What is accounting, and why is it important to learn about?

Accounting is the “language of business,” a system for collecting, classifying, measuring, and communicating financial information. While this language includes familiar terms like revenues and costs, assets and liabilities, and profits and losses, accountants use them in specific ways to express key details about the financial health of a company. This discipline is important for anyone trying to understand the performance of an organization, whether managers or employees within a business or external parties such as investors or the government. Rigorous financial accounting is particularly important for high-level executives, who rely on this information to guide effective decision making. Thus, accounting requires much more than being good with numbers or spreadsheets. It requires a blend of analytical skills as well as interpersonal “soft skills,” as accountants must be able to interpret financial information, prepare financial statements and reports that capture this information accurately, and then convey the most important findings clearly.

What kinds of careers can I pursue with a background in accounting?

While accounting terminology is generally the same regardless of your job in this field, accounting careers can vary widely depending on the audience you are communicating to and for what purpose. Public accountants such as Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) are a familiar type of accounting professional, and they work with clients to produce legally-required financial documents such as balance sheet statements for investors or annual reports for taxation authorities. Private accountants, often known as management accountants, instead prepare findings for internal use within an organization. Managerial accounting focuses on collecting and analyzing financial information used to create business plans, forecasts, and budgets, as well as data used for performance evaluation. A background in accounting can also lead to a career as an auditor, employed within a company or by an outside organization to examine financial records and identify signs of mismanagement, waste, or fraud. Similarly, forensic accounting is a specialized job in this field that works with law enforcement agencies like the FBI to “follow the money” in criminal investigations, identifying suspicious activities and uncovering financial clues. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , most accountants have at least a bachelor’s degree, and many pursue additional certifications in more specialized areas of the field.

Can I learn accounting skills through online courses on Coursera?

Yes, Coursera offers a wide range of online courses on topics related to accounting, from introductory-level courses in financial accounting to more advanced courses and Specializations in areas like financial management, reporting, and taxation. Coursera also offers a Masters of Science in Accountancy from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to take your accounting career to the next level. Best of all, taking classes remotely lets you learn on a flexible schedule that can fit into your existing work or family life. And, although online courses and Specializations through Coursera offer the same materials and credits as on-campus alternatives, they are available at a significantly lower tuition cost.

What skills or experience do I need to already have, before starting to learn accounting?

The skills and experience that you might need to already have before starting to learn accounting could include a strong interest in data, numbers, spreadsheets, income knowledge, and financial discipline. You might also have skills in organization, with meticulous attention to detail, good analytical thinking, and critical thinking. Because accountants and auditors typically manage the financial numbers for people or an organization, they need to have strong computer skills and excellent spreadsheet ability. Accountants generally need to have a bachelor’s degree or higher in accounting or a related field to become an accountant. Getting certified as a CPA (certified public accountant) is also commonly required experience to learn accounting.

What kind of people are best suited for work that involves accounting?

The kind of people who are best suited for roles in accounting may include those who have extroverted, sensing, thinking, and judging personalities. This personality type is known as ESTJ. Being extroverted to learn accounting is helpful, as accountants often have to interface with CEOs, department heads, and business leaders, so communications skills are necessary. The sensing aspect means that you may learn to use all five senses to judge a situation well. A thinking person seeks to find logical explanations to problems and challenges, thus helping to make objective decisions. And having a judging aspect in your personality means that you may enjoy structure and organization in your life more than others. These personality characteristics have been shown to be possessed by more than one-third of accountants.

How do I know if learning accounting is right for me?

You might know if learning accounting is right for you if you develop an interest in areas like finding efficiency in budgets, being organized, and showing good knowledge of numbers and financial constructs. You might know if learning accounting is right for you if you like the structure of organized financial accounts, paying attention to details, using advanced math methods like statistical analysis and calculus, and working with start-up entrepreneurs, financial companies, and other clients. Learning accounting may also prove to be right for you if you have good soft skills, like a healthy, positive demeanor, and a can-do winning attitude.

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878 resultados para "accounting"

