When will I get access to the course?

Once your payment is successfully processed, you’ll receive an email granting you access to the course content within two hours. To maximize your 90-day access period, we strongly recommend logging into the course platform as soon as you receive this notification. If you plan to pay online using a credit card, you may do so at any time. If you’ve selected an alternative payment method, please allow additional time for processing: Western Union - 3 business days Domestic Wire - 5 business days International Wire - 14 business days Loans - 12 business days

What are the learning requirements in order to successfully complete the course, and how are grades assigned?

Participants in Leading with Finance are eligible for a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Business School Online. Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely manner. This means completing each course module and fully answering questions posed therein by the required deadline. In addition to module assignment completion, we expect participation in the social learning elements of the course by offering feedback on others’ reflections and contributing to conversations on the platform. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements won’t receive a certificate or be eligible to retake the course. More detailed information on course requirements will be communicated at the start of the program. No grades are assigned for Leading with Finance. Participants will be evaluated as complete or not complete.

What materials will I have access to after completing Leading with Finance?

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the content. Access to course materials and the course platform ends with your on-demand access end date. At the end of each course module, you will be able to download a PDF summary highlighting key concepts and accounting and financial formulas used throughout the course. At the end of the program, you will receive a PDF compilation of all of the module summary documents. We hope the module summary documents will serve as a helpful resource after you finish the course.

How should I list my certificate on my resume?

Once you've earned your Certificate of Completion, list it on your resume along with the date of completion: Harvard Business School Online Certificate in Leading with Finance [On-Demand Start Month and Year] List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" with the language from the Credential Verification page: School: Harvard Business School Online Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program Degree: Other; Certificate in Leading with Finance Field of Study: Leave blank Grade: "Complete" Activities and Societies: Leave blank For the program description on LinkedIn, please use the following: Leading with Finance is a 6-module, 40-hour online certificate program from Harvard Business School. Leading with Finance helps students understand key financial levers that drive financial performance, examine how the capital markets work, develop a toolkit for making smart financial decisions, and gain the confidence to clearly communicate those decisions to both internal and external stakeholders. The program was developed by leading Harvard Business School faculty and is delivered in an active learning environment based on the HBS signature case-based learning model.

Finance & Accounting

Leading with Finance

Build an intuitive understanding of financial principles to better communicate with key stakeholders, drive business performance, and grow your career.

Format
On-Demand
Time
35-40 hrs, 6-7 hrs/week
Price
$1,949

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Key Concepts

Understand the key financial levers that drive financial performance
Discover how and why finance is concerned with cash flow versus profits and why that matters for your business and budget
Identify ways to create and measure value in order to evaluate and pitch potential projects
Examine how capital markets work and how they affect your business
Develop a financial intuition that will give you the confidence to make effective decisions in your career and life

Who Will Benefit

Gain the skills and confidence needed to understand the financial landscape of your business and industry in order to advance your career, especially if you’re in a non-finance role.

In an ever fast-changing world, it is important to keep abreast with how people around the world tackle finance-related issues and the experiences they go through.
Saad Hashmi; Associate Corporate Relationship Mangaer at HSBC Bank Middle East Limited

92%

of learners said they developed increased confidence after completing an HBS Online course

11x

return on investment, with 24% of learners reporting an average $20,466 salary increase

82%

Felt more confident leading initiatives at work

What You'll Earn

Learn More

Certificate of Specialization — **Certificate of Completion**
Boost your resume with a Certificate of Completion from HBS Online
Earn by: completing this course

Certificate of Completion — **Certificate of Specialization**
Prove your mastery of finance and accounting
Earn by: completing any three courses within this subject area to earn a Certificate of Specialization

Course Syllabus

6 Modules, 35-40 Hours

Download full syllabus (pdf)

Module 1

Financial Analysis

5-7 Hours

Understand the building blocks of financial analysis and develop an intuition for the concepts behind finance principles.

Highlights

0:39

Ratios

Module 2

Finance vs. Accounting

6-7 Hours

Identify the fundamental differences between accounting and finance, and examine the use of cash as a measurement of value creation.

Highlights

0:33

What Is Cash

Visual of EBITDA equation showing Net Income plus Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization equals EBITDA. — Our First Measure of Cash

Module 3

Capital Markets

6-7 Hours

Build a strong understanding of the players in the financial services industry and contemplate the financial system, its flaws, and potential solutions.

Highlights

0:52

Institutional Investors

0:38

Signaling

Module 4

Creating Value

6-7 Hours

Explore the three pillars of value creation, why capital is costly, and how to use this information to benefit your organization.

Highlights

0:34

Three Sources of Value

0:38

Weighted Average Cost of Capital

Module 5

Valuation

6-7 Hours

Determine how the future affects value today, compare various valuation methods, and discuss potential risks involved in mergers and acquisitions.

Highlights

Line graph of S&P 500 P/E ratio from 1881 to 2016, showing major peaks around 1930 and 2000. — Common Multiples

0:40

Spirit Aerosystems

Module 6

Capital Allocation

6-7 Hours

Discuss capital allocation, analyze the various options companies have for investing their cash, and determine which “type” of money will empower new business ideas to flourish.

Highlights

Chart showing S&P companies’ cash, debt ratio, and Net Debt to EBITDA trends from 2006 to 2016, with rising debt levels. — The High-Class Problem of Too Much Cash

0:43

The Capital Allocation Decision Tree

Led by World-Renowned HBS Faculty

HBS Online courses are taught by Harvard Business School faculty, bringing the renowned HBS classroom experience directly to you.

Experience

Immersive Learning

Stay active by engaging in a new activity every three to five minutes and applying your knowledge through quizzes and a capstone project.

HBS Online courses allow you to immerse yourself in a
dynamic, interactive learning experience. You’ll engage in a new activity every
three to five minutes and apply your knowledge through polls, quizzes, and
problem-solving exercises designed to accelerate and reinforce your learning.

Real-World Connections

Get social by collaborating with a global community of peers before, during, and after your course. Learners who successfully complete an HBS Online program will be added to the HBS Online Community's Official Networking Group and gain exclusive access to events and other networking opportunities.

See how the HBS Online course platform engages you in social learning. You exchange ideas, offer input, and seek out viewpoints from a community of learners gathered from around the globe. In the process, you learn from each other’s experiences and perspectives, and leave the program with a broader outlook on the world.

Real-World Cases

Immerse yourself in real-world, case-based examples brought to life by industry-leading experts from companies like Heineken, Biogen, and Sanford C. Bernstein.

Our courses allow you to apply your learning through
real-world examples and experience Harvard Business School’s signature case
method. Business leaders will share challenges they’ve faced. As the story
unfolds, you’ll leverage course concepts, vital tools and frameworks, and the
diversity of your peers’ perspectives to analyze the problem and determine a
path forward.

Real-World Outcomes