The most successful finance leaders are those who take a lifelong approach to learning that keeps their skills fresh. Financial planning and analysis (FP&A) best practices are always evolving, so finding the right course can be your secret weapon to standing out among your peers.

Dive into this blog as we explore eight standout FP&A courses designed to expand your expertise and drive your career forward. Ready to find the perfect fit for your professional
journey? Let’s get started!

FP&A courses are a great opportunity to learn how to better manage and improve the finance processes that affect your organizational health. And since many of these processes require departmental collaboration, FP&A courses are also well suited to helping you get stakeholder buy-in for adopting new technology or approaches to financial planning and analysis. Let’s explore some of the other benefits of FP&A courses below.

1. Enhanced financial forecasting and budgeting skills

The more you learn about FP&A, the more you can enhance your financial forecasting and budgeting skills. By exploring the fundamentals of forecasting (e.g., rolling, qualitative, static, etc.) and budgeting (e.g., zero-based, activity-based, continuous, etc.), you can more easily identify the techniques that will meet your organization’s unique needs.

2. Improved strategic decision-making

FP&A courses can also help you improve your strategic decision-making. By creating robust budgets and forecasts, which are made possible through effective FP&A processes, you can make data-backed decisions based on historical data and relevant trends.

3. Improved risk management abilities

Lastly, FP&A processes that you’d learn about in an FP&A course can improve your risk management abilities. By being more proactive in your decision-making, you are less prone to errors and more adaptable to changes, as you can easily adjust your budgets and forecasts.

The best FP&A courses

Below we breakdown 8 of the best FP&A courses available today.

1. Excel for FP&A by LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning offers various FP&A courses that cater to different experience levels and finance systems. Courses focus on budgeting, financial modeling, and analysis techniques. At $39.99 per month (the first month is free), with many courses requiring less than 4 hours of time to complete, LinkedIn Learning is an appealing option for finance leaders looking to expand their knowledge of FP&A.

Their most popular FP&A course is Excel for Financial Planning & Analysis, taught by Carl Seidman and developed in January 2024. It includes modules on:

• Why does Excel matter to FP&A?
• Dynamic data tables in Excel for FP&A
• Dynamic data ranges in Excel for FP&A
• Dynamic data arrays in Excel for FP&A

This course is eligible for a certificate and takes just over 2 hours to complete.

2. FP&A Foundations by Udemy

Udemy offers Financial Planning & Analysis Foundations, which is geared towards finance leaders who are new to the industry and are looking to understand the purpose and function of FP&A. Modules include forecasting, variance analysis, budgeting, profitability analysis, and more. This course is priced at $14.99 and will take just under 2 hours to complete. It’s a particularly useful option for those who prefer video-based learning and lifetime access to the materials.

Learner insight: “Short and crisp, easy to understand, however, as mentioned it's like an overview of the broader level understanding of the concept, so do not expect too many details. Overall nice explanation for a total beginner like me.” – Renu S.

3. Financial Reporting by Coursera

The University of Illinois, in partnership with Coursera, offers a Financial Reporting specialization, which focuses on financial accounting principles, including key concepts needed to excel in a Financial Analyst role. Participants can expect to learn how to create and analyze an organization’s financial statements. Since this course is part of a broader specialization, you can complete it in 16 weeks (10 hours per week) for $80 per month.

4. Financial Planning & Analysis Modeling Certification (FPAMC) by Wall Street Prep

The Financial Planning & Analysis Modeling Certification (FPAMC) from Wall Street Prep covers best practices for budgeting, forecasting, and financial modeling. Designed to help finance leaders understand how to create long-range planning models, and apply short-term pacing models, dynamic dashboards and data visualizations, this course is well suited to aspiring FP&A Analysts, Managers, or Directors. The course costs $499 and will take approximately 30 hours to complete, giving you a certification in Financial Planning & Analysis Modeling and 31 CPE credits. Topics for each section of the course include:

1. An introduction to FP&A
2. Building the Operating Model - The Income Statement
3. Building the Operating Model - The Balance Sheet
4. Building the Operating Model – The Cash Flow Statement
5. Pulling Together the Operating Model
6. Project Management, Long-Range Planning & Analysis
7. Presentation Best Practices & Building Dashboards

Learner insight: “The interactive elements and opportunities for hands-on practice have been particularly helpful in reinforcing the concepts. Overall, I highly recommend this course to anyone looking to gain a solid foundation in FP&A” – Shivam R.

