Explore the financial concepts and accounting processes used in most businesses and gain practical techniques to increase your effectiveness. Topics in this online program include the accounting cycle; resource allocation; financial performance; cash flow; the importance of cash; your role in cash flow success; financial information that drives your organization; and how business reports are assessed and analyzed.
 

THE PROGRAM

The Accounting and Finance for Non-Financial Managers Certificate is offered through our partner, Learning Resources Network, Inc. (aka UGotClass). It is composed of three, month-long courses:

1. Accounting and Finance for Non Financial Managers - 1 month

Introduction to Finance

• The vocabulary of finance
• The four basic elements of finance
• The basic financial statements

Introduction to Accounting

• Basic terminology
• The purpose of accounting
• The accounting cycle
• Preparing financial statements

Managing Liabilities

• Overview of liabilities
• The liabilities of a business
• Short-term liabilities
• Long-term liabilities

Financial Planning

• Overview of financial planning
• The importance of financial planning
• The business planning process

2. Cash is King - 1 month

Cash Flow Strategies

• The importance of cash in business
• The cash-critical stages in business
• Internal sources of cash
• External sources of cash

Reporting and Evaluating Cash Flow

• Review of the cash flow statement
• Review of projected cash flow report
• What the cash cycle communicates
• Improvements to shorten the cash cycle
• Calculating the cash cycle

Projecting Cash Needs

• How much cash the business needs
• When cash injections are needed
• Cash needs that internal sources may cover
• Cash needs that must be met through external sources
• Making comparisons with other businesses in the same industry

Funding Requests

• What debt sources of cash are possible
• Potential equity sources of cash
• Different requirements of funding sources
• Making a pitch to investors
• Approaching potential lenders for financing

3. Financial Analysis and Planning for Non Financial Managers - 1 month

Financial Strategies

• Your role in financial decision-making and the goal of business
• Understanding the language of finance
• Read the story (The accounting equation; the matching principle; common financial statements, Income Statement; Balance Sheet; and the Statement of Cash Flows)
• The purpose of financial statements

Financial Dashboard – Introduction to Financial Gauges

• Understand basic financial concepts (the accounting equation; the profit matching principle; the fund matching principle; cash basis vs. accrual basis accounting methods; cash vs. profits; debt vs. equity)
• Financial strategies
• Financial gauges
• Reading your financial gauges

Financial Gauges - Profitability

• Profitability gauges (ratio analysis; net profit margin or the bottom line; gross profit margin; operating margin; and using profitability ratios
• The components of profitability (the origin of profits and sales and expenses)
• Sales strategies and pricing strategies
• Cost of goods sold and cost of sales; gross profit margin; gross profit analysis and planning
• Expenses: budget verses actual analysis and cost management and efficiency

Financial Gauges - Performance

• Making money
• Taking advantage of assets
• Making the most of liabilities and equity
• Performance financial gauges (current and quick ratio; return on assets; return on equity; and debt to equity ratio)
• Financial analysis and planning summary

HOW IT WORKS

An invitation into the online classroom will be emailed to you the Wednesday before the class begins. The subject of the email invitation will be "Lern – Classroom Invitation". Please click to accept the invitation, and from there you will create a password and will be able to access the classroom. If you haven't received an invitation by the Thursday before the course begins, please forward your confirmation email to info@ugotclass.org, and a staff member will resend your invitation.

Once inside the online classroom, here's what you can expect.

Participate When You Want

The online classroom is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are no live real-time requirements or meetings. For the best learning, participants should log into the course on 2-3 different days of the week.

What You Will Do

Each course is composed of several units. For each unit, you will:

• Access the online readings
• Listen to the audio presentation for the unit and view the slides
• Take a self-quiz to see how much you have learned
• Engage in written online discussion with your instructor and other participants

The content (readings, audio lectures, slides) and self-quizzes are accessible for the entire course, so you can work ahead, or go back and review again, at your convenience.

Discussion

The discussion for each unit lasts one week. All comments are made in writing and can be made at any time, day or night. Your instructor will log into the discussion area at least once a day and answer questions, make comments, and respond to comments by you and the other participants. We encourage you to make 2-3 comments each day to maximize your learning and enjoyment of the course.

COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS

1. Make at least one comment every week in the discussion.

• The comment should show thought and be more substantive than just “Yes, I agree.” There is no length required for comments.
• Replies to other comments and responses to other participants count as comments (in most cases your instructor values replies and responses as comments).
• Questions and online discussion facilitative comments also count as long as there is some thought to them.

2. Take the self-quiz at the end of every unit.

• You must score 80% or higher.
• You may retake any self-quiz as often as you need to get to the 80% score.

Completion Timeline

RECOGNITION

A pdf Certificate of Completion is issued by Learning Resources Network, Inc. and will list Green River College as its partner organization.

HELP

Once you have started your program, please direct all questions to info@ugotclass.org

• The requirements should be completed by the last day of the course.
• Individual instructors may extend the deadline upon request.
• If, for any reason, you are not able to complete the requirements during the course, UGotClass will provide you with their Course Transfer Option. The course Transfer Option allows you to retake any or all of the same UGotClass online course at a future offering within the next 12 months at no extra cost.