How do you manage the finances of a business? Whether you are an entrepreneur, running a family business, or just looking to advance your career and add to your skill set, this Bookkeeping Certificate will provide you with the knowledge needed to measure, and manage, the financial health of your business. This program focuses on cash basis accounting.

No one will care more about the financial health of your business than you! It’s imperative that you understand how the process works and are able to complete the accounting cycle accurately and in a timely fashion. Even if you plan to outsource your bookkeeping needs, you should still understand how the process works. No one should be clueless when it comes to the finances of their business.

The Bookkeeping Certificate courses must be taken in the below order (the classes build off each other):
 
- Understanding Debits and Credits - You'll learn about the accounting equation and the five categories involved in every business (Assets, Liabilities, Owner’s Equity, Revenue and Expenses). Every financial transaction falls into one or more of these categories. Learn how to create a chart of accounts that meet the needs of your business. You will learn how double entry bookkeeping works and the process of recording debits and credits. This section will show you how to identify, analyze and record transactions using journal entries under the cash basis accounting method.

- General Ledger and Month End Procedures - You'll learn how to post journal entries to the correct general ledger accounts impacted by each transaction. This course will show you how to make sure your general ledger balances at the end of each month by preparing an unadjusted trial balance. You will learn how to look for errors when you don’t balance, and how to determine to correct entries. After posting correcting entries and/or adjusting entries, you will verify debits and credits equal with an adjusted trial balance. This section also goes through the steps of performing monthly bank reconciliations.
 
- Closing Procedures and Financial Statements - The final section shows you how to create a worksheet used to adjust the account balances and prepare the financial statements. Use your financial statements to measure performance, make improvements and set goals. The final step covered in this course is closing your books and preparing them for the next accounting period; this is done by journalizing and posting closing entries.

About the instructor

Sharon deFonteny has a degree in Business Education with a concentration in Accounting and spent many years in Corporate America working in Accounting and Finance.   For the past 5 years, she has created and taught online Business courses for Bucks County Community College.  Her experience in business, as well as experience in teaching, has allowed her to help people understand the Accounting and Finance process. 

Fee Breakdown