sustainable Investing, and Strategic Financial Analysis. Here’s a breakdown of each to help determine which best fits your needs and goals.


    Free E-Book: A Manager's Guide to Finance & Accounting

    Access your free e-book today.

    DOWNLOAD NOW

    The HBS Online Learning Experience

    While each course has its own focus and set of learning outcomes, they all share the characteristics that make the HBS Online learning experience unique:

    • World-class faculty
    • Self-paced online coursework with deadlines
    • Engaging, interactive content
    • Social interaction with fellow learners
    • Real examples of business challenges faced by experts
    • The HBS Online Community, a global network of business professionals
    • Career growth and a positive return on investment
    7 characteristics of the HBS Online learning experience

    Which Finance and Accounting Course Is Right for You?

    Choosing an appropriate finance and accounting course to boost your skills doesn’t have to be difficult. HBS Online offers programs that suit everyone's finance level, from novice to expert. If you want to master the basics and work your way up to advanced financial concepts, HBS Online's Learning Tracks can help you get there.

    If you take three finance and accounting courses within 18 months, you can earn a Certificate of Specialization. These advanced certificates can help boost your resume and signal to employers your commitment to professional growth.

    To determine which course you should start with, here's a breakdown of each.

    Learn or Refresh Yourself on the Basics

    Leading with Finance

    Leading with Finance is a six-week course designed to help you understand the key financial levers that drive your organization's performance in a competitive market.

    Taught by HBS Professor Mihir Desai, this course is perfect if you want to prepare for the financial aspects of leadership and management, including budgeting, assessing value and performance, and communicating decisions’ financial implications.

    Jason Bender, president of Lomont Molding LLC, explains why he chose to take the course: “I decided to sign up for Leading with Finance because I not only wanted a refresher on the principles of finance but wanted to take a more proactive and deeper approach to my company’s financial positioning."

    Course summary:

    • Course length: 6 weeks
    • Cost: $1,850
    • Review the syllabus

    Financial Accounting

    Financial Accounting, taught by HBS Professor V. G. Narayanan, is right for those who want to understand their business’s financial health as told by its financial statements.

    This eight-week course will equip you with the skills to prepare and analyze financial statements—such as the balance sheet, cash flow statement, and income statement—and use those insights to make financial decisions.

    Course summary:

    • Course length: 8 weeks
    • Cost: $1,850
    • Review the syllabus

    In the video below, Professor Narayanan explains why you should further your financial knowledge, even if you're in a non-finance role:

    View Video

    Get Involved in the Investment Space’s Cutting-Edge Future

    Alternative Investments

    Alternative Investments is a five-week course that will give you the tools to assess investment opportunities beyond traditional stocks and bonds.

    HBS professors Victoria Ivashina, Randolph Cohen, and Arthur Segel provide an in-depth foundation in alternative investment types—such as real estate, private equity, and hedge funds—and teach you how to evaluate and leverage them to create diversified portfolios.

    Course summary:

    • Course length: 5 weeks
    • Cost: $1,850
    • Review the syllabus

    Sustainable Investing

    Sustainable Investing, a six-week course taught by HBS professors Shawn Cole and Vikram Gandhi, is a good fit if you aim to positively impact the environment, social equity, and community development while driving long-term financial success.

    You’ll gain the skills to assess opportunities, measure impacts, and implement sustainable investment strategies.

    Course summary:

    • Course length: 6 weeks
    • Cost: $1,850
    • Review the syllabus

    Master Advanced Financial Concepts

    Strategic Financial Analysis

    Strategic Financial Analysis is an eight-week course taught by HBS Professor Suraj Srinivasan that teaches you how to leverage financial insights to drive strategic decision-making.

    This is an intermediate-level course for learners with a preliminary understanding of finance and accounting and access to and experience with Microsoft Excel. You’ll explore strategic drivers of financial performance, forecasting, business valuation, and mergers and acquisitions.

    Course summary:

    • Course length: 8 Weeks
    • Cost: $1,850
    • Review the syllabus

    Which HBS Online Finance and Accounting Course is Right for You? | Download Your Free Flowchart

    Achieve Your Goals by Leveling Up Your Skills

    To determine which course is right for you, start by defining your goals. Ask yourself questions like:

    • What skills do I want to learn or improve?
    • Where would these skills fit into my existing skill set?
    • What will these new skills enable me to do professionally?

    Because each course offers different learning outcomes, leading with your goals empowers you to take control of your education, select the best option for you, and level up for success.

    If you still aren’t sure which HBS Online finance and accounting course is the right fit, download our free course flowchart to determine which best aligns with your goals. If multiple programs interest you, consider pursuing a Learning Track, which enables you to take three courses within the finance and accounting subject area.

