This course is an introduction to financial statements and the financial reporting process. Students learn to read and interpret common components of financial statements through a combination of textbook problems and cases taken from corporate financial reports. This course provides an understanding of how the financial reporting system operates and how financial statements are prepared. With an understanding of these concepts, students should be able to extract meaningful information from the summarized transactions presented in firms' financial statements. Attention is paid to the strengths and weaknesses inherent in the financial reporting process, and to the implications of these strengths and weaknesses for the users of financial information. This course does not prepare students to be accountants but rather prepares them to become informed users of financial statements. Classes include lectures and discussions, supplemented by short cases taken from actual corporate disclosures.
None. Cannot enroll in BUSN 30000 if BUSN 20100 taken previously.
Hanlon, Magee and Pfeiffer, Financial Accounting, (7th ed.), Cambridge Business Publishers. Also, access to the publisher’s myBusinessCourse site related to this text is required. An access code is included with the purchase of a new textbook or an eBook. If you purchase a used textbook, access to the myBusinessCourse site can be purchased separately.
Based on mid-term, final examination, and individual assignments. Cannot be taken pass/fail.
Description and/or course criteria last updated: October 21 2025
