What You'll Learn
The Principles of Finance Graduate Certificate provides a foundation in the core concepts and tools that drive financial decision-making. You’ll build analytical skills to support effective business strategies across industries. Through this four-course certificate, you’ll:
- Enhance your knowledge of the tools and analysis methods used in business, finance, and the economy through accounting, finance, and economics.
- Learn the accounting principles required for informed managerial decisions, such as cost terminology, cost behavior, cost systems, activity-based costing, budgeting, cost-volume-profit analysis, cost estimating, variance analysis, and responsibility accounting.
- Develop knowledge of the agents, instruments, and institutions that make up the financial system of the modern economy, such as bonds, the stock market, derivatives, and the money market.
- Develop an understanding of economic principles and methods, such as microeconomic theory, market theory, optimization, bargaining theory, externalities, and how they apply to business and the economy.
- Gain expertise in a focused topic area, such as capital markets and investments, investment banking, valuation, risk management, and nonprofit financial management.
Courses
The Principles of Finance Graduate Certificate requires four courses (16 credits). You’ll complete one course from each of the following course groups:
- 1 finance course
- 1 accounting course
- 1 economics course
- 1 elective
Searching and Registering for Courses
Available course options vary by term. You can browse options for fall, spring, or summer in the certificate course search within the DCE Course Search & Registration platform.
Our Community at a Glance
Going back to school doesn’t have to mean putting your life on hold.
We’ve designed our certificates and degrees to give you the flexibility to pace your studies to fit your schedule.
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36
Average Age
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83%
Working Full Time
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29%
Students Outside the U.S.
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1.5 years
Average Time to Complete
Earning Your Certificate
Most of our certificates can be completed online and no formal application process is required to pursue a certificate.
To meet the requirements for the certificate, you must:
- Complete the four certificate courses for graduate credit.
- Earn at least a B grade in each course.
- Complete the courses within three years.
Learn more about pursuing a certificate and the process of requesting your certificate.
Stack Your Certificate Into a Degree
Stackable credential pathways allow you to earn multiple credentials by completing courses that meet overlapping requirements. In the short term, you can earn your finance certificate. Once completed, those four courses may count toward either a master’s degree in finance or a master’s degree in management.
This stackable pathway offers an efficient, cost-effective way to earn short-term credentials to help fill immediate skill gaps and acquire specialized knowledge while building a foundation for long-term success that showcases your expertise in the field.
Learn how to plan a stackable credential pathway.
Cost
Affordability is core to our mission. When compared to our continuing education peers, it’s a fraction of the cost.
| Our Tuition (2025–26 rate) | $3,440 per course |
|---|---|
| Average Tuition of Peer Institutions | $5,476 per course |
| Average Total Cost | $13,760 |