5. FP&A courses by Corporate Finance Institute (CFI)

The Corporate Finance Institute offers 19 courses as part of a specialization in FP&A. These courses cover everything from budgeting and forecasting to advanced financial modeling. Each course incorporates interactive elements, with simulations and exercises to enhance learning. Priced at $508.20 for full immersion, including 1-on-1 guidance, or $298.20 for the self-study option, most courses take less than 3 hours to complete.

Learner insight: “I’ve transitioned from audit to FP&A. Not only did I transition to a new role, but it allowed me to pick up the new role fast and gain several spot bonuses.” – Travis B.

6. Certified Corporate FP&A Professional by the Association of Finance Professionals (AFP)

The Association for Financial Professionals offers one of the most widely recognized courses in the FP&A field. Their Certified Corporate Financial Planning & Analysis Professional program covers financial modeling, forecasting, and strategic planning. Designed to help finance leaders accelerate their careers, this course requires a bachelor’s degree and some full-time work experience in FP&A, making it well suited to early- and mid-career finance leaders. This course will take approximately 100 hours to complete and costs $1520 for non-members of the AFP.

Also, if you plan to use FPAC’s exam prep platform for studying, you will have to pay an additional $1,195 for one-year access for non-members.

Learner insight: “If you’re thinking about going for the FPAC certification, I would absolutely recommend it. It is particularly helpful to early- and mid-career finance professionals seeking to advance to a more senior role as it reflects knowledge of the real-world work I have performed throughout my career in FP&A.” – Anthony D.

7. Business Process Modelling for Business Analysis by The Analyst Exchange (TAX)

For those looking to learn more about business process modeling, The Analyst Exchange’s course Business Process Modelling for Business Analysis is a great option. This course covers key areas such as variance analysis, driver-based planning, and scenario modeling with an emphasis on practical skills. This course has not yet launched but you can sign-up to be notified on The Analyst Exchange’s website. You can expect the course to take 2 hours to complete.

8. Prophix Academy

Prophix Academy is your one-stop shop for everything you need to learn about financial planning & analysis. With self-directed online trainings, live sessions with hands-on practice, blended learning options, and more, you can choose the course format that best suits your learning style.

Participants can earn up to 30 CPE credits by exploring how to improve their approach to financial planning and analysis with Prophix One. Prophix Academy has courses for every experience level and role, including Prophix One administrators, end-users, and technical users alike. Sample course topics include:

• Relatórios e análises avançadas
• Orçamento com a Prophix
• Design de modelos
• Análise visual
• Criação de relatórios e inserção de dados

You also have the option to purchase a Prophix Academy membership, which gives you access to our full course library. However, if you’re interested in only one course, you can also make a one-time purchase. Both options give you lifetime access to our course materials, so you can refresh your learnings as needed.

How to choose the right FP&A course

When selecting the right FP&A course for you, consider the following:

• Education - What is your current level of education, and how would you like to expand your knowledge in FP&A?
• Experience - How does your existing experience in FP&A align with the course, and in what ways can it further enhance your skills?
• Use case - Are there specific processes, such as forecasting, that you want to focus on, and does the course offer detailed modules on these areas?
• Budget - What is your budget, and can your continued education credits cover the cost of the course?
• Format - How do you prefer to learn, and does the course format—online or in-person, self-paced or instructor-led—fit your personal preferences and schedule?

By reflecting on your education, experience, specific learning objectives, budget, and preferred learning style, you can select a course that aligns with your professional aspirations and organizational goals.

Regardless of the course you choose, it’s important to stay up to date on FP&A best practices and processes, so you can deliver the most value to your organization in your role as a finance leader.

For finance leaders who’ve already embraced finance technology, like Prophix One, a Financial Performance Platform, Prophix Academy is the clear choice for lifelong learners who are committed to building on their knowledge of FP&A.

Learn more about Prophix Academy’s FP&A courses.