A method for preparing deoxycholic acid or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof: said method comprising (a) reacting 9α-hydroxyandrost-4-en-3,17-dione 1 with H 2 under hydrogenation conditions to form compound 2 (b) reacting compound 2 with acid to form compound 3 (c) reacting compound 3 with a reducing agent to form compound 4 as a mixture of 4 and 5 (d) reacting compound 4 with a two carbon olefination reagent under olefin forming conditions to form compound 6 (e) converting compound 6 to a compound of formula 7 (f) reacting the compound of formula 7 with an alkylpropiolate of the formula CH≡CC OR or an alkyl acrylate of the formula CH 2 =CHC OR wherein R is alkyl in the presence of a Lewis acid to form a compound of formula 8 wherein P is a protecting group, R is alkyl, and the dashed line ------ is a single or double bond; (g) reacting the compound of formula 8 with H 2 under hydrogenation conditions to form a compound of formula 9 wherein P is a protecting group and R is alkyl; (h) reacting the compound of formula 9 with an oxidizing agent to form a compound of formula 10 wherein P is a protecting group such as acetyl and R is alkyl; (i) reacting the compound of formula 10 with H 2 under hydrogenation conditions to form a compound of formula 11 wherein P is a protecting group and R is alkyl; (j) reacting the compound of formula 11 with a reducing agent to form a compound of formula 12 wherein P is a protecting group and R is alkyl; and (k) exposing the compound of formula 12 to deprotection conditions to form an ester thereof and to suitable hydrolysis conditions to form deoxycholic acid or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. (a) reacting 9α-hydroxyandrost-4-en-3,17-dione 1 with H 2 under hydrogenation conditions to form compound 2 (b) reacting compound 2 with acid to form compound 3 (c) reacting compound 3 with a reducing agent to form compound 4 as a mixture of 4 and 5 (d) reacting compound 4 with a two carbon olefination reagent under olefin forming conditions to form compound 6 (e) converting compound 6 to a compound of formula 7 (f) reacting the compound of formula 7 with an alkylpropiolate of the formula CH≡CC OR or an alkyl acrylate of the formula CH 2 =CHC OR wherein R is alkyl in the presence of a Lewis acid to form a compound of formula 8 wherein P is a protecting group, R is alkyl, and the dashed line ------ is a single or double bond; (g) reacting the compound of formula 8 with H 2 under hydrogenation conditions to form a compound of formula 9 wherein P is a protecting group and R is alkyl; (h) reacting the compound of formula 9 with an oxidizing agent to form a compound of formula 10 wherein P is a protecting group such as acetyl and R is alkyl; (i) reacting the compound of formula 10 with H 2 under hydrogenation conditions to form a compound of formula 11 wherein P is a protecting group and R is alkyl; (j) reacting the compound of formula 11 with a reducing agent to form a compound of formula 12 wherein P is a protecting group and R is alkyl; and (k) exposing the compound of formula 12 to deprotection conditions to form an ester thereof and to suitable hydrolysis conditions to form deoxycholic acid or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.