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Business success starts with basic financial accounting

A free financial accounting course is launching at Athabasca University

Accounting is said to be the language of business, and if you’re looking to move up in your career or even change careers, it is important to begin with the basics.

Athabasca University (AU) is launching a new massive open online course (MOOC) called Introductory Financial Accounting. MOOCs are free, open to anyone interested, and this one will help you build basic financial accounting knowledge and skills needed in today’s world.

“The goal for this MOOC is that you will discover your ability to learn a technical course like financial accounting, and perhaps will even enjoy accounting,” said Dr. David Annand, a Faculty of Business professor who helped to create the course.

“The goal for this MOOC is that you will discover your ability to learn a technical course like financial accounting, and perhaps will even enjoy accounting!”

– Dr. David Annand, Faculty of Business professor

Accounting skills to help at home and work

Even if you’re not an accountant, it is beneficial for everyone to learn more about finances, Annand says. Whether you’re balancing a personal budget, trying to make significant financial decision at home or at work, or just want to try a university-level business course, this MOOC gives you a basic foundation in accounting.

Completing the introduction to financial accounting could potentially open new learning opportunities for you through AU’s Faculty of Business, a world leader in online business education, including AU’s Bachelor of Commerce program. In this program, there are seven different majors to choose from, including an accounting major.

Learn from the comfort of home—for free

AU worked with award-winning partners, PowerED and Lyryx, to create the course, which is fully online and includes quizzes, assessments, and content. Learners are introduced to concepts and test them out in a safe learning environment while a Faculty of Business professor moderates a forum and frequently asked questions.

Learners will study the accounting cycle, which includes how to analyze and record financial transactions and how to report transactions in financial statements. The course also covers accounting for corporations and accounting for sole proprietorships and partnerships.

Learn from globally respected professors

Dr. Tilly Jensen, Faculty of Business assistant professor

The idea behind this MOOC was a culmination of a lot of research and hard work behind the scenes. Annand and Dr. Tilly Jensen, assistant professor with the Faculty of Business, have worked on this from the start, and Jensen even presented it to the United Nations.

At the end of July, Jensen presented to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The content for this MOOC uses open educational resources, which are teaching, learning, and research materials available to anyone for free. From her research and experience, Jensen said that such materials are collaborative and developed with a variety of partners, all of which helps create a successful MOOC.

Interested in the Introductory Financial Accounting MOOC?

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Published:
  • September 15, 2021