Beginner·22 hours

Accounting & Financial Statement Mastery

Analyst Certified upon completion

Build a rigorous understanding of accounting and financial statements — the foundation of all financial analysis.

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Student — $199/yr

Professional — $329/yr

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Self-paced — complete on your schedule

Analyst Certified credential upon completion

Cohort internship eligibility unlocked

Downloadable models and templates

About this certification

This certification builds your accounting foundation from the ground up: how financial statements are constructed, how GAAP and IFRS differ, how management uses accounting choices to shape reported results, and how analysts see through the numbers to underlying business reality.

What you will learn

Read and analyze all three financial statements fluently
Understand the key differences between GAAP and IFRS
Identify common accounting adjustments made by financial analysts
Evaluate earnings quality and detect red flags in reported financials
Build a financial model directly from a 10-K filing

Curriculum

Module 1: The Accounting Framework

Accrual vs cash accounting
GAAP vs IFRS overview
The chart of accounts
Double-entry bookkeeping

Module 2: The Income Statement

Revenue recognition (ASC 606)
Cost of goods sold and gross margin
Operating vs non-operating items
EPS: basic and diluted

Module 3: The Balance Sheet

Current vs non-current assets and liabilities
Inventory methods: FIFO, LIFO, weighted average
PP&E and depreciation schedules
Goodwill and intangible assets

Module 4: The Cash Flow Statement

Operating, investing, and financing activities
Direct vs indirect method
Free cash flow reconciliation
Cash flow quality analysis

Module 5: Earnings Quality & Analyst Adjustments

Non-recurring items and normalized earnings
Off-balance sheet obligations
Management discretion in accounting
Reading the footnotes

Who this certification is for

Finance beginners building a strong analytical foundation
Career changers who need to understand financial statements quickly
Professionals in non-finance roles who work with financial data

Analyst Certified

What happens when you complete this certification

You earn your Analyst Certified credential for this track. That credential signals to employers that you can perform the core analytical work expected at this level. It also unlocks eligibility to apply for an internship cohort at one of our partner firms — a structured placement where you work on real deals alongside experienced finance professionals.