Accounting and Finance (with Foundation Year)

Succeeding at University introduces you to learning in higher education and provides you with a framework for reflection and understanding of your own personal learning identity as well as tools for continuing educational success.

This module is designed to enable you to develop the key critical thinking skills necessary for university study and beyond. Through a combination of lectures and small group seminars the class will discuss many of the key issues that underpin discussion of all academic disciplines. The lectures will introduce key themes and issues that enable students to make sense of the world in a critical fashion while the seminars will allow students to discuss these issues and engage with key readings each week. You are encouraged to apply these abstract concepts to your specific degree path.

The Module is designed to raise your awareness and competence in mathematical and statistical operations so that you will be able to cope with the necessary demands of the undergraduate business, accounting and finance degrees.

This module provides you with the chance to consider and develop your own entrepreneurial vision alongside understanding the employment options available outside of the standard job market. You will develop the core skills required in order to succeed in business start-up or self employment. This will be developed by conducting a complete plan and launch of your own small business concept across the duration of the module using a range of weekly elements which form an overall portfolio of work

Knowledge of key areas of law is essential to operate a business successfully. This module covers the most important and frequently occurring areas of law relevant to business. Utilising business scenarios this module will develop students’ awareness of the legal environment within which business operates, as well as to certain substantive areas of law that apply to commercial operations. 

This module develops your ability to work in different contexts and organisations. In preparing for this you will be provided with opportunities to experience different aspects of working with people in organisations through practical learning activities within the seminars and workshops. You will be introduced to a range of organisation behaviour theories to inform and explain different aspects of with people in organisations. The Sustainable Development Goals are referenced to develop awareness of the wider impact of individual and organisation behaviour.

An understanding of markets is central to the study of business.  This module explores markets and market economics, encouraging discussion of how individual consumers, industrial firms, governments, and other networks and organisations affect consumer culture and shape market dynamics. You will consider current consumer trends and increasing consumer power and consumer participation. The implications of new and emerging markets will also be discussed, as will historical and cultural aspects of the move towards consumerism.  The module provides an introduction to a range of data sources and analytical tools concerning market and consumer trends.

In 2015, global leaders committed to the 2030 Agenda of 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals putting sustainable development at the heart of the global development endeavour. The goals aim to address a range of challenges. These include the need for action on climate change and degraded natural resources and the distribution of power and resources that challenge poverty reduction efforts. This module introduces students to key concepts, literature and debates to investigate relationships between the topics and issues encompassed within (and beyond) the Sustainable Development Goals.

This module aims to provide an introduction to the main technical language and practices of financial accounting and to the application of this knowledge to different forms of business organisation. With a focus on using the IASB’s Conceptual Framework and accounting for transactions and events from first principles, students will develop their conceptual understanding of accounting, their knowledge of the main accounting terminology and their awareness of the nature and purpose of financial reporting.

Management accounting is a specialised service function primarily involving the collection, storage and recording of financial data, its conversion to useful information and the effective communication of this information. This information assists management in a complex and dynamic business environment to make optimal business decisions.

This module is an assessment module which requires students to demonstrate some of the programme level learning outcomes at level 4 and some of the module level learning outcomes at level 4 in the context of an integrated assessment.

This module aims to introduce the core concepts and key topics areas of business finance and financial environment. It will enable students to develop knowledge and understanding of how the financial markets operate, evaluate alternative sources of finance available to a business, analyse the cost of different sources of finance used by a company and the weighted average cost of capital. Students will also learn how to apply the cost of capital in the investment appraisal process and evaluate the investment projects using the main investment appraisal methods.

This module aims to provide students with a holistic view of how an entity’s performance can be affected by both its own internal operating environment and the external environment. Students will study various aspects of management theory, external environment mapping and uses of technology by finance professionals. In a complex, dynamic business environment, finance professionals must focus on their flexibility, resilience and relationship-building skills in order to develop their own career and add value to their clients or employers. Professional skills are a key part of the modern business environment; this module will enable students to explore professional skills frameworks and think critically about their own skills development.

This financial and tax computations module aims to develop students’ knowledge and essential mathematical skills that are used in accounting, finance and personal income tax. This will include financial computations that are commonly employed in accounting and finance such as simple and compound interest, personal loan and mortgage calculations, mean and standard deviation etc. Students will also learn how to calculate income tax payable by individuals and national insurance contributions (NICs) payable by employees, employers and the self-employed.