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Financial Management
Habilidades que obtendrás: Accounting, Finance, Financial Accounting, Investment Management, Business Analysis, Data Analysis, Financial Analysis, Risk Management, Corporate Accouting, Financial Management, General Accounting, Accounts Payable and Receivable, General Statistics, Probability & Statistics, Forecasting, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Leadership and Management, Regression, Securities Sales, Taxes, Basic Descriptive Statistics, Data Analysis Software, Mergers & Acquisitions, Statistical Analysis
4.7
(6.2k reseñas)
Intermediate · Specialization · 3-6 Months
Tally Education
Tally Bookkeeper
Habilidades que obtendrás: Accounting, Accounting Software, Finance, FinTech, Financial Accounting, Account Management, Audit, Banking, Budget Management, Data Analysis, Data Management, Database Application, Databases, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Inventory Management, Project Management, Sales, Strategy and Operations, Supply Chain and Logistics
4.5
(13 reseñas)
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3-6 Months
University of Illinois
Graduate Certificate in Accounting Data Analytics
Habilidades que obtendrás: Accounting, Leadership and Management, Finance, Business Analysis, Data Analysis, Financial Accounting, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Strategy and Operations, Financial Analysis, Management Accounting, Sales, Mergers & Acquisitions, Strategy, Taxes, Communication, Probability & Statistics, Statistical Programming, Business Psychology, Audit, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Research and Design, Investment Management, Python Programming, Market Analysis, Marketing Management, Basic Descriptive Statistics, Data Visualization, Statistical Analysis, Customer Analysis, Machine Learning, General Accounting, General Statistics, Corporate Accouting, Exploratory Data Analysis, Human Resources, Market Research, Project Management, Banking, Culture, Data Management, Financial Management, Marketing Design, Media Strategy & Planning, R Programming, Regression, Business Communication, Business Development, Digital Marketing, Organizational Development, Cost Accounting, Spreadsheet Software, Accounts Payable and Receivable, Budget Management, Computer Programming, Advertising, Brand Management, Decision Making, Media Production, Risk Management, Supply Chain and Logistics, Design and Product, Product Marketing, Theoretical Computer Science, Data Visualization Software, Algorithms, Data Analysis Software, Entrepreneurial Finance, Leadership Development, Machine Learning Algorithms, Operations Management, Software Engineering, Statistical Tests, Plot (Graphics), Performance Management, Data Structures, Inventory Management, Adaptability, Advertising Sales, Big Data, Collaboration, Data Mining, Forecasting, Influencing, Natural Language Processing, Negotiation, People Development, Social Media, Software Testing, Storytelling, Databases, Experiment, Regulations and Compliance, SQL, Statistical Visualization, Agile Software Development, Behavioral Economics, BlockChain, Business Design, Change Management, Conflict Management, Creativity, Extract, Transform, Load, Graph Theory, Human Learning, Innovation, Marketing Psychology, Material Handling, Mathematics, Network Analysis, Planning, Problem Solving, Product Lifecycle, Public Relations, Search Engine Optimization, Securities Sales, Supply Chain Systems, Survey Creation, Web Design, Web Development, Probability Distribution, Cash Management, Correlation And Dependence, Critical Thinking, Database Administration, Microsoft Excel, Process Analysis, Tableau Software, Back-End Web Development, Business Intelligence, Business Process Management, Computer Graphics, Data Architecture, Econometrics, Game Theory, Human Computer Interaction, Journalism, Operating Systems, Product Management, Scrum (Software Development), Systems Design, User Research, Virtual Reality
Crédito ofrecido
Graduate Certificate · 6-12 Months
University of Illinois
Accounting Foundations Graduate Certificate
Habilidades que obtendrás: Accounting, Leadership and Management, Financial Accounting, Business Analysis, Data Analysis, Finance, Management Accounting, Python Programming, Statistical Programming, Probability & Statistics, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Strategy and Operations, Banking, Financial Analysis, Sales, Strategy, Taxes, Communication, Basic Descriptive Statistics, Corporate Accouting, Computer Programming, Exploratory Data Analysis, General Statistics, Marketing Management, Research and Design, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Statistical Analysis, Accounts Payable and Receivable, General Accounting, Financial Management, Operations Management, Brand Management, Business Development, Business Psychology, Customer Analysis, Decision Making, Mergers & Acquisitions, Risk Management, Supply Chain and Logistics, Cost Accounting, Regression, Data Structures, Data Visualization, Databases, Plot (Graphics), SQL, Theoretical Computer Science, Behavioral Economics, Collaboration, Creativity, Data Mining, Forecasting, Graph Theory, Human Resources, Inventory Management, Leadership Development, Machine Learning, Market Analysis, Market Research, Marketing Psychology, Mathematics, Natural Language Processing, Network Analysis, Problem Solving, Regulations and Compliance, Supply Chain Systems, Survey Creation, Probability Distribution, Audit, Budget Management, Database Administration, Statistical Visualization, Data Management, Design and Product, Human Computer Interaction, Microsoft Excel, Operating Systems, Systems Design, User Research
