Course Description and Competencies

What to Expect

In this course, you will work through five units of content. These units are broken into smaller lessons. Throughout the course, you will find readings and a variety of interactive elements. These include practice tests and knowledge checks to help deepen your understanding of the content. Engaging with these activities reinforces new learning. It also complements the knowledge you bring to this area of study. This is an introductory course, and there is no prerequisite. You will demonstrate competency through an Excel-based objective assessment.

Course Competencies

This course covers the following competencies:

  • The graduate identifies the systems, structure, roles, and impact of finance in the business environment.
  • The graduate utilizes interest rates, time value of money, and risk and return principles to inform financial business decisions.
  • The graduate uses financial statements to determine the health of a business organization.
  • The graduate identifies how financial forecasting and budgeting helps individuals and organizations plan for future financial needs.
  • The graduate utilizes the appropriate financial tools and techniques to inform limited financial investment decisions.

Assessment

The assessment provides an opportunity to demonstrate your mastery of the competencies in this course. You may attempt the assessment two times before additional support is necessary. If you require further attempts, please contact your Student Experience Team.

1 Final Exam
3 Competency Units

Course Outline

ModuleUpon completion of this module, you will be able to:
Part 1: Fundamentals of Finance
Unit 1: Overview of Finance 
Unit 2: Fundamentals 
  • Distinguish between the goals and applications of personal and organizational finance.
  • Identify the role of finance in business environments and personal decision-making.
  • Define types of financial markets, financial institutions, and the primary activities of financial institutions.
  • Explain the influence of financial markets and institutions on major economic indicators.
  • Identify ethical dilemmas in finance.
  • Identify the fundamentals of interest rates, required return, and inflation.
  • Explain how time value of money (TVM) calculations are used in making financial decisions.
  • Calculate NPV, PV, FV, and IRR.
  •  Identify the measure of return, types of risk, and risk management techniques.
  •  Examine the effect of risk/return trade-offs on long-term financial goals. 
Part 2: Analysis and Budgeting
Unit 3: Financial Statements
Unit 4: Forecasting and Budgeting 
  • Describe the main ways that ratios are used in finance, the five major ratio categories, and the components of the DuPont framework.
  • Identify what specific financial ratios indicate regarding an organization’s health.
  • Identify a company’s ability to impact its return on equity (ROE) using the DuPont framework.
  • Describe the processes used for budgeting and financial forecasting.
  • Explain the importance of tracking, monitoring, and revision, with respect to the budgeting process.
  • Describe how additional financing requirements are determined from a sales forecast.
  • Identify the relationship between a firm’s sustainable growth rate and its additional funds needed.
  • Describe the use of forecasting to prepare appropriate future asset levels, given projected sales growth.
Part 3: Decision-Making
Unit 5: Financial Decision-Making 
  • Explain the strengths and weaknesses of net present value. (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), and profitability index (PI).
  • Identify the various valuation methods used for stocks, bonds, and capital investment decisions.
  • Describe how capital investment project information is used in the determination of criteria and selection of tools.
  • Identify the criteria of time value, risk, and all relevant cash flows as they apply in the selection of capital investment projects.

Technology Requirements

We want you to have the tools to succeed! Since this course includes at least one proctored test, please be sure to have a working microphone, speakers, and an external webcam. Unfortunately, an internal webcam (built into many laptops) is not acceptable. (Note: The external webcam is required only for exams that have proctors. You do not need one for practice tests and other non-proctored assessments.) If you haven't already, be sure to download the Meazure Learning Guardian browser, which you will need for the proctoring system.

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. If you haven't already, download this free software. You may encounter an interactive form that contains fields that you can select or fill in. Review how to fill in a PDF form.

You are allowed to use a hand-held calculator on every assessment. Be sure to follow these calculator requirements.

For other details about the technology you'll need, review the Computer System and Technology Requirements. If you have questions about your setup, contact support@academy.wgu.edu.

Key Contacts

Certificate Connect
Check out this online community to take advantage of course resources, including videos and tips from your educators. You can ask and answer questions, provide feedback on your progress, and interact with fellow students. You will find this platform in the Student Resources section of the course. Log on and do some exploring!

Technical Support
If you encounter technical issues, be sure to contact the Help Desk. Just submit a Support Request for assistance.

Program Support
Do you have questions about your account? Student Support has answers. They can help with billing, switching courses, and other requests. You can contact them at (888) 320-0540 or support@academy.wgu.edu.

Accommodations

WGU provides compliant and accessible learning experiences. If you require accommodation, please contact us at the start of the course. You can email disability@academy.wgu.edu.

We are committed to ensuring that all students with disabilities have equal access to WGU's services and materials. We strive to use best practices for accessibility. Our goal is to conform to existing U.S. laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Our learning management system (LMS) platform is Open edX. Open edX’s commitment to accessible content is published in their Website Accessibility Policy.