What is corporate finance?
Corporate finance is all about how businesses and corporations handle their money—everything from financial decisions to day-to-day activities. It covers areas like financial analysis, where experts dig into cash flow and financial statements to check a company’s health, especially how profitable and liquid it is. There’s also investment evaluation, which means weighing the potential returns and risks of different opportunities. Risk management comes into play too, dealing with market, credit, and operational risks. Professionals in this field also figure out the best mix of debt and equity financing (capital structure decisions) to boost value and keep capital costs low.
Corporate finance course curriculum
If you’re new to corporate finance, a beginner-level course is a great place to start. These usually cover financial statement analysis, risk and return, derivatives, and basic financial valuation techniques. You might also get introduced to capital budgeting, cost of capital, and financial markets. With real-world examples and case studies, you’ll learn how to analyze financial data, make simple investment calls, and gauge a company’s financial performance.
For those ready to go deeper, advanced courses teach sophisticated financial analysis methods like ratio analysis, cash flow analysis, and financial modeling. They might also explore investment decisions—think capital structure, dividend policy, option pricing, and risk management. Some courses even specialize in mergers & acquisitions, corporate restructuring, or international finance.
With edX, you’ll find plenty of online courses tailored for finance professionals. A bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, business, or a related field sets a strong foundation. If you’re aiming higher, master’s programs dive into specialized finance areas. Short, intensive boot camps and executive education courses are perfect for busy professionals looking to skill up fast.
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Explore corporate finance jobs
Corporate finance careers generally fall into three buckets:
- Transactions and financing
- Financial planning and analysis
- Risk management
These cover roles in business intelligence, corporate development, project evaluation, investor relations, treasury, and more. Some common jobs include:
- Financial analyst: Crunches financial data, builds models, runs valuations, and creates reports to guide strategic decisions. They also assess investments, weigh risks, and track financial performance.
- Corporate controller: Manages financial accounting and reporting, ensuring statements are accurate and audits run smoothly. They also handle compliance, tax planning, and forecasting.
- Risk manager: Spots and tackles risks that could hurt a company’s finances or operations. They analyze market trends, check credit risks, and test how well risk policies work.
- Investment banker: Advises clients on deals like mergers, fundraising, or restructuring. They help structure transactions, underwrite securities, and navigate capital markets.