Accounting Principles and Standards

Accounting Principles and Standards Course Overview

This course is designed to give some background on the fundamental accounting principles that underlie accounting standards and explore in more depth, some of the specific accounting standards commonly encountered by financial analysts. A good understanding of accounting standards is essential for reading and interpreting financial statements and in creating robust financial models.

Accounting Principles and Standards Learning Objectives

Upon completing this course, you will be able to:

1. Understand the fundamental accounting principles that underly more detailed accounting standards
2. Understand why it is important to have as well as the characteristics of useful financial information
3. Explain the common accounting standards that financial analysts frequently encounter, such as:
   • Accrual basis of accounting
   • Revenue recognition principle
   • Historical cost principle
   • Matching principle
   • Materiality principle
   • Conservatism principle
   • Full disclosure principle
4. Identify the key standards when accounting for leases, incomes taxes, share-based payments, business combinations, and transactional costs

Who should take this course?

This Accounting Principles and Standards course covers the foundational knowledge every financial analyst should understand to perform sound financial reporting and analysis. Anyone who would like to start a career in investment banking, financial planning and analysis (FP&A), corporate development, equity research, and other areas of corporate finance should take this course to reinforce their accounting knowledge.