Pre-MBA Quantitative Skills: Finance from Coursera

This short course surveys all the major topics covered in a full semester MBA level finance course, but with a more intuitive approach on a very high conceptual level. The goal here is give you a roadmap and framework for how financial professional make decisions.

We will cover the basics of financial valuation, the time value of money, compounding returns, and discounting the future. You will understand discounted cash flow (DCF) valuation and how it compares to other methods. We also step inside the mind of a corporate financial manager and develop the basic tools of capital budgeting. We will survey the how, when, and where to spend money, make tradeoffs about investment, growth, dividends, and how to ensure sound fiscal discipline. Our journey then turns to a Wall Street or capital markets perspective of investments as we discuss the fundamental tradeoff between risk and return. We then synthesize our discussion of risk with our valuation framework and incorporate it into series of direct applications to practice.

This course requires no prior familiarity with finance. Rather, it is intended to be a first step for anyone who is curious about understanding stock markets, valuation, or corporate finance. We will walk through all of the tools and quantitative analysis together and develop a guide for understanding the seemingly complex decisions that finance professionals make.

By the end of the course, you will develop an understanding of the major conceptual levers that push and pull on financial decision making and how they relate to other areas of business. The course should also serve as a roadmap for where to further your finance education and it would be an excellent introduction of any students contemplating an MBA or Finance concentration, but who has little background in the area.

Note: This course has been ported from the "Finance for Non-Financial Professionals" from James Weston and Rice University. If you have already attempted or completed that course, your progress will carry over to this instance.

What's inside

Syllabus

Course Overview and Basic Principles of Financial Valuation Discounting

Welcome Pre-MBA Quant: Finance! In this section you will find general information about the course and instructions on how to navigate the course. For the first week of lectures, we will be covering the basics of financial valuation. We will start with the basics of compounding and discounting rates of return over time. Using these tools we will then move on to valuation using the discounted cash flow method. Along the way, we will demonstrate our valuation tools with a variety of practical examples and compare our analysis with other valuation techniques.

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Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Introduces core aspects of finance and accounting, particularly regarding risk and return

Emphasizes the practical applications of financial principles

Provides a thorough overview of the field, making it suitable for beginners

Instructors have a strong reputation in the finance industry

Course materials are well-structured and easy to follow, making learning more accessible

Reviews summary

Pre-mba finance core concepts overview

According to learners, this course offers a largely positive introduction to essential finance concepts, making it an excellent starting point for pre-MBA students or those new to the field. Students frequently commend the instructor's ability to explain complex ideas clearly and intuitively, helping to demystify financial principles. While it provides a solid foundational roadmap for understanding valuation, capital budgeting, and cost of capital, some learners noted the pace can be fast or felt it remained at a high conceptual level, suggesting it's best for absolute beginners rather than those seeking extensive depth or numerous practice problems.

Course focuses on concepts, less on deep dive.

"Good overview, covers a lot of ground quickly. I felt it stayed too high-level."

"If you already have some finance background, you might find it too superficial."

"It's more of a survey than a deep dive, which was not what I expected for certain topics."

Practical application in a realistic case study.

"The capstone case was really helpful for applying concepts and tying everything together."

"I appreciated how the final section brought all of our analysis to bear on a realistic case study."

"The capstone case helped solidify my understanding by making me apply the tools learned."

Excellent first step for MBA or finance studies.

"It truly delivers on its promise of being 'pre-MBA' material, giving a solid foundation."

"This course serves as a perfect roadmap to finance... it definitely prepared me for the quantitative aspects of an MBA."

"This course would be an excellent introduction of any students contemplating an MBA or Finance concentration."

Instructor simplifies complex finance concepts.

"The instructor explains complex ideas very clearly and makes them intuitive."

"Absolutely brilliant! As someone with zero finance background, this course demystified everything."

"The time value of money section was explained beautifully, and the instructor's passion shines through."

Some find the pace fast or desire more practice.

"Some of the concepts could have used more detailed examples or a slightly slower pace, especially for someone completely new."

"Despite claiming 'no prior familiarity,' the pace was too fast for me as a complete novice."

"Felt like I needed more practice problems. The exercises are helpful but limited."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Pre-MBA Quantitative Skills: Finance with these activities:

Review accounting concepts

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Ensure a solid foundation in accounting principles to support your understanding of financial concepts.

Browse courses on Accounting

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Review the basic concepts of accounting, such as assets, liabilities, and equity.
Understand the accounting equation and how it relates to financial statements.
Practice analyzing financial statements to extract key financial information.
Identify the different types of financial ratios and how they are used to evaluate companies.

Review basic financial terms and concepts

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Review the basic building blocks of finance, ensuring you are ready for the course.

Browse courses on Finance

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Create a list of key financial terms commonly used in the industry.
Provide definitions for each term, ensuring you understand the underlying concepts.
Identify real-world examples of these terms being used, solidifying their meaning.
Test your knowledge by taking a practice quiz or completing a mock exam.

Review Differential Calculus

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Reviewing differential calculus will help you refresh concepts like limits, derivatives, and integrals, which are essential for understanding financial valuation and capital budgeting.

Browse courses on Differential Calculus

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Identify areas where you need to improve your knowledge of differential calculus.
Practice using online resources or textbooks to strengthen your grasp of these concepts.
Solve practice problems and review examples to improve your fluency.

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Attend a finance industry event

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Connect with professionals in the finance industry to expand your knowledge and network.

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Find a finance industry event in your area.
Register for the event and attend.
Network with other attendees, including professionals from various finance sectors.
Learn about current trends and challenges in the finance industry.

