12 online courses that could help you get rich

Written by Antonia Farzan; edited by Libby Kane

2015-05-21T17:00:00Z

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If you want to learn about personal finance, books aren't the only option.

You have choices, including the chance to take online courses from some of the best universities in the world.

From understanding the stock market to developing negotiation skills, we've picked out some of the best classes for anyone who is looking to grow their wealth.

Trick yourself into making smarter choices.

Behavioral Economics in Action, University of Toronto

Behavioral economics answers questions like, "How can we get people to save more money?"

But this class doesn't just teach you about theory.

It also gives you practical methods to apply in real life — which could come in handy if you know that you should be handling your money better, but can't seem to follow through.

Figure out how to decode the books.

Introduction to Financial Accounting, University of Pennsylvania Wharton School

After learning how to read the three most common financial statements — income statements, balance sheets, and cash-flow statements — you'll develop an understanding of how to make smart decisions based on what those reports tell you.

Build a productive relationship with your money.

Love Your Money, University of Tennessee and FINRA

If you want to make better decisions about managing your money but don't know where to start, the Love Your Money program is for you.

It covers topics like building wealth, settling goals, budgets, credit cards, debt, 401(k) programs, and identity theft.

Negotiate everything from prices to salaries.

Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills, University of Michigan

Negotiation can save you money when it comes time for a large purchase — or help you earn more when you ask for a promotion or seek out a new career opportunity.

This course covers the four steps of the negotiation process, and gives you opportunities to practice your skills in real life.

Decipher your investment portfolio.

Financial Evaluation and Strategy: Investments, University of Illinois

If you want to understand your portfolio, this class is for you.

Taught by professors from the University of Illinois, it touches on key principles like risk and return, optimization, and security pricing.

You'll also learn to understand market efficiency and common behavioral biases of investors.

Understand how the world's financial markets work.

Financial Markets, Yale University

Yale's renowned class on financial markets includes visits from guest speakers like Hank Greenberg and Carl Icahn.

Over the course of eight weeks, you'll learn the history and theory behind banking, insurance, securities, futures, and the derivatives market, and where these institutions are headed in the next century.

Become fluent in the language of finance.

The Language and Tools of Financial Analysis, University of Melbourne

How do analysts, CFOs, and investors make their decisions?

This corporate finance class will teach you how to use tools like Microsoft Excel to review data and evaluate financial statements.

You'll also learn the basics of accounting principles, and how you can apply them to measure the value of potential investments.

Deepen your knowledge of stocks and bonds.

Stocks and Bonds: Risks and Returns, Stanford University

Go deep into stocks and bonds with this class designed for students who already understand the fundamentals of investing.

You'll learn about the intricacies of the bond market, from corporate and municipal bonds to the impact of interest rates on treasury bonds.

After considering the risks and returns of the stock market, the class wraps up with an analysis of how to make smart investing decisions.

Get a head start on planning for your family's future.

Personal & Family Financial Planning, University of Florida

This class covers everything that you need to know in order to create a financial plan for your family.

You'll begin by learning how to read financial statements and create a budget, then move on to the basics of income tax, credit, risk management, and investing.

Get the most out of your time.

Work Smarter, Not Harder: Time Management for Personal & Professional Productivity, UC Irvine

What if you could work fewer hours in the day, but make more money?

This class is dedicated to teaching you time-management techniques that will make you more productive.

Make life-changing connections.

Psychology of Popularity, University of North Carolina

You might think (or wish) that you'd left the idea of popularity behind in high school, but research suggests otherwise.

As it turns out, being popular can help you connect with the people who can help you succeed. Self-made millionaire and author Steve Siebold explains, "Exposure to people who are more successful than you are has the potential to expand your thinking and catapult your income."

The social insights taught in this class are sure to help you build those relationships.

Now that you know which courses to start with, here are some books to check out.

19 books to read if you want to get rich »

Antonia Farzan

Your Money Intern

Antonia wrote for the Your Money vertical at Business Insider. She is originally from Rhode Island, attended Hamilton College, and currently lives in Brooklyn.