University of Pennsylvania

Decision-Making and Scenarios

This course is part of Business and Financial Modeling Specialization

Taught in English

Some content may not be translated

Richard Lambert
Robert W. Holthausen

Instructors: Richard Lambert

47,055 already enrolled

Included with Coursera Plus

Course

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals

4.6

(1,702 reviews)

|

93%

6 hours (approximately)
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

4 quizzes

Course

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals

4.6

(1,702 reviews)

|

93%

6 hours (approximately)
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Placeholder

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Business and Financial Modeling Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
  • Learn new concepts from industry experts
  • Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
  • Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
  • Earn a shareable career certificate
Placeholder
Placeholder

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV

Share it on social media and in your performance review

Placeholder

There are 4 modules in this course

This module was designed to introduce you to the many potential criteria for selecting investment projects, and to explore the most effective of these criteria: Net Present Value (NPV). Through the use of concrete examples, you'll learn the key components of Net Present Value, including the time value of money and the cost of capital, the main utility of NPV, and why it is ultimately more accurate and useful for evaluating projects than other commonly used criteria. By the end of this module, you'll be able to explain why net present value analysis is the appropriate criteria for choosing whether to accept or reject a project, and why other criteria, such as IRR, payback, ROI, etc. may not lead to decisions which maximize value.

What's included

6 videos2 readings1 quiz

In this module, you'll learn how to evaluate a project with emphasis on analyzing the incremental after-tax cash flows associated with the project. You'll work through a concrete example using alternative scenarios to test the effectiveness of this method. You'll also learn why only future cash flows are relevant, why to ignore financial costs, include all incidental effects, remember working capital requirements, consider the effect of taxes, forget sunk costs, remember opportunity costs, use expected cash flows, and perform sensitivity analysis. By the end of this module, you'll be able to evaluate projects more thoroughly and effectively, with emphasis on how to model the change in the company’s after-tax cash flows, so that you can make more profitable decisions.

What's included

5 videos1 reading1 quiz

This module was designed to give you the opportunity to learn how business activities, transactions and events are translated into financial statements, including balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements. You'll also learn how these three statements are linked to each other, and how balance sheets and income statements can help forecast the future cash flow statements. By the end of this module, you'll be able to explain how accounting systems translate business activities into financial terms, and how to use this to better forecast future cash flows, so that you can express your business strategies in these financial terms, and show "the bottom line" for your proposed plan of action.

What's included

3 videos1 reading1 quiz

In this module, you'll apply what you’ve been learning to an analysis of a new product venture. You’ll learn how to map out a plan of the business activities, transactions and events that need to happen to implement the new venture, including their timing. You'll also learn how to set up a spreadsheet to help with forecasts, and to re-calculate things automatically as we re-think our plans. You'll see how to forecast out the implied financial statements, and calculate the Net Present Value (NPV). By the end of this module, you'll be able to use spreadsheets to explore different risks a venture may face, and analyze the implications of these scenarios for NPV, so that you can make the most profitable, data-driven decision possible.

What's included

6 videos2 readings1 quiz

Instructors

Instructor ratings
4.8 (83 ratings)
Richard Lambert
University of Pennsylvania
3 Courses79,561 learners

Offered by

Recommended if you're interested in Business Essentials

Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.
Learner since 2018
"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."
Jennifer J.
Learner since 2020
"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."
Larry W.
Learner since 2021
"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."
Chaitanya A.
"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."

Learner reviews

Showing 3 of 1702

4.6

1,702 reviews

  • 5 stars

    70.62%

  • 4 stars

    21.68%

  • 3 stars

    5.81%

  • 2 stars

    1.17%

  • 1 star

    0.70%

JM
4

Reviewed on May 27, 2020

DA
4

Reviewed on May 26, 2016

SR
5

Reviewed on Apr 22, 2017

New to Business Essentials? Start here.

Placeholder

Open new doors with Coursera Plus

Unlimited access to 7,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription

Advance your career with an online degree

Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online

Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business

Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy

Frequently asked questions