WPWP Programs to be phased out by 2013. Download a PDF with more information.
Overview
The Finance and Accounting Certificate Program provides working professionals with the fundamentals of financial management using the resources of the Wharton School, one of the world's recognized leaders in business and finance.
Participants will acquire top-level skills in accounting, economics, and corporate finance that will allow them to advance their careers and broaden their responsibilities. While offering a thorough grounding in the basics of finance and accounting, the program also emphasizes the application of classroom learning to practical decision making in the workplace. Students learn the language of finance, how to analyze costs, and how to present ideas in terms that speak to the economic business drivers of an organization.
The program is designed primarily for working professionals who do not have a background in finance and accounting. It is also highly appropriate for professionals who want to refresh or update their prior finance and accounting background with knowledge acquired in Wharton’s rigorous academic and professional learning environment.
Curriculum Structure
The Finance and Accounting Certificate Program consists of four courses that span the business disciplines:
- ACCT 411: Financial Accounting
- ACCT 412: Managerial Accounting
- FNCE 411: Monetary Economics
- FNCE 412: Corporate Finance
WPWP recommends that courses be taken in the order outlined here; other sequences can be planned with a WPWP program representative. Financial Accounting must be taken in a student's first term and Corporate Finance should be the final course taken.
This certificate can be completed in as little as two regular semesters or in one regular semester and two summer sessions. For information on upcoming sessions, see the WPWP course schedule. All courses earn post-baccalaureate credits from the University of Pennsylvania.
Classes are taught by Wharton lecturers and industry executives appointed by the Wharton Accounting and Finance Departments. WPWP faculty members are chosen for their subject area expertise and teaching skills, as well as their ability to maximize the learning and networking opportunities that can arise from across a select, highly motivated group of professionals.
Who Should Attend
- Working professionals with non-business degrees who need to understand finance and accounting to advance their careers
- Those who have risen to a high level in a specific discipline such as science or technology and who need to acquire skills in finance and accounting to advance into senior management
- Professionals early in their careers who want to change to financial services roles
- Candidates with non-business academic backgrounds who want an introduction to finance and accounting before applying to an MBA program
- Entrepreneurs who need a better understanding of finance to support their business ventures
Benefits
- Faculty members emphasize the application of classroom concepts to practical decision making and management
- Classmates become a strong collaborative network, offering insights and perspectives across a range of industries
- Small class sizes promote in-class discussion and interaction
- You can begin to apply new strategies and concepts at work immediately, analyzing and refining your approach with feedback from faculty and fellow classmates
- Wharton’s Jon M. Huntsman Hall offers state-of-the-art classrooms, a networked campus environment, and high-tech group study facilities to maximize your learning experience
- Earning your certificate from one of the world’s leading business schools brings increased professional credibility and confidence, both now and into the future
Requirements, Deadlines, and Fees
For applicant requirements, application deadlines, and program fees, please view the Admissions and Tuition Information page.
