10 Best Online Accounting Courses and Certifications [Updated March 2023]

Best Online Accounting Courses and Certifications

 

Are you looking for tailored and personally customized online accounting courses from the most exceptional tutors in a comfortable one-to-one setting? Well, you have finally reached the right place. We, at TrumpLearning, help students across the world find some incredible online accounting courses from the reputed tutors and educators located in different corners of the world.

 

Accounting is not an easy subject. However, the good thing about the subject is that it can be your gateway to many, many lucrative careers, which can bring you massive professional success and financial gains. However, to be a pro in your chosen accounting career, it is important to be aware of the nitty-gritty of accounting. It is possible only if in addition to knowing and understanding the theoretical concepts, you know their practical application, along with all the necessary terminologies. For this, you need to enroll yourself in some of the best courses. Herein, we have brought together a list of 10 of the best online accounting courses. It is a list prepared in collaboration with a team of 15 experts, who closely researched about the listed courses before we finally put them out here for you. You can read through the details listed below, and then accordingly make an informed choice.

 

10 Best Online Accounting Courses & Training Programs

  1. Introduction to Financial Accounting By Wharton Business School (Coursera)
  2. Accounting Essentials by Imperial College London (edX)
  3. Accounting: From Beginner to Advanced (Udemy)
  4. Financial Accounting Course (Harvard Business School)
  5. Accounting Foundations (LinkedIn)
  6. Accounting Basic (Accounting Coach)
  7. Financial Accounting Fundamentals By University of Virginia (Coursera)
  8. Financial Accounting (Udemy)
  9. Free Finance & Accounting Certification Courses (Corporate Finance Institute)
  10. Introduction to Financial Accounting - FREE (Udemy)
Introduction to Financial Accounting By Wharton Business School (Coursera)

 

In Coursera accounting course, which is a part of Business Foundation Specialization, you’ll get to master the accounting skills that you’ll need to understand and read through the financial statements, as well as the listed disclosures, for a thorough financial analysis. The expert tutors offering online accounting courses will also help you in learning different accounting standards and their use and implications.

 

Further, this course will help you understand how the managerial incentives and the accounting standards influence the reporting process in the books of accounts. Towards, the end of this online accounting course, you’ll not only be able to read but also perfectly analyse the three pivotal financial statements – the balance sheet, cash flow statement, and the income statements.

 

In this four-week online course you’ll definitely learn a lot. All you need to keep in mind is that online accounting courses can only be helpful if you dedicate your time learning and practicing.

 

In week one, you’ll be introduced to the basics of Accounting and the Balance Sheet. It is a basic accounting course online wherein you’ll learn about financial reporting and the different types of reports. As part of this accounting training online course, the theoretical knowledge, with regards to the different rules of accounting and the authorities that makes the rules will also be imparted. The teachers play a vital role in the success of online accounting courses. The teacher of this course will introduce you to the different terms related to accounting, such as Stockholders’ Equity, Liabilities, and Assets. Furthermore, you’ll learn about the debit and credit concepts of bookkeeping. All of the training in this course would involve an in-depth practice to ensure that your basics are clear and the fundamentals are strong.

 

Week 2 of the online accounting course will involve a detailed discussion of the concepts of accrual account, and its impact on the Income Statement. Practical application of adjusting entries, closing entries, and the equalization of the asset and the liability side of the balance sheet is taught in this week.

 

Week 3 of the accounting certificate online course will involve the working, preparation, and an understanding of cash flows. It will be followed by the classification of the activities under financing, operating, and investing, and its impact on the Cashflow. In this stage of the online accounting course, you’ll learn the difference between Free Cash Flow, Earnings, EBITDA, and Cash from Operations.

 

The last week of this Coursera accounting course will be a test of all that you have learnt in the past three weeks. In addition to that, newer concepts such as ratio analysis will be taught here. With the understanding of the different ratios, you’ll get a better knowledge of the Income Statement and the Balance Sheet.

 

It is a certification course, and by the end of the four weeks, you’ll get your accounting certificate online. The course has already enrolled more than 200,000 students, and has been rated by more than 5000 people. So, we see no reason for you to miss out on this one.

 

Review by SB:
A very useful course for someone without any or a little prior knowledge about financial accounting. Full of examples and math works. A helpful guide to learn the A B C of basic financial accounting.

 


Accounting Essentials by Imperial College London (edX)

 

Wish to pursue a course in MBA, but not certain about your skills and fundamentals in accounting? Well, you cannot let your MBA go for a toss only because of your poor accounting skill. So, the online accounting course by edX is your ideal rescue. Under this online accounting course, you’ll learn about the basic accounting skills that are needed for a successful enrolment in an MBA program by the top instructors from Imperial College London.

 

There are online accounting courses available for different durations. As part of this 6-week online course, you’ll be taught the fundamental principles of accounts and the preparation of the three financial statements – cash flow statement, income statement, and the balance sheet. Further, by the end of this accounting certificate online course, it would be easier for you to make a much more informed decision with regards to your business.

