What are introductory or preparatory courses in accounting?

Many continuing education programs in the business and retail sectors, as well as in management, require knowledge of finance and accounting.

Introductory and preparatory courses in accounting teach you the essential fundamentals of bookkeeping—such as the logic and structure of double-entry bookkeeping, the relationship between the balance sheet and the income statement, and inventory management and physical counts—thereby preparing you for further training.

Who are the preparatory courses intended for, and what is their purpose?

The courses are designed for anyone who wants to learn the basics of accounting or refresh their accounting skills.

Reasons for taking a preparatory course in accounting include, for example:

• You need the basic knowledge for a desired program of further training or a new professional role.
• You want to build a solid foundation in accounting to prepare for your future management or leadership role.
• It's been a while since you completed your training, and you'd like to brush up on your knowledge.
• You've never felt completely confident in accounting and would like to build a more solid foundation.

Prerequisites

The courses do not require any prior knowledge; they are open to anyone interested.

It is important to enjoy working with numbers and to have a good command of simple arithmetic operations such as the rule of three and calculating percentages.

Some schools recommend basic business training or a job involving business-related tasks.

Providers of introductory courses in accounting