Accounting Finance Manager Degree Apprenticeship

Working with Others and Personal Development

Working effectively with others and having a clear personal development plan is essential to success at work and university. This module helps to develop your skills in working with others in the following ways: communicating to groups; thinking collaboratively; and engaging with others’ knowledge through published work.

It will also help you begin to identify and manage your own development needs, understand your position within your organisation and expectations of your role within it as a potential manager.

Business Information Systems

Within this module, you will explore the relationship of technology with business.

As well as creating an understanding of what an information system (IS) does, you will examine how an IS may influence business structures, assist in the decision making within an organisation and some of the tools that can be used to improve information handling.

Management and Organisations

You will explore business management theories, the role and position of a manager, and your ability to manage others.

You are encouraged to develop your self-awareness as a potential manager and investigate issues like:

• the history of management
• structures
• functions
• culture
• sustainability
• and innovation of an organisation.

You will also explore:

• aspects of business psychology
• how people are motivated and behave
• theories of leadership and conflict management that can be used in effective management.

Assessment

You will be assessed through a report on management topics of interest.

Financial Reporting

This module will enable you to describe and critically discuss how financial reporting can be regulated, including the system of international accounting standards.

You will learn to prepare statutory accounts in the appropriate form for a single business.

Assessment

You will be assessed through an online examination and a one hour in- class test.

Accreditation

This is an ACCA accredited module.

Operational Strategy

The module reviews the development of operations management chronologically with an emphasis on the impact of increasing specialisation, system analysis, and process-based approaches to work on society and across different economic sectors, and especially the service sector.  Key managerial decision areas for operations managers are discussed: system resources, planning and control, quality, and innovation management.

Accounting Skills

In this module you will explore fundamental accounting concepts and develop the skills and techniques you need to collect and record data and transactions to prepare accounting statements and management accounts which are key to managers.

You will focus on the requirements for internal use of single entities.

Assessment

You will be assessed through an online exam and a 45-minute in class test.

Project Management

This module aims to equip you with the tools and skills necessary to manage projects effectively by demonstrating the importance of following a prescribed project management methodology.

It aims to introduce the concepts of project management in a practical way including effective scoping, planning, resource allocation, risk and issue management, project monitoring, reporting and review. It will also provide the basis for business case development and subsequent budget management.

Business Taxation

The aim of this module is to introduce you to key concepts and the underlying principles of major aspects of the UK taxation system.

This will include an understanding of the principles behind taxation, the sources and types of taxation and personal income tax such as employment.

It will help you understand and be able to calculate personal income tax liability from different sources, understand the way these are administered including deadlines, penalties etc.

In addition, the module aims to provide an overview and coverage of calculations in relation to value added tax and an examination of the scope of national insurance contributions and capital gains tax.

Work Based Project and Portfolio Prep 

This module aims to provide you with an opportunity to prepare for your final year work-based project (Capstone) and develop a portfolio of evidence to support your end point assessment activity.

It introduces the range of approaches, enabling you to shape and agree on a consultancy project with a client.  The emphasis will be on credibility of a business proposal in the eyes of a key stakeholder and that stands up to scrutiny.

It will also pay attention to the relationship between yourself and the stakeholder who has the problem or opportunity to be worked on. You will be introduced to the knowledge and practice required to successfully prepare a consultancy proposal within your organisation to address a relevant problem or opportunity.

Business Finance

The aims of this module are to develop your understanding of a range of management accounting and financial management techniques and how these can be applied to support decision-making.

Through the course of the module, you will be required to solve problems that require you to demonstrate thoughtful and effective reasoning in proposing solutions or responses to a given set of circumstances.

Leadership and Leading People

This module invites you to explore the challenges of leadership in organisations through a critical examination of theory, practice and possible future directions.

It will encourage you to avoid simplified prescriptions for effective leadership and encourage you to expand your thinking on alternative strategies as you look forward to your future role as potential leaders in organisations.

Introduction to Cyber Security

This module will provide you with the background to the core concepts of cyber security. In addition to identifying technical threats and potential mitigation, you will also have the opportunity to investigate non-technical aspects such as employee risks.

Auditing and Assurance

This module will introduce you to the key concepts of audit, assurance, and corporate governance.

You will develop your understanding of ethics and professional conduct as you learn about:

• the audit framework and regulation
• planning and risk assessment
• internal control
• audit evidence
• and how discovered material is reviewed and reported.

Assessment

You will be assessed through an individual essay and an online examination.

Data Analytics

This module will provide you with the background to the core concepts of data analytics with a focus on organisational activity and decision-making. You will also be made aware of the fundamental difference between structured and unstructured data types.

Work Based Learning Portfolio

This module will provide you with the opportunity to collate a work-based learning portfolio which reflects the knowledge, skills and behaviours of your particular programme pathway.

The emphasis will be on providing you with opportunities to reflect on progress to date, identify gaps in the evidence collected prior to this module, create an action plan and then develop your portfolios.

Capstone Work Based Learning Project

The module focuses on the implementation of a consultancy project that has been agreed with the client and is the culmination of your degree. It seeks to address a real and practical problem or business opportunity.

You will need to:

• Effectively manage stakeholders through the project.
• Work out the most appropriate way to communicate and engage with people (including the client) in both written and oral forms.
• Effectively analyse the subject matter of the project using the tools selected and to adapt approaches in the face of the emerging evidence.
• Appropriately manage the governance of the project to meet stakeholder expectations and ethics.
• Manage risks and issues through the project.
• Synthesise the data and develop a coherent and pragmatic case that the client can use as a basis for action.
• Appreciate areas of weakness in the project and suggest further areas of study.
• Proactively engage with the client throughout the project, this might include 1:1 meetings, facilitating workshops and/or group presentations.

End Point Assessment

This is a module which will support you towards your end point assessment (EPA). Across the degree apprenticeship routes, each standard requires a slightly different EPA and this module provides the final developmental discussions to ensure you complete your apprenticeship programme.