Crédito ofrecido
Graduate Certificate · 6-12 Months
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Master of Science in Accounting
Habilidades que obtendrás: Accounting, Leadership and Management, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Finance, Business Analysis, Strategy and Operations, Data Analysis, Research and Design, Financial Accounting, Strategy, Sales, Taxes, Communication, Probability & Statistics, Financial Analysis, Business Psychology, Market Research, Mergers & Acquisitions, Management Accounting, Market Analysis, Investment Management, Statistical Programming, Human Resources, Data Management, Digital Marketing, Financial Management, Audit, Design and Product, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Python Programming, General Statistics, Machine Learning, General Accounting, Culture, Marketing Management, Corporate Accouting, Banking, Customer Analysis, Data Visualization, Organizational Development, Basic Descriptive Statistics, Statistical Analysis, Business Development, Regression, Marketing Design, Supply Chain and Logistics, Creativity, Innovation, Leadership Development, Budget Management, Product Marketing, Business, Business Communication, Decision Making, Exploratory Data Analysis, Project Management, R Programming, Brand Management, Media Strategy & Planning, Risk Management, Conflict Management, Contract Management, Computer Programming, Forecasting, Collaboration, Operations Management, Cost Accounting, Theoretical Computer Science, Media Production, Spreadsheet Software, Accounts Payable and Receivable, Advertising, Product Lifecycle, Algorithms, Data Analysis Software, Regulations and Compliance, Negotiation, Product Management, Machine Learning Algorithms, Critical Thinking, Data Visualization Software, Marketing Psychology, Advertising Sales, Behavioral Economics, Big Data, Entrepreneurial Finance, Software Engineering, Statistical Tests, Storytelling, Plot (Graphics), Performance Management, Business Design, Correlation And Dependence, Data Structures, Databases, Inventory Management, MarTech, Adaptability, Data Mining, Human Computer Interaction, Influencing, Natural Language Processing, People Development, Product Strategy, Social Media, Software Testing, Supply Chain Systems, User Research, Change Management, Human Learning, Survey Creation, Database Administration, Experiment, Mathematics, Probability Distribution, SQL, Statistical Visualization, Agile Software Development, Bayesian Statistics, BlockChain, Business Intelligence, Business Process Management, Employee Relations, Extract, Transform, Load, Graph Theory, Material Handling, Network Analysis, Operations Research, People Management, Planning, Problem Solving, Public Relations, Search Engine Optimization, Securities Sales, Security Engineering, Software Security, Web Design, Web Development, Cash Management, Customer Support, Dimensionality Reduction, Estimation, Journalism, Machine Learning Software, Microsoft Excel, Packaging and Labeling, Process Analysis, Product Design, Statistical Machine Learning, Tableau Software, Visual Design, Algebra, Back-End Web Development, Computer Graphics, Data Architecture, Data Model, Data Warehousing, Econometrics, Emotional Intelligence, Game Theory, Operating Systems, Other Programming Languages, Product Development, Scientific Visualization, Scrum (Software Development), Systems Design, Virtual Reality, Visualization (Computer Graphics)
Obtener un título de grado
Degree · 1-4 Years
Gratis
West Virginia University
Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination
Habilidades que obtendrás: Business Research, Finance, Financial Management, Regulations and Compliance, Research and Design, Accounting, Audit, Financial Accounting, Data Analysis, Data Analysis Software, Big Data, Business Analysis, Critical Thinking, Data Management, Financial Analysis, General Accounting, Strategy and Operations
4.7
(5k reseñas)
Mixed · Course · 1-3 Months
University of Pennsylvania
Finance & Quantitative Modeling for Analysts
Habilidades que obtendrás: Accounting, Business Analysis, Financial Accounting, Finance, Data Analysis, Probability & Statistics, Statistical Analysis, Financial Analysis, Entrepreneurship, General Statistics, Spreadsheet Software, Data Model, Decision Making, Forecasting, Leadership and Management, Microsoft Excel, Planning, Statistical Tests, Strategy, Strategy and Operations, Business Transformation, Data Management, Estimation, Marketing, Probability Distribution, Regression, Sales, Supply Chain and Logistics, Financial Management, Business Research, Correlation And Dependence, Data Visualization, Investment Management, Research and Design, Statistical Visualization, Taxes, Accounts Payable and Receivable, Performance Management, Data Analysis Software, Design and Product, Market Research, Mathematics, Product Management, Product Marketing
4.5
(15k reseñas)
Beginner · Specialization · 3-6 Months
ESSEC Business School
Strategic Business Analytics
Habilidades que obtendrás: Probability & Statistics, Marketing, Business Analysis, Data Analysis, Exploratory Data Analysis, General Statistics, Statistical Analysis, Forecasting, Basic Descriptive Statistics, Financial Analysis, Market Analysis, Regression, Accounting, Big Data, Business Communication, Communication, Computer Graphics, Data Analysis Software, Data Management, Data Mining, Data Visualization, Entrepreneurship, Graphics Software, Leadership and Management, Planning, R Programming, SQL, Sales, Statistical Programming, Statistical Visualization, Storytelling, Strategy, Strategy and Operations, Supply Chain and Logistics
4.3
(1.3k reseñas)
Advanced · Specialization · 3-6 Months

