Accounting Graduate Certificate
Learn how to compile, analyze, and prepare critical financial information for a range of business initiatives. Through this professional graduate certificate, you develop basic knowledge in accounting for application in a range of industries and professions.
This certificate will no longer be awarded after summer 2021. For questions, email graduate_certificates@extension.harvard.edu.
Key learning outcomes
- Knowledge of generally accepted principles that govern an entity’s financial accounting system.
- Understanding of accounting principles required to make informed managerial decisions, such as cost terminology, cost behavior, cost systems, activity-based costing, budgeting, cost-volume-profit analysis, cost estimating, variance analysis, and responsibility accounting.
- Ability to evaluate the financial performance of an organization and understand and communicate important information to employees, lenders, and shareholders.
Getting started
No application is required. You simply register for courses during our fall, spring, or summer registration periods.
Earning the certificate
To meet the requirements for the certificate, you must:
- Complete four certificate courses for graduate credit.
- Earn at least a B grade in each course.
- Complete the courses within three years.
Learn more about pursuing a certificate and the process of requesting your certificate.
Certificate Courses
The professional graduate certificate in Accounting requires four courses:
- MGMT E-1000 Financial Accounting Principles or ECON S-1900 Financial Accounting (choose one course)
- Electives (choose any three courses from select group)
We recommend that you begin this certificate with MGMT E-1000 Financial Accounting Principles or ECON S-1900 Financial Accounting.