Who Should Attend Financial Accounting Workshops Courses?

Updated

Financial Accounting Workshops is a professional accounting and financial education provider founded in 1995 by John A. Harris, CPA, CFA. Its courses are designed primarily for non-accountants who need to understand and apply accounting concepts in their work — financial analysts, CFA® Program candidates, investment banking trainees, and law firm professionals. No accounting background is required; the stated goal is to help participants "speak the language of business" and sharpen their analytical skills.

Who the courses are built for

The provider's own description identifies several distinct audiences, and they share one trait: they work with financial information but were not trained as accountants.

  • Financial analysts — the original target group. The courses were first aimed at the analyst community that needs to interpret financial statements rather than prepare them.
  • CFA® Program candidates — thousands worldwide have attended the live workshops as exam preparation. The workshops are explicitly described as complementing the CFA® Program curriculum and facilitating the learning process.
  • Investment banking trainees — firms use the training to bring new personnel up to speed on accounting fundamentals.
  • Law firm professionals — continuing education for lawyers and staff who encounter accounting and financial concepts in their practice.
  • Personnel across all levels of a financial organization — the stated aim is to serve anyone who needs to hone analytical skills, not just entry-level staff.

How to tell whether it fits you

Use these questions to decide:

If you are… The courses are likely…
A CFA candidate preparing for the exam A direct fit — the material is built around that curriculum
A non-accountant who must read or discuss financial statements A direct fit — this is the stated core purpose
An accountant seeking technical or compliance training Probably not the target — the focus is non-accountants
A lawyer or banker needing general financial literacy A fit — both groups are named audiences
Looking for legal, tax, or investment advice Not a fit — the site states its content is general information, not advice

What you should know before signing up

  • No accounting prerequisite is implied. The founder's stated strength is making complex accounting issues understandable to non-accountants, and the audience has always been people outside the accounting profession.
  • The orientation is practical, not theoretical. The material is framed as applicable to daily practice, not academic accounting.
  • The workshops complement, rather than replace, the CFA® curriculum. If you are using them for exam prep, treat them as a learning aid alongside your official study materials.
  • The site does not publish pricing or enrollment details in the available information. Check the site directly for current course formats, schedules, and costs before committing.

If your job requires you to interpret financial information but you were not trained as an accountant, this provider's courses are aimed squarely at you. If you need formal accounting credentials or jurisdiction-specific tax and legal guidance, look elsewhere.