Description
The Certificate in Finance for Non-Finance Managers is a comprehensive online learning program designed to give middle and senior managers the confidence and knowledge to understand and apply essential financial principles in their roles. Many managers are highly skilled in operations, marketing, human resources, or project management but lack formal training in accounting and financial management. This program bridges that gap, providing non-financial managers with the tools to engage in meaningful financial discussions, interpret financial data, and make sound business decisions.
Structured into four carefully designed courses and totaling 80 CPD hours of online learning, the program focuses on practical skills that can be applied directly in the workplace. Participants will gain an in-depth understanding of accounting fundamentals, financial analysis, budget planning and control, and business case development. With on-demand 24/7 access, learners can complete the program flexibly within approximately four months, earning the GMA Professional Credential: Certificate in Finance for Non-Finance Managers upon completion.
Who Should Enrol?
The Certificate in Finance for Non-Finance Managers is designed for:
- Middle and senior managers without a formal finance background who need to make informed financial decisions.
- Team leaders and project managers responsible for budgets or resource allocation.
- Professionals in marketing, operations, HR, or administration who need to strengthen their financial literacy.
- Aspiring senior managers preparing to take on roles with greater financial responsibility.
No prior financial training is required. The program is practical, accessible, and focused on real workplace application.
- Level:Â Middle and Senior Managers
- Courses: 4Â (see course details below)
- Learning:Â On Demand 24/7
- CPD Hours: 80 Hours (each course takes approx. 20 hours to complete)
- Duration: 4 Months
- Certification:Â GMA Professional Credentials: Certificate in Financial Management
Key Benefits
On completing the Professional Certificate in Finance for Non-Finance Managers, you will be ready to contribute to financial decision making and apply your knowledge of finance to advance your career into a senior management role. You will learn how to develop a full range of business budgets and how to manage and control the budgeting and budget reporting processes. You will also learn the core principles of financial management and how to interpret and use the main financial statements to inform business decision making. In addition, you will develop skills in the analysis of business performance using key financial ratios, and be able to apply your learning to inform strategic decision making, including capital investments. Finally, you will learn how to develop business cases for projects and capital expenditures.
Program Content
The Certificate in Finance for Non-Finance Managers is structured into four interconnected courses. Each course builds on the last, ensuring a progressive and practical learning experience:
COURSE 1: ACCOUNTING FOUNDATIONS
This comprehensive course is designed for managers and staff who require a detailed understanding of accounting – including non-financial managers and executives, budget holders, accounts personnel and support staff working with accounts. Participants will learn how accounting systems record business transactions, understand the role of debits and credits, and develop a working knowledge of financial statements. Topics include the structure of the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement. The course ensures managers can interpret these statements and use them to understand the financial health of an organization. It also explores accounting standards and how they shape reporting practices.
COURSE 2: FINANCIAL ANALYSIS AND DECISION MAKING
Designed for managers in non-financial roles, this course will equip you with the knowledge to interpret financial statements easily, to review financial performance and to participate with confidence in management meetings and dialogue on the financial planning and performance of the organization. Participants will learn to interpret profitability, liquidity, and solvency ratios, and use them to evaluate organizational performance. The course also explains how to identify financial strengths and weaknesses and link financial results to operational strategies. By the end of this course, managers will feel more confident discussing financial performance and contributing to decision-making in management meetings.
COURSE 3: BUDGETARY PLANNING AND CONTROL
In this course, you will learn how to take more control over the budgeting process, and identify ways in which you can ensure your budgeting process and reporting processes work for your business unit, and enhance business performance. This course equips managers with the skills to plan, implement, and manage the budgeting process. Participants will explore how to create effective operating and capital budgets, monitor performance against forecasts, and report results clearly. The course emphasizes how budgeting links with business strategy and planning, ensuring that financial resources are aligned with organizational goals. Managers will also learn about variance analysis and techniques for keeping projects and departments within financial targets.
COURSE 4: DEVELOPING A BUSINESS (FINANCIAL) CASE
The final course provides a practical framework for developing robust business cases that justify new initiatives, major projects, or capital investments. Participants will learn how to present financial evidence that demonstrates the value and feasibility of proposed investments. The course covers capital budgeting techniques such as Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), and Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC), equipping managers with the ability to evaluate long-term financial returns. This ensures proposals are both credible and aligned with strategic objectives.
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Skills and Knowledge
On completion of this Certificate in Finance for Non-Finance Managers program, you will be able to:
- Understand and apply basic accounting principles
- Understand bookkeeping principles
- Understand and develop business budgets
- Understand the core principles of financial management
- Understand the balance sheet
- Understand the income statement
- Understand the cash flow statement
- Understand the main sources of business finance
- Monitor and report on budget spend
- Understand accounting standards and their use
- Align budgets with business plans
- Analzye and interpret financial statements using key financial ratios
- Implement the business budget
- Develop and manage a budgeting process
- Monitor and report on budget programs
- Align budgeting with business planning
- Develop a range of business budgets
- Understand the principles of accounting
- Understand debits and credits
- Understand accounting standards
- Know how to use a range of financial ratios to analyze business performance
- Apply a range of capital budgeting methods
- Understand how to use WACC
- Calculate NPV and IRR for investment proposals
- Advise on capital budgets and investments
Finance is central to all business decision-making, yet many managers outside the finance department feel unprepared when financial topics arise. This program is specifically designed to demystify financial concepts for non-financial professionals. The Certificate in Finance for Non-Finance Managers enables participants to not only understand the numbers but also use them strategically to drive business performance.
By mastering these financial skills, you will become a more effective manager, a more credible contributor to senior discussions, and a stronger candidate for advancement into leadership roles.