Learn about financial modeling

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Expand your knowledge of financial modeling techniques to enhance your financial analysis skills.

Browse courses on Financial Modeling

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Find an online tutorial or course on financial modeling.
Follow the tutorial step-by-step, creating your own financial model.
Experiment with different inputs and assumptions to see how they affect the model's outputs.
Present your financial model to a friend or colleague and get feedback.

Discuss case studies with classmates

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Engage with peers to share insights and perspectives on real-world financial scenarios.

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Find a study group or join a discussion forum related to the course.
Select a case study or financial scenario to analyze.
Share your analysis with your peers and discuss different approaches.
Listen to the perspectives of others and be open to feedback.

Calculate time value of money

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Work through practice problems to master the concept of time value of money.

Browse courses on Time Value of Money

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Find a set of practice problems on time value of money.
Set a timer for 30 minutes and try to solve as many problems as possible.
Check your answers and identify areas where you need more practice.
Repeat the process until you can consistently solve the problems correctly and efficiently.

Develop a financial plan

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Apply your understanding of financial concepts to create a personalized financial plan.

Browse courses on Financial Planning

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Gather information about your current financial situation, including your income, expenses, and assets.
Set your financial goals, both short-term and long-term.
Develop a budget that outlines how you will allocate your income to meet your goals.
Identify investment opportunities that align with your risk tolerance and financial goals.
Create a plan for managing your debt and improving your overall financial health.

Contribute to a financial open-source project

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Gain hands-on experience and contribute to the broader finance community by participating in an open-source project.

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Find an open-source financial project that aligns with your interests.
Read the project documentation and familiarize yourself with the codebase.
Identify an area where you can contribute, such as adding a new feature, fixing a bug, or improving documentation.
Create a pull request with your proposed changes.
Collaborate with the project maintainers to finalize your contribution.

Career center

Learners who complete Pre-MBA Quantitative Skills: Finance will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Financial Planner

Financial Planners provide financial advice to individuals and families, helping them achieve their financial goals. This course may be useful in developing the skills needed to understand financial valuation, capital budgeting, and risk management, as well as providing a foundation in financial planning principles.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Planner

Financial Advisor

Financial Advisors provide financial advice to individuals and families, helping them achieve their financial goals. This course may be useful in developing the skills needed to understand financial valuation, capital budgeting, and risk management, as well as providing a foundation in financial planning principles.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Advisor

Quantitative Analyst

Quantitative Analysts use mathematical and statistical models to analyze financial data and make investment decisions. This course may be useful in developing the skills needed to understand financial valuation, capital budgeting, and risk management, as well as providing a foundation in quantitative analysis techniques.

See salaries and explore the career path for Quantitative Analyst

Actuary

Actuaries use mathematical and statistical models to assess risk and uncertainty. This course may be useful in developing the skills needed to understand financial valuation, capital budgeting, and risk management, as well as providing a foundation in actuarial science principles.

See salaries and explore the career path for Actuary

Insurance Analyst

Insurance Analysts use financial and statistical models to assess risk and uncertainty in the insurance industry. This course may be useful in developing the skills needed to understand financial valuation, capital budgeting, and risk management, as well as providing a foundation in insurance analysis principles.

See salaries and explore the career path for Insurance Analyst

Data Scientist

Data Scientists use data to solve business problems and make data-driven decisions. This course may be useful in developing the skills needed to understand financial valuation, capital budgeting, and risk management, as well as providing a foundation in data analysis techniques.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Scientist

Management Consultant

Management Consultants help organizations improve their performance. This course may be useful in developing the skills needed to understand financial valuation, capital budgeting, and risk management, as well as providing a foundation in management consulting principles.

See salaries and explore the career path for Management Consultant

Economist

Economists study the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. This course may be useful in developing the skills needed to understand financial valuation, capital budgeting, and risk management, as well as providing a foundation in economic principles.

See salaries and explore the career path for Economist

Financial Analyst

Financial Analysts design financial models, evaluate investments, and provide advice on financial decisions to individuals, businesses, and institutions. This course may be useful in developing the skills needed to build foundational knowledge of financial valuation, capital budgeting, and risk management, which are essential for success in this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Analyst

Market Researcher

Market Researchers study the market for goods and services. This course may be useful in developing the skills needed to understand financial valuation, capital budgeting, and risk management, as well as providing a foundation in market research principles.

See salaries and explore the career path for Market Researcher

Investment Banker

Investment Bankers provide financial advice to corporations and governments, and help them raise capital through the issuance of debt or equity. This course may be useful in developing the skills needed to understand financial valuation, capital budgeting, and risk management, which are essential for success in this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Investment Banker

Portfolio Manager

Portfolio Managers manage and invest funds on behalf of clients, with the goal of achieving their financial objectives. This course may be useful in developing the skills needed to understand financial valuation, capital budgeting, and risk management, which are essential for success in this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Portfolio Manager

Risk Manager

Risk Managers identify, assess, and mitigate financial risks within organizations. This course may be useful in developing the skills needed to understand financial valuation, capital budgeting, and risk management, which are essential for success in this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Risk Manager

Corporate Finance Manager

Corporate Finance Managers oversee the financial planning and management of corporations. This course may be useful in developing the skills needed to understand financial valuation, capital budgeting, and risk management, which are essential for success in this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Corporate Finance Manager

Business Analyst

Business Analysts analyze business processes and make recommendations for improvement. This course may be useful in developing the skills needed to understand financial valuation and capital budgeting, as well as providing a foundation in business analysis techniques.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Analyst