The module builds on the introduction to management accounting studied at Level 4, and prepares students for advanced aspects of management accounting and finance at Level 6. This module will cover the design, use, application and evaluation of management accounting systems and techniques in organisations. There will be a particular focus on the practical commercial context and the theoretical underpinnings of budgeting and the planning, control and decision-making processes in organisations.

This module aims to develop knowledge and skills in understanding and applying IFRS in the preparation of financial statements. This module acts as an introduction to corporate financial reporting and relies on and develops technical knowledge and academic skills acquired at level 4.

The module aims to develop students’ knowledge of investment appraisal techniques, valuation techniques and dividend policy. Students will learn how financial markets operate and how to evaluate the alternative sources of finance available to a business. The module builds on students’ knowledge of finance and financial management from Level 4, as well as preparing students to study more advanced aspects of financial risk management and investing at Level 6.

The module is designed to enhance students’ conceptual understanding of current research and developments within the accounting and/or economics discipline(s) and to develop their capacity for independent critical thinking and self-managed learning. The module provides students with an appreciation of the issues involved in developing a research project, to enhance their understanding of published research and how to critique it, and to enable them to design, justify and defend their own research inquiry.

An understanding of data and an appreciation of the key tools needed to analyse business data is becoming an essential skill for finance professionals. This module introduces students to the topic of data analytics and demonstrates how to apply it effectively in a business context. On this module, students will learn how to select and use tools to extract, validate and analyse data. Communication and visualisation of data, for example by using pie charts or cluster diagrams, will also be covered, allowing students to communicate their findings to both accounting and finance specialists and non-specialists.

This module introduces students to key concepts, roles and complexities within the inter-related areas of law, corporate governance, ethics, CSR and aspects of sustainability (in the context of contemporary issues facing business) that are relevant to accounting. Students’ knowledge and application of these areas, as well as their skills in legal precedent, statutory interpretation and legal and ethical argument, will be developed.

The Professional Accountant is an integrated module that brings together technical knowledge acquired in other modules studied at Level 5. Knowledge is integrated through the lens of Assurance work on control systems.Students will study the need for and nature of control systems within an entity, allowing the students to gain a more integrated, rounded understanding of an entity’s operations. Once students have developed an understanding of key control systems, case studies will be used to allow students to identify control weaknesses and make recommendations as to how control systems can be improved.

The aim of this module is to offer students the opportunity to undertake a meaningful and relevant employment experience. The employment experience will take the form of a work placement of approximately 30 weeks (to include a minimum of 1,050 hours work) in a role that is relevant to the named route of study. The employment experience will involve the student demonstrating competence in key professional skills, such as communication and team working, and tasks relevant to their field of study. This will necessarily require the student to apply learning from their studies to the work place, thus providing the opportunity to fully integrate their academic study with meaningful employment experience.

This module is taken between Level 5 and Level 6 of the course.

The module builds on the introduction to management accounting studied at Level 4, and prepares students for advanced aspects of management accounting and finance at Level 6. This module will cover the design, use, application and evaluation of management accounting systems and techniques in organisations. There will be a particular focus on the practical commercial context and the theoretical underpinnings of budgeting and the planning, control and decision-making processes in organisations.

This module aims to develop knowledge and skills in understanding and applying IFRS in the preparation of financial statements. This module acts as an introduction to corporate financial reporting and relies on and develops technical knowledge and academic skills acquired at level 4.

The module aims to develop students’ knowledge of investment appraisal techniques, valuation techniques and dividend policy. Students will learn how financial markets operate and how to evaluate the alternative sources of finance available to a business. The module builds on students’ knowledge of finance and financial management from Level 4, as well as preparing students to study more advanced aspects of financial risk management and investing at Level 6.

The module is designed to enhance students’ conceptual understanding of current research and developments within the accounting and/or economics discipline(s) and to develop their capacity for independent critical thinking and self-managed learning. The module provides students with an appreciation of the issues involved in developing a research project, to enhance their understanding of published research and how to critique it, and to enable them to design, justify and defend their own research inquiry.

An understanding of data and an appreciation of the key tools needed to analyse business data is becoming an essential skill for finance professionals. This module introduces students to the topic of data analytics and demonstrates how to apply it effectively in a business context. On this module, students will learn how to select and use tools to extract, validate and analyse data. Communication and visualisation of data, for example by using pie charts or cluster diagrams, will also be covered, allowing students to communicate their findings to both accounting and finance specialists and non-specialists.

