Finance for Managers Course Syllabus
Full curriculum breakdown — modules, lessons, estimated time, and outcomes.
Overview (80-120 words) describing structure and time commitment.
Module 1: Course Overview & Week 1
Estimated time: 4 hours
- Introduction to operational finance concepts
- Analysis of a real-world business case
- Evaluation of balance sheets and income statements
- Assessment of company performance using financial statements
Module 2: Operational Ratios and Forecasting
Estimated time: 2 hours
- Understanding key operational ratios: Days of Collection, Inventory, and Payables
- Techniques for forecasting P&L statements
- Forecasting balance sheet figures
- Applying forecasting to evaluate creditworthiness
Module 3: Diagnosis and Action Plan
Estimated time: 4 hours
- Identification of financial issues impacting operations
- Understanding Need of Funds for Operations (NFO)
- Understanding Working Capital (WC)
- Developing strategic action plans for financial improvement
Module 4: Negative NFO and DuPont Analysis
Estimated time: 4 hours
- Examination of scenarios with negative NFO
- Application of DuPont analysis to dissect return on equity
- Interpreting components of ROE for managerial insight
- Final assessment to consolidate learning outcomes
Prerequisites
- Basic understanding of business operations
- Familiarity with managerial roles and responsibilities
- No prior finance background required
What You'll Be Able to Do After
- Interpret balance sheets and income statements to assess company performance
- Utilize operational ratios to analyze business efficiency
- Forecast financial outcomes to support strategic planning
- Diagnose financial health and develop actionable improvement plans
- Apply DuPont analysis to understand return on equity components