MITx: Financial Accounting course Syllabus

Overview: This course provides a comprehensive introduction to financial accounting, designed to build strong analytical foundations for learners. Over approximately 13–16 weeks, with an estimated time commitment of 6–8 hours per week, you'll gain practical skills in accounting fundamentals, financial statement analysis, and business decision-making. The curriculum is structured into four core modules followed by a capstone project, all developed with the academic rigor of MITx. Lifetime access allows flexible learning at your own pace.

Module 1: Foundations of Financial Accounting

Estimated time: 24 hours

• Understand the purpose and structure of accounting systems
• Distinguish accrual accounting from cash accounting
• Explore the accounting equation: Assets = Liabilities + Equity
• Apply double-entry bookkeeping principles

Module 2: Financial Statements and Reporting

Estimated time: 32 hours

• Analyze the structure and components of balance sheets
• Interpret income statements and calculate net income
• Understand cash flow statements using direct and indirect methods
• Apply revenue recognition and expense matching principles

Module 3: Accounting Analysis and Interpretation

Estimated time: 24 hours

• Calculate key financial ratios including current ratio and debt-to-equity
• Evaluate profitability, liquidity, and solvency metrics
• Identify red flags in financial statements
• Assess quality of earnings and accounting estimates

Module 4: Decision-Making and Applications

Estimated time: 24 hours

• Apply accounting data to business strategy evaluation
• Assess company performance for investment decisions
• Strengthen analytical skills for financial evaluation
• Use financial information to support managerial decisions

Module 5: Final Project

Estimated time: 16 hours

• Perform a full financial statement analysis of a real company
• Calculate and interpret financial ratios over time
• Submit a report evaluating business health and performance

Prerequisites

• Familiarity with basic business concepts
• High school level mathematics proficiency
• No prior accounting experience required

What You'll Be Able to Do After

• Understand the fundamentals of financial accounting and reporting
• Interpret key financial statements: balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement
• Analyze revenues, expenses, assets, and liabilities
• Evaluate financial performance and business health
• Strengthen decision-making using accounting information