 

The reason it could be the best online accounting course available out there is that the tutors of this course are of the view that you have zero prior knowledge about the subject. So, each concept, from basic to advance is taught in-depth. Proper practice is given to boost your confidence and check your skills.

 

By the end of this basic accounting course online, you’ll be able to prepare and interpret the financial statements, know the distinction between financial and management accounting, and see how financial accounting will prove useful in your MBA program. If you take this basic accounting course online, it would be easier for you to make both short-term and long-term business decisions. More than 54,000 students have enrolled for this course. So, what are you waiting for? Hurry!

 


Accounting: From Beginner to Advanced (Udemy)

 

It is an incredibly affordable accounting certificate online course, where you’ll learn about the preparation of the financial statements, learn about some specific terms that are used constantly in a financial statement, get an understanding of the business transactions, know the prevalent accounting regulations in your country, and find out what goes in debit and what goes under credit. This is not all.

 

You’ll also be able to understand the complete accounting cycle that a business follows, and prepare an adjusted trial balance for a company. You’ll learn about collectables, receivables, and the accounts, which cannot be recovered or collected. Under this accounting training online, an important aspect related to the preparation of the bank reconciliation statement is also imparted.

 

Furthermore, you’ll learn the application of FIFO, LIFO, and the average cost methods for inventory tracking. Crucial topics, such as bonds, long-term investments, short-term investments, disposal of assets, amortization, and depreciation will also be taught. By the end of this accounting certificate online course, analysing the financial statements of a business with the implication of different ratios would be a cake-walk for you.

 

Review by Lim Sio Choo:
Concepts are presented in an easy to understand manner, with examples, so much so that what was initially difficult has become simple.

 


Financial Accounting Course (Harvard Business School)

 

The financial accounting course by the HBS is a 60-hour course that’s spread over 8 weeks. It is an accounting certificate online course, which you can complete according to your own time and feasibility. Listed at number four in the list, in this course you’ll learn about the basics of financial accounting along with the preparation and the analysis of the three financial statements.

 

Online accounting courses help you calculate and interpret the different ratios calculated according to the financial statements. It is one of the best online accounting course for that as it will help you evaluate the viability of the business with regards to its financial statements. The tutor will also educate you on both IFRS and GAAP standards. By the end of the course, it would be easier for you to take up the managerial role by picking the right accounting methods and estimates, as deemed fit for the business. To avail a certification for this accounting certificate online course, the participant needs to complete the assigned 7 modules by the stipulated deadline, following which, a test will be taken wherein you need to score a minimum of 50%.

 


Accounting Foundations (LinkedIn)

 

If you wish to undertake a basic accounting course online, the accounting foundation course by LinkedIn is a great alternative. As part of this course, you’ll be able to use the financial information of the past to make more informed business decisions for both the present and the future.

 

Under this course, you’ll also learn the 4 different types and forms of accounting – managerial, financial, bookkeeping, and tax accounting. Further, the tutor will help you see through the link between these four different accounting types and then ascertain the financial health of a business, make better decisions for the business, and analyse the performance and the stability with the implication of the ratios.

 

It is another popular accounting course available online because it is self-contained. You need no prior understanding or knowledge of accounting to undertake this course. It is an extremely affordable course, which will improve your success rate in accounting by manifolds.

 


Accounting Basic (Accounting Coach)

 

It is a 7-part accounting training online course, wherein you will be introduced to a few basic principles of accounting, the terminology related to accounts, and the different accounting concepts. After you are familiar with the basics, terms, and the concepts of accounting, it would be easier for you to understand the teachings of one of the best online accounting courses available. You can check the knowledge imparted by the online teachers by way of the tests and the quizzes taken by them.

 

A few terms, which will be taught as part of the course include assets, liabilities, expenses, income, revenue, balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement. This basic accounting course online will also familiarise you with the revenue recognition and the matching principle. By the end of it, you’ll be able to make better decisions with regards to the profitability of a business. Though it is a basic course, it will help you be familiar with the subject in a much better way. Post the completion of the 7-part course, you can review the free Q & A sessions that will give you a better insight into how well you have understood the concepts of accounting.

 


Financial Accounting Fundamentals By University of Virginia (Coursera)

 

In this Coursera accounting course, you’ll be taught by the top-ranked faculty from the University of Virginia. The professors and the tutors will teach you about the different fundamentals of financial accounting. One incredible thing about this course is that it adopts the most fun ways of learning by including interactive activities to simplify complex concepts. In addition to learning how to record the financial statements, you’ll also learn how to prepare the 3 important financial statements of the business, and then analyse and read through these statements to make an important decision related to the financial health of the business.  The popularity of this course is such that over 70,000 students have already enrolled for it.

