Is financial aid available?

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Assurance Essentials

Grow your skills with Coursera Plus for $239/year (usually $399). Save now.

Assurance Essentials

This course is part of CPA Licensure Prep: Advanced Auditing and Attestation Specialization

Instructor: William Karalius

Included with

Learn more

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

6 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

6 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

Differentiate between audits, reviews, and agreed-upon procedures and evaluate their level of assurance.
Explain the responsibilities of auditors and financial statement preparers, including independence, internal controls, and evidence requirements.

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

logos of Petrobras, TATA, Danone, Capgemini, P&G and L'Oreal

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the CPA Licensure Prep: Advanced Auditing and Attestation Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

By the end of this course, you’ll understand how assurance and attestation services strengthen financial reporting, support public trust, and shape the responsibilities of CPAs and their clients. You’ll learn how audits, reviews, and agreed-upon procedures differ in scope and purpose—and how professional standards guide each engagement.

This course explores the real-world dynamics of CPA-client relationships, auditor independence, internal control evaluation, risk assessment, and evidence gathering. You’ll examine both sides of the engagement: what auditors are responsible for, and what financial statement preparers must do to ensure a successful audit. You’ll also explore the growing demand for CPAs, the structure of the profession, and the regulatory environment that governs assurance services. What makes this course unique is its applied, judgment-focused approach. Rather than memorizing definitions, you’ll analyze how assurance services operate in practice, how professional responsibilities intersect, and why financial transparency is critical to markets and stakeholders.

In this module, you'll discover the high level details around one of the most impactful services a CPA firm can provide to companies around the globe: assurance services. You'll examine the concepts behind the value added from various assurance services and how they compare to non-assurance services that CPA firms generally perform. By the end of the module, you'll be prepared to recognize common assurance services and how CPA firms enhance information through the performance of such services.

What's included

5 videos3 readings2 assignments

5 videos Total 31 minutes

Instructor Introduction and Course Overview 4 minutes
Assurance Service Concepts 8 minutes
Attestation Service Concepts 8 minutes
Non-Assurance Vs. Assurance 6 minutes
CPAs and CPA Firms 6 minutes

3 readings Total 55 minutes

Course Outline 5 minutes
Attestation Engagements 25 minutes
CPA Firms and Services 25 minutes

2 assignments Total 30 minutes

Assurance and Attestations 10 minutes
Graded Assessment: Module 1 20 minutes

In this module, you'll discover the details about three of the most common attestation engagements performed by a CPA firm. You'll examine the concepts behind the value added from various attestation services and how they vary in the level of assurance they provide to the client. By the end of the module, you'll be prepared to recognize common attestation services and how CPA firms enhance information through the performance of such services.

What's included

4 videos2 readings1 assignment

4 videos Total 29 minutes

Introduction to Attestation Engagement Types 8 minutes
Purpose of Examination Engagements 8 minutes
Purpose of Review Engagements 6 minutes
Purpose of Agreed-Upon Procedures 7 minutes

2 readings Total 45 minutes

Examination Engagements 20 minutes
Reviews and Agreed-Upon Procedures 25 minutes

1 assignment Total 20 minutes

Practice Assessment: Module 2 20 minutes

In this module, you'll explore the primary relationships between CPA firms performing assurance services and the clients that hire the CPA firm. You'll also learn about the responsibilities the auditor has in an audit engagement along with the responsibilities client management has when it comes to preparing the financial statements. By the end of the module, you'll be prepared to recognize multiple nuances regarding the CPA-client relationship in an audit.

What's included

4 videos3 readings1 assignment

4 videos Total 28 minutes

CPA and Client Relationships 8 minutes
The Demand for CPAs 6 minutes
Auditor's Responsibilities 7 minutes
Responsibilities of the Financial Statement Preparers 7 minutes

3 readings Total 65 minutes

CPA-Client Relationships 25 minutes
Auditor Responsibilities in the Real World 15 minutes
Financial Statement & Audit Responsibilities 25 minutes

1 assignment Total 20 minutes

Practice Assessment: Module 3 20 minutes

This final module brings everything together. You'll review key concepts from the course and apply what you've learned to real-world business situations. By stepping back and looking at the key benefits of assurance services, you'll strengthen your ability to operate within a CPA form be able to better handle CPA firms who perform assurance services on the company you work for.

What's included

1 video2 readings1 assignment

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.

Instructor

William Karalius

University of California, Santa Barbara

12 Courses 83 learners

Offered by

University of California, Santa Barbara

Explore more from Finance

University of California, Santa Barbara
How Audits Work
Course
University of California, Santa Barbara
Assurance Guidance and Standards
Course

Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.

Learner since 2018

"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."

Jennifer J.

Learner since 2020

"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."

Larry W.

Learner since 2021

"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."

Chaitanya A.

"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."

Open new doors with Coursera Plus

Unlimited access to 10,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription

Learn more

Advance your career with an online degree

Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online

Explore degrees

Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business

Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy

Learn more

Frequently asked questions

This course is part of a CPA Licensure Preparation series and is designed to support learning and exam readiness. Completing this course does not by itself qualify you for CPA licensure or guarantee eligibility to sit for the CPA Exam. CPA licensure requirements vary by state and are determined by individual state boards of accountancy. Learners should consult their state board to confirm education and exam requirements.

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.