Financial Analysis and Planning for Non-Financial Managers
| Course code: | 26-SS-204 |
|---|---|
| Dates: | April 6 - May 1, 2026 Alternate Course Dates |
| Location: | Online |
| Instructor: | Jodie Trana |
| Fee: | $195.00 |
Description
Whether you're managing projects, people, or departments, your decisions have a financial impact. In this course, you’ll explore the language of finance, key accounting concepts like the matching principle and profitability ratios, and gain hands-on experience working with financial gauges that measure cash flow, profitability, and efficiency. By the end of the course, you’ll be equipped to use financial reports not just for reference, but as tools to assess performance, guide planning, and align your area of influence with your organization’s goals.
Course Outcomes
- Understand the financial role of non-financial decision-makers and how business goals influence financial strategy.
- Interpret the three major financial statements—income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement—to assess overall health.
- Apply key financial concepts including the accounting equation, matching principles, cash vs. profits, and capital structure.
- Analyze financial performance using profitability and performance ratios, such as gross profit margin, return on equity, and debt-to-equity ratio.
- Use financial gauges and dashboards to evaluate current operations and guide decision-making.
- Evaluate and compare the profitability of products, services, or business units using real-world data and ratio analysis.
- Develop actionable financial strategies based on cost management, pricing, budgeting, and capital utilization.
- Managers and supervisors who are responsible for team, departmental, or project performance
- Entrepreneurs and business owners seeking to evaluate operations and improve strategic planning
- Professionals in non-financial roles (marketing, HR, operations) who use budgets or financial data in decision-making
- Team leads or technical experts advancing into roles that involve resource planning or financial oversight
- Anyone who wants to speak the language of finance and better understand how their work connects to bottom-line performance
Notes
Registration Deadline: Participants can register up to 5 days after the course begins.Course Access: Offered in partnership with LERN. Log in 24/7—no live meetings.
Course Format: Weekly units include readings, audio-slide lectures, self-quizzes, and discussion forums.
Tips for Success: Log in 2–3 times a week and contribute 2–3 thoughtful posts per unit for the best experience.
Recognized Credentials: Earn nationally recognized CEUs from the Learning Resources Network (LERN), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit association—perfect for meeting professional development goals or licensure requirements.
Cancellation/Refund Policy: VCU Continuing and Professional Education offers this class/certificate in partnership with LERN. Therefore, you may cancel your registration up until you receive your login and password from LERN and receive a full refund minus any credit card processing fees. Cancellations must be received via email at ocpe@vcu.edu
In the unlikely event that this program is cancelled or postponed due to insufficient enrollments or unforeseen circumstances, the university will fully refund registration fees, but cannot be held responsible for any other expenses, including change or cancellation charges to include but not limited to airlines, hotels, travel agencies, or other organizations.
Online courses offered with the Learning Resources Network (LERN) continue to run, as scheduled during inclement weather. If there are changes to meeting status, you will receive an email at the address you provided upon registration informing you of the cancelation.
*exempt-this offering is ineligible for waiver use
Student/Participant Conduct:
Participants are subject to all university policies applicable to students, unless a specific university or VCU Continuing and Professional Education policy explicitly states otherwise. University policies governing students are available at https://vcu.public.doctract.com including:
Student Code of Conduct
Honor System and Standards of Academic Conduct
Preventing and Responding to Discrimination
Title IX Sexual Harassment Policy-Interim
Sex-Based Misconduct Policy-Interim
For Academic Accommodations, please visit https://ocpe.vcu.edu/courses/policies.html#accommodations
There are still openings remaining at this time.
