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Course Description

This online course is 18 learning hours over six weeks. It is recommended that students spend a minimum of 3 hours each week on coursework. Students may choose to complete more hours of work on the course in order to explore the content in more depth. 

This course is a practical introduction to financial and accounting concepts that will equip you to make decisions based on financial information as a leader of an organization. Participants will learn to interpret and apply financial information for short, medium, and long-term decisions. Through case studies involving real organizations, participants will explore important financial information and decision-making factors. With assessments throughout the course, you will be able to apply what you learn to decisions you face in your organization.

Course Outline

Topics and concepts you will study in the course include the following:

  • Using Financial Information for Decision-Making
  • Introduction to Financial Statements
  • What Financial Statements Tell You About an Organization
  • Introduction to Budgeting
  • Building a Useful and User-Friendly Budget
  • Using a Budget for Daily Decision-Making
  • Ratios for Financial Decision-Making
  • Developing Analytical Tools for Financial Decision-Making

What You Will Learn

  • You will learn to NOT be afraid of financial information and financial processes.
  • You will learn to understand the story that financial information tells about an organization.
  • You will learn how to use key financial information to guide your decision-making as an organizational leader.

Notes

The Faculty of Open Learning & Career Development recommends an intermediate level of English language proficiency for the most effective learning and participation in our online and face-to-face courses. A list of minimum recommended scores on some common English tests can be found on our website. If you have questions about your English language proficiency and ability to succeed in this course, please contact openlearning@dal.ca.

Recommended For

This course is recommended for:

  • Managers in public sector organizations, such as fire departments, police departments, and municipalities.
  • Aspiring, new and current leaders or managers who need to understand and use financial information to make decisions in their organizations.
  • Current leaders or managers who are not comfortable discussing and interpreting their organization’s financial information.
  • Current leaders or managers who would like a refresher on how to use their organization’s financial information for decision-making.
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Enrol Now - Select a section to enrol in
Section Title
Municipal Finance
Type
Online - Self-Paced
Dates
Sep 05, 2025 to Oct 17, 2025
Type
Online - Scheduled
Days
Tuesday
Time
6:00PM to 7:30PM
Dates
Sep 16, 2025 to Oct 14, 2025
Schedule and Location
Total Learning Hours
4.5
Location
  • Online Campus - Atlantic Time
Instruction Delivery Method(s)
Course Fee(s)
Fee non-credit $625.00
Instructors
Required Software
A webcam and microphone/headset will be required for the live sessions. This course requires a Dalhousie NetID. If you do not currently have a NetID, a NetID will be assigned to you, and—after registration—you will receive an email on how to claim your account. Once you have claimed your account, you will login to the Student Portal under the heading "I have a NetID Username and Password" on the far left of the login screen.
Section Notes

This course has scheduled written assignments and discussions within the term time frame. There will also be 3 facilitated online sessions - click on View Details for dates. *Please note: Live session dates and times may be subject to change, but will be finalized 6 weeks prior to course start date.* 

The course site will be open at 4:00 PM Atlantic Time on the course start date.

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