This module introduces students to key concepts, roles and complexities within the inter-related areas of law, corporate governance, ethics, CSR and aspects of sustainability (in the context of contemporary issues facing business) that are relevant to accounting. Students’ knowledge and application of these areas, as well as their skills in legal precedent, statutory interpretation and legal and ethical argument, will be developed.

The Professional Accountant is an integrated module that brings together technical knowledge acquired in other modules studied at Level 5. Knowledge is integrated through the lens of Assurance work on control systems.Students will study the need for and nature of control systems within an entity, allowing the students to gain a more integrated, rounded understanding of an entity’s operations. Once students have developed an understanding of key control systems, case studies will be used to allow students to identify control weaknesses and make recommendations as to how control systems can be improved.

The aim of this module is to offer students the opportunity to undertake a meaningful and relevant employment experience. The employment experience will take the form of a work placement of approximately 30 weeks (to include a minimum of 1,050 hours work) in a role that is relevant to the named route of study. The employment experience will involve the student demonstrating competence in key professional skills, such as communication and team working, and tasks relevant to their field of study. This will necessarily require the student to apply learning from their studies to the work place, thus providing the opportunity to fully integrate their academic study with meaningful employment experience.

This module is taken between Level 5 and Level 6 of the course.

This module aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills in order to effectively appraise an entity’s financial position and performance using its financial statements and other information obtained through independent research. Financial Information Analysis relies on an understanding of the principles of financial reporting, therefore the module will also cover higher-level international financial reporting standards with a view to ensuring students can fully understand a set of financial statements when analysing them. Using realistic case study-style scenarios that mirror situations a student may come across in the work place, the module will allow students to develop the ability to undertake a comprehensive analysis of financial statements from a critical viewpoint.

The primary focus of this module is on understanding and using the concepts of contemporary management accounting for strategic business decisions. The module maps out contemporary changes to management accounting, explaining the major new techniques, practices and philosophies associated with the rise of strategic management accounting. It gives students a broad and succinct introduction to the issues at the forefront of best practice and academic research.

This module is optional for students completing both the Professional Practice - Personal and Professional Development module and the Professional Practice - Processes and Systems module.

• Dissertation - 30 credits
• Financial Risk Management - 15 credits
• Advanced Financial Reporting - 15 credits
• Corporate Governance and Ethics - 15 credits
• Strategic Performance Management - 15 credits
• Investments - 15 credits
• Audit and Assurance - 15 credits
• Advanced Case Study - 15 credits
• Disruptive Change in Accounting and Finance - 15 credits
• Business and Corporate Taxation - 15 credits
• Advanced Group Reporting - 15 credits
• Professional Practice - Personal and Professional Development - 30 credits
• Professional Practice - Processes and Systems - 30 credits
• Volunteering for Accountants - 15 credits

This module aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills in order to effectively appraise an entity’s financial position and performance using its financial statements and other information obtained through independent research. Financial Information Analysis relies on an understanding of the principles of financial reporting, therefore the module will also cover higher-level international financial reporting standards with a view to ensuring students can fully understand a set of financial statements when analysing them. Using realistic case study-style scenarios that mirror situations a student may come across in the work place, the module will allow students to develop the ability to undertake a comprehensive analysis of financial statements from a critical viewpoint.

The primary focus of this module is on understanding and using the concepts of contemporary management accounting for strategic business decisions. The module maps out contemporary changes to management accounting, explaining the major new techniques, practices and philosophies associated with the rise of strategic management accounting. It gives students a broad and succinct introduction to the issues at the forefront of best practice and academic research.

This module is optional for students completing both the Professional Practice - Personal and Professional Development module and the Professional Practice - Processes and Systems module.

• Dissertation - 30 credits
• Financial Risk Management - 15 credits
• Advanced Financial Reporting - 15 credits
• Corporate Governance and Ethics - 15 credits
• Strategic Performance Management - 15 credits
• Investments - 15 credits
• Audit and Assurance - 15 credits
• Advanced Case Study - 15 credits
• Disruptive Change in Accounting and Finance - 15 credits
• Business and Corporate Taxation - 15 credits
• Advanced Group Reporting - 15 credits
• Professional Practice - Personal and Professional Development - 30 credits
• Professional Practice - Processes and Systems - 30 credits
• Volunteering for Accountants - 15 credits