What is management accounting?

Management accounting, also called managerial accounting is a branch of accounting that is used by company managers to analyze internal costs and budgets. Unlike financial accounting, it is not for use by people outside of the organization. At a fundamental level, management accounting is concerned with cost behaviors, cost systems, and cost analysis. It affects pricing, budgets, and other key internal decisions. Data presentation and data analysis are key parts of the work of a management accountant. Management accountants are comfortable with spreadsheets, and they are able to communicate with people inside the organization. Understanding management accounting is key to successful business management.

What are typical careers that use management accounting?

Management accounting is used by accountants and business analysts inside an organization. Corporate tax accountants also have an understanding of management accounting. People working in lower or middle management levels in an organization could benefit from an understanding of management accounting, as it will help them understand why and how decisions are being made. This will help them manage their objectives more effectively. Senior managers and executives need to understand management accounting because they are the folks who will be making key budget decisions and holding people accountable to them. Small business owners and other entrepreneurs should understand managerial accounting so that they have the information they need to grow their businesses.

How can online courses help me learn management accounting?

Online courses can help you learn management accounting as well as financial accounting and tax accounting. There are courses at all levels, from introductory courses for beginners to continuing education course for practitioners. Some classes look at practical matters, like Excel functions and spreadsheet design. Others go into theories of value chain management and approaches to accounting for decision making. Online courses include video lectures, readings, exams, class discussions, and projects. Some online courses in managerial accounting are Guided Projects to help people apply managerial accounting to a specific situation. Others lead to Professional Certificates or Specializations. Many courses stand alone and can help you extend your management accounting skills.

What are the benefits of taking an online Management Accounting course?

Online Management Accounting courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your knowledge or learn new Management Accounting skills. Choose from a wide range of Management Accounting courses offered by top universities and industry leaders tailored to various skill levels.

What Management Accounting courses are best for training and upskilling employees or the workforce?

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Management Accounting, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here .

Top Management Accounting Courses - Learn Management Accounting Online

Explore the Management Accounting Course Catalog

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Magíster en Ciencia de Datos
Skills you'll gain: Revenue Management, Data Ethics, Customer Analysis, Descriptive Analytics, FinTech, Database Design, People Analytics, Time Series Analysis and Forecasting, Biostatistics, Predictive Analytics, Statistical Reporting, Unsupervised Learning, Digital Transformation, Deep Learning, Risk Analysis, Bayesian Statistics, Exploratory Data Analysis, Cloud Security, Network Model, Data Visualization
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
Universidad de los Andes
Principios de ingeniería de software automatizada y ágil Certificado MasterTrack®
Skills you'll gain: User Story, Maintainability, Test Automation, Software Testing, Version Control, Test Driven Development (TDD), Git (Version Control System), Software Architecture, Continuous Integration, Software Design, Unit Testing, Acceptance Testing, Usability, Regression Testing, Software Design Patterns, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, Agile Software Development, Quality Assurance, Angular, Unified Modeling Language
Credit offered
Mastertrack · 6 - 12 Months
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Magíster en Business Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Revenue Management, Customer Analysis, Descriptive Analytics, FinTech, Database Design, People Analytics, Time Series Analysis and Forecasting, Biostatistics, Predictive Analytics, Statistical Reporting, Digital Transformation, Deep Learning, Risk Analysis, Bayesian Statistics, Cloud Security, Network Model, Data Visualization, Assertiveness, Web Scraping, Governance
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
University of North Texas
Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences
Skills you'll gain: Operations Management, Exploratory Data Analysis, Mediation, Change Management, Business Writing, Compensation and Benefits, Integrated Marketing Communications, Apache Hadoop, Consumer Behaviour, Organizational Change, Stakeholder Management, Event Management, Grammar, Social Media Strategy, Business Ethics, Sales Process, Diversity Awareness, Conflict Management, Research, Nutrition and Diet
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
University of Colorado Boulder
Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering
Skills you'll gain: Object Oriented Design, User Story, SQL, Systems Engineering, Real-Time Operating Systems, Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), New Product Development, Delegation Skills, Sampling (Statistics), Failure Analysis, Supplier Management, Sustainability Reporting, Accountability, Data Ethics, Data Mining, Unsupervised Learning, Goal Setting, Generative AI, Process Capability, Diversity Equity and Inclusion Initiatives
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
University of Colorado Boulder
Master of Science in Data Science
Skills you'll gain: Object Oriented Design, User Story, SQL, Systems Engineering, Real-Time Operating Systems, Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), New Product Development, Delegation Skills, Sampling (Statistics), Failure Analysis, Supplier Management, Sustainability Reporting, Accountability, Data Ethics, Data Mining, Unsupervised Learning, Goal Setting, Generative AI, Process Capability, Diversity Equity and Inclusion Initiatives
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
Status: Free Trial
Microsoft
R Programming Essentials with Microsoft Tools
Skills you'll gain: Version Control, GitHub, Data Manipulation, Git (Version Control System), Software Documentation, Microsoft Development Tools, Microsoft Visual Studio, Microsoft Copilot, Data Import/Export, R Programming, Statistical Reporting, Statistical Analysis, Development Environment, Data Cleansing, Integrated Development Environments, Descriptive Statistics, Programming Principles, Debugging, Data Structures
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
O.P. Jindal Global University
M.A. Public Policy
Skills you'll gain: Econometrics, Surveys, Environmental Laws, Sampling (Statistics), Social Sciences, Public Policies, Political Sciences, Data Collection, Health Disparities, Economics, Policy, and Social Studies, Economic Development, Policy Analysis, Presentations, International Relations, Diplomacy, Economics, Complex Problem Solving, Research Methodologies, Socioeconomics, Governance
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
Universidad de los Andes
Maestría en Inteligencia Artificial
Skills you'll gain: Real-Time Operating Systems, Supervised Learning, Unsupervised Learning, Anomaly Detection, Computer Vision, Reinforcement Learning, Cloud-Native Computing, Natural Language Processing, Containerization, Deep Learning, Dimensionality Reduction, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, CI/CD, Probability & Statistics, Control Systems, Data Ethics, Application Deployment, Epidemiology, Education Software and Technology
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Magíster en Inversiones y Finanzas Aplicadas
Skills you'll gain: Financial Statement Analysis, Descriptive Analytics, FinTech, Financial Statements, Business Analytics, Business Valuation, Derivatives, Strategic Decision-Making, Portfolio Management, Customer Analysis, Risk Analysis, Credit Risk, Digital Transformation, Cloud Security, Assertiveness, Governance, Financial Analysis, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Investments, Financial Data
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years