    This post was updated on January 29, 2025. It was originally published on July 21, 2022.

    About the Author

    Catherine Cote is a marketing coordinator at Harvard Business School Online. Prior to joining HBS Online, she worked at an early-stage SaaS startup where she found her passion for writing content, and at a digital consulting agency, where she specialized in SEO. Catherine holds a B.A. from Holy Cross, where she studied psychology, education, and Mandarin Chinese. When not at work, you can find her hiking, performing or watching theatre, or hunting for the best burger in Boston.
     
    All FAQs

    Top FAQs

    How are HBS Online courses delivered?

    +–

    We offer self-paced programs (with weekly deadlines) on the HBS Online course platform.

    Our platform features short, highly produced videos of HBS faculty and guest business experts, interactive graphs and exercises, cold calls to keep you engaged, and opportunities to contribute to a vibrant online community.

    Are HBS Online programs available in languages other than English?

    +–

    We expect to offer our courses in additional languages in the future but, at this time, HBS Online can only be provided in English.

    All course content is delivered in written English. Closed captioning in English is available for all videos. There are no live interactions during the course that requires the learner to speak English. Coursework must be completed in English.

    Do I need to come to campus to participate in HBS Online programs?

    +–

    No, all of our programs are 100 percent online, and available to participants regardless of their location.

    How do I enroll in a course?

    +–

    Certificate Programs

    HBS Online welcomes committed learners wherever they are—in the world and their careers—irrespective of their professional experience or academic background. To extend the reach of HBS Online, we no longer require an application for our certificate programs. (Applications are still required for our credential programs: CORe and CLIMB.) You can now immediately enroll and start taking the next step in your career.

    All programs require the completion of a brief online enrollment form before payment. If you are new to HBS Online, you will be required to set up an account before enrolling in the program of your choice.

    Our easy online enrollment form is free, and no special documentation is required. All participants must be at least 18 years of age, proficient in English, and committed to learning and engaging with fellow participants throughout the program.

    Updates to your enrollment status will be shown on your account page. HBS Online does not use race, gender, ethnicity, or any protected class as criteria for enrollment for any HBS Online program.

    Credential Programs

    HBS Online's CORe and CLIMB programs require the completion of a brief application. The applications vary slightly, but all ask for some personal background information. You can apply for and enroll in programs here. If you are new to HBS Online, you will be required to set up an account before starting an application for the program of your choice.

    Our easy online application is free, and no special documentation is required. All participants must be at least 18 years of age, proficient in English, and committed to learning and engaging with fellow participants throughout the program.

    Updates to your application and enrollment status will be shown on your account page. We confirm enrollment eligibility within one week of your application for CORe and three weeks for CLIMB. HBS Online does not use race, gender, ethnicity, or any protected class as criteria for admissions for any HBS Online program.

    Does Harvard Business School Online offer an online MBA?

    +–

    No, Harvard Business School Online offers business certificate programs.

    What are my payment options?

    +–

    We accept payments via credit card, wire transfer, Western Union, and (when available) bank loan. Some candidates may qualify for scholarships or financial aid, which will be credited against the Program Fee once eligibility is determined. Please refer to the Payment & Financial Aid page for further information.

    We also allow you to split your payment across 2 separate credit card transactions or send a payment link email to another person on your behalf. If splitting your payment into 2 transactions, a minimum payment of $350 is required for the first transaction.

    In all cases, net Program Fees must be paid in full (in US Dollars) to complete registration.

    What are the policies for refunds and deferrals?

    +–

    After enrolling in a program, you may request a withdrawal with refund (minus a $100 nonrefundable enrollment fee) up until 24 hours after the start of your program. Please review the Program Policies page for more details on refunds and deferrals. If your employer has contracted with HBS Online for participation in a program, or if you elect to enroll in the undergraduate credit option of the Credential of Readiness (CORe) program, note that policies for these options may differ.

     

    Sign up for News & Announcements


    • • Please complete this required field.
    • • Email must be formatted correctly.
    • • Please complete all required fields.

    Subject Areas

    • Business Essentials
    • Leadership & Management
    • Entrepreneurship & Innovation
    • Strategy
    • Marketing
    • Finance & Accounting
    • Business & Society
    • Digital Transformation

    Quick Links

    • FAQs
    • Contact Us
    • Request Info
    • Enroll Now
    • Support Portal

    About

    • About Us
    • Media Coverage
    • Founding Donors
    • Leadership Team
    • Careers @ HBS Online

    Legal

    • Legal
    • Policies
    Harvard Business School
    Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College
    • Site Map
    • Trademark Notice
    • Digital Accessibility