Finance for Non-Finance Professionals Course Syllabus

Overview: This course provides a practical introduction to key financial concepts for non-finance professionals. You'll build a solid foundation in financial decision-making through real-world applications, spreadsheet modeling, and a capstone project. The program is designed for beginners and requires approximately 40–50 hours of learning, spread over several weeks. Each module builds toward financial fluency, enabling you to analyze investments, interpret financial statements, and contribute confidently to strategic business discussions.

Module 1: Fundamentals of Valuation and Discounting

Estimated time: 8 hours

• Understand the time value of money and its business implications
• Apply compounding and discounting principles in financial contexts
• Calculate present and future values using basic formulas
• Measure the value of future income streams through discounting

Module 2: Capital Budgeting and Investment Decisions

Estimated time: 12 hours

• Use NPV, IRR, and Payback Period to assess projects
• Compare investment alternatives based on cost, benefit, and risk
• Apply sensitivity analysis to evaluate profitability under changing conditions
• Build spreadsheet models for investment performance evaluation

Module 3: Cash Flow Analysis and Forecasting

Estimated time: 14 hours

• Derive free cash flow (FCF) from financial statements
• Understand the link between income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow
• Analyze how working capital, depreciation, and profit affect liquidity
• Build financial models to forecast future cash positions

Module 4: Cost of Capital and Risk Management

Estimated time: 16 hours

• Explore the relationship between risk, return, and cost of capital
• Measure financial risk using beta and risk premiums
• Calculate Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC)
• Understand how companies make debt and equity financing decisions

Module 5: Capstone Project: Integrating Financial Knowledge

Estimated time: 10 hours

• Analyze a company’s financial statements to assess performance
• Perform DCF valuation and capital budgeting decisions
• Create and present a data-driven financial recommendation report

Prerequisites

• Familiarity with basic business concepts
• Basic proficiency in using spreadsheets (e.g., Excel)
• No prior finance or accounting experience required

What You'll Be Able to Do After

• Grasp core financial principles including valuation and capital budgeting
• Calculate and interpret discounted cash flows (DCF) for investment decisions
• Apply NPV, IRR, and Payback Period to compare business opportunities
• Build spreadsheet-based financial models for forecasting and analysis
• Demonstrate financial literacy in cross-functional business environments