Accounting and Finance Basics
Understand financial statements, budgets and cash flow. A solid grounding for managers and small business owners.
Program overview
Accounting and Finance Basics gives non-specialists a solid grounding in how money moves through an organisation. You learn to read financial statements, build budgets and understand the numbers behind decisions.
Who it is for
- Managers who are responsible for a budget
- Small business owners and sole traders
- Professionals considering a finance or bookkeeping role
Learning outcomes
By the end of the program you will be able to:
- Read a balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement
- Prepare and monitor a departmental budget
- Understand costs, margins and break-even
- Communicate financial information to colleagues
- Recognise when to seek specialist advice
Curriculum
- Module 1The language of accounting. Assets, liabilities, income and expenses.
- Module 2Recording transactions. Double-entry in plain terms.
- Module 3The income statement. Revenue, costs and profit.
- Module 4The balance sheet. What an organisation owns and owes.
- Module 5Cash flow. Why profitable businesses still run out of cash.
- Module 6Budgeting. Plan, track and explain variances.
- Module 7Costing and pricing. Margins, break-even and pricing decisions.
- Module 8Financial analysis. Ratios and what they tell you.
Schedule and format
Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm, on campus, for 14 weeks.
Lead instructor
Dr. Helen Okafor
Dean of Studies
Helen leads the academic team and has spent 20 years researching how adults learn. She previously directed continuing education at a regional college.
Frequently asked questions
Will this qualify me as an accountant?
No. It is a foundation program, but many graduates continue to professional accounting courses.
Is a calculator required?
Any basic calculator or spreadsheet will do.
Why is it 14 weeks?
Accounting needs more practice time than our other programs, so we added two weeks of review.