 

This basic accounting course online will help you make journal entries for the recording of the transactions and prepare the T accounts to summarise your transactions. It is a four-week course, wherein the first week would be cantered around the three financial statements, theoretical concepts, and terminologies of the accounting.

 

In the second week, you’ll learn about the techniques of recording the transactions and the preparation of the balance sheet. You’ll also be introduced to the different accounting standards and their application. Week two will be concluded by giving you an insight into the complete financial accounting cycle of a business.

 

In the third week of the basic accounting course online, you’ll learn about adjusting entries, expense and revenue transactions, and the preparation of the income and the expenditure account.

 

In the fourth and the last week of this accounting training online, you’ll finally learn how to prepare cash flow statements and the other financial statements. The course will be concluded by the discussion of the closing entries. Following this, you might have to undertake a test to ensure that everything that is taught in this accounting certificate online course is clear to you, and only then you’ll get your certificate of completion.

 

Review by RF:
I recommend this course to all beginners in understanding accounting , this course completely put you into your first step of the world of financial accounting , and professor luann is really amazing

 


Financial Accounting (Udemy)

 

In Udemy’s accounting certificate online course, which is produced by the Brigham Young University, the number 1 accounting university of the world, you’ll learn a few in-depth accounting concepts that will make it easier for you to run a business in the real-world. The tutors will help you understand the accounting cycle and the techniques and the tips to maximize the profit of the business.

 

As part of this accounting training online course, you’ll learn about the 3 different financial statements, the accounting standards, and the legal aspects of the business. Knowledge of the income and revenue statement and the calculation and examination with ratios is also a crucial aspect of this best online accounting course. A distinction in debit and credit, creation of financial statements, understanding the true difference in cash and accrual accounting, along with their respective pros and cons, are also an important element of the course.

 

As for the inventory, the three different methods of stock valuation – average cost, LIFO, and FIFO, will be taught by your trained online tutor. Lastly, you’ll learn about dividends, bonds, stocks, and assets, and understand ways of analysing each aspect to make better business decisions.

 

With several positive ratings and reviews, this course has already been enrolled by over 19000 students, you don’t want to be left behind, do you? So, hurry.

 

Review by Kittamook Phiromswat:
Best accounting class ever !!! Norm explained every complicated stuff in a very simplified manner by giving real world explanation.

 


Free Finance & Accounting Certification Courses (Corporate Finance Institute)

 

If you need an accounting certificate online course for free, you can check out the course offered by the Corporate Finance Institute that will introduce you to the different concepts and aspects of accounting to boost your career in accounting and finance. This course among the best online accounting courses available is ideal for anyone and everyone seeking to solidify their finance knowledge and accounting skills. An important aspect of this course is that it aims to help you advance in your career, which requires a thorough knowledge of accounting.

 

For those of you, who wish to learn, but do not want to burn a whole in your pocket, you can certainly take up this certification course. Trained and taught by experts, the course will help you understand the basic and advanced terminologies related to accounting, learn different terminologies, prepare cash flow, income statement, and balance sheet, and read through these financial statements for a more informed business decision. Interpretation of these financial statements would be followed by ratio calculation that would help you see through the real financial stability of a business.

 

Review by Sanjoy Roy:
I am grateful to CFI for explaining such a complex concepts in an extremely lucid manner. What I had learned in this course would have taken me months on my own.

 


 Introduction to Financial Accounting - FREE (Udemy)

 

It is a free introductory accounting training online course, wherein you’ll be taught about the different fundamentals of accounting. Furthermore, you’ll learn about the three financial statements, their preparation, and their analysis. It is an important accounting training online that will solidify your basics of accounting.

 

Whenever you join a firm or a company as an accountant or a bookkeeper, you need an in-depth knowledge of accountancy. So, from the theoretical aspects of the accounting standards to the final interpretation of the cash flow statement, balance sheet, and income statement, everything will be thoroughly explained by the top accounting experts.

 

Moreover, there’ll be review tests and practice questions to ensure that you are at pace with what’s being taught in this introduction course. The good thing about this course is that despite being free of cost, it still is so incredibly knowledgeable and worthwhile for the students who are planning to start a career in accounting. There’ll be doubt sessions, so if you have a doubt with a particular question or a concept, you can always request the tutor to repeat, or watch the same lesson on repeat till your doubts are clarified.

 

With that, our discussion on the best online accounting certification courses ends here.

 

Review by Maria Serrano:
I loved the way he explains each form and goes through each section. thank you.

 


Conclusion

 

On the internet, if you type best online accounting courses, you’ll get more than 10 results. Of course, that can get overwhelming. We understand this, and hence, we carefully researched over 100 courses on Google, and then shortlisted these 10. Trust our experts judgement when we say this, these are the best resources you’ll find online to update your skills and knowledge of accounting, and bag yourself an incredible job. If you are already enrolled in an online accounting course and are struggling with assignments, then we recommend TFTH for accounting assignment help

 

Best Online Accounting Courses Reviewed by 15 Accounting Experts 4.5
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