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En síntesis, estos son los 10 cursos más populares accounting

Bachelor of Science in Marketing: University of London
Financial Management: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Tally Bookkeeper: Tally Education
Graduate Certificate in Accounting Data Analytics: University of Illinois
Accounting Foundations Graduate Certificate: University of Illinois
Master of Science in Accounting: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination: West Virginia University
PwC GST Taxation Executive: PwC India
What is Financial Accounting?: University of California, Irvine
Finance & Quantitative Modeling for Analysts: University of Pennsylvania

Preguntas frecuentes sobre contabilidad

Accounting is the “language of business,” a system for collecting, classifying, measuring, and communicating financial information. While this language includes familiar terms like revenues and costs, assets and liabilities, and profits and losses, accountants use them in specific ways to express key details about the financial health of a company.
This discipline is important for anyone trying to understand the performance of an organization, whether managers or employees within a business or external parties such as investors or the government. Rigorous financial accounting is particularly important for high-level executives, who rely on this information to guide effective decision making.
Thus, accounting requires much more than being good with numbers or spreadsheets. It requires a blend of analytical skills as well as interpersonal “soft skills,” as accountants must be able to interpret financial information, prepare financial statements and reports that capture this information accurately, and then convey the most important findings clearly.‎
While accounting terminology is generally the same regardless of your job in this field, accounting careers can vary widely depending on the audience you are communicating to and for what purpose.
Public accountants such as Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) are a familiar type of accounting professional, and they work with clients to produce legally-required financial documents such as balance sheet statements for investors or annual reports for taxation authorities.
Private accountants, often known as management accountants, instead prepare findings for internal use within an organization. Managerial accounting focuses on collecting and analyzing financial information used to create business plans, forecasts, and budgets, as well as data used for performance evaluation.
A background in accounting can also lead to a career as an auditor, employed within a company or by an outside organization to examine financial records and identify signs of mismanagement, waste, or fraud. Similarly, forensic accounting is a specialized job in this field that works with law enforcement agencies like the FBI to “follow the money” in criminal investigations, identifying suspicious activities and uncovering financial clues.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most accountants have at least a bachelor’s degree, and many pursue additional certifications in more specialized areas of the field.‎
Yes, Coursera offers a wide range of online courses on topics related to accounting, from introductory-level courses in financial accounting to more advanced courses and Specializations in areas like financial management, reporting, and taxation. Coursera also offers a Masters of Science in Accountancy from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to take your accounting career to the next level.
Best of all, taking classes remotely lets you learn on a flexible schedule that can fit into your existing work or family life. And, although online courses and Specializations through Coursera offer the same materials and credits as on-campus alternatives, they are available at a significantly lower tuition cost.‎
The skills and experience that you might need to already have before starting to learn accounting could include a strong interest in data, numbers, spreadsheets, income knowledge, and financial discipline. You might also have skills in organization, with meticulous attention to detail, good analytical thinking, and critical thinking. Because accountants and auditors typically manage the financial numbers for people or an organization, they need to have strong computer skills and excellent spreadsheet ability. Accountants generally need to have a bachelor’s degree or higher in accounting or a related field to become an accountant. Getting certified as a CPA (certified public accountant) is also commonly required experience to learn accounting.‎
The kind of people who are best suited for roles in accounting may include those who have extroverted, sensing, thinking, and judging personalities. This personality type is known as ESTJ. Being extroverted to learn accounting is helpful, as accountants often have to interface with CEOs, department heads, and business leaders, so communications skills are necessary. The sensing aspect means that you may learn to use all five senses to judge a situation well. A thinking person seeks to find logical explanations to problems and challenges, thus helping to make objective decisions. And having a judging aspect in your personality means that you may enjoy structure and organization in your life more than others. These personality characteristics have been shown to be possessed by more than one-third of accountants.‎
You might know if learning accounting is right for you if you develop an interest in areas like finding efficiency in budgets, being organized, and showing good knowledge of numbers and financial constructs. You might know if learning accounting is right for you if you like the structure of organized financial accounts, paying attention to details, using advanced math methods like statistical analysis and calculus, and working with start-up entrepreneurs, financial companies, and other clients. Learning accounting may also prove to be right for you if you have good soft skills, like a healthy, positive demeanor, and a can-do winning attitude.‎

Se puso a disposición este contenido de preguntas frecuentes solo con fines informativos. Se les pide a los estudiantes que realicen investigaciones adicionales para asegurarse de que los cursos y otras credenciales cumplan con sus objetivos personales, profesionales y financieros.