BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance

Introduction to Critical Business Competencies

This module is designed to support your transition to university and help you develop the skills you’ll need during your academic journey, as well as helping you prepare for professional work. It focuses on building literacy skills, critical engagement, data retrieval and analysis, and presentations.

As part of the module, you will produce a data analysis project report, demonstrating your ability to gather literature and data, analyse and present findings, and adhere to the department’s report-writing standards.

When selecting a project topic, you will be encouraged to explore themes related to business sustainability, such as transport, health, the economy and the environment.

Marketing Principles and Practice

In this module, you will explore the purpose and societal role of marketing, with topics including buyer behaviour, digital innovations, marketing research methods and ethical considerations.

You’ll develop your practical skills in conducting environmental audits and marketing research, applying segmentation, targeting and positioning strategies, and designing your own marketing plans. You will also learn about customer relationship management and look at practical marketing strategies for new product launches.

Management and Organisational Behaviour

In this module, you will look at the three core factors of management and organisational behaviour: external, internal and individual.

You will first explore a range of concepts, tools and models which focus on the external factors that influence and impact organisations, including stakeholder theory.

You will then consider internal perspectives of organisational culture and structure. This will include an examination of the role of teamwork and group dynamics. Finally, you’ll be introduced to concepts of workplace motivation and key ideas around individual diversity.

Technology in Business

This module will introduce you to the use of technology in a business setting, and help you understand the fundamentals of data, information and knowledge management. You will explore how organisations use digital technology solutions to gain a competitive advantage and look at the benefits of implementing successful information systems.

Practical learning activities include exploring case studies and applying your knowledge to solve problems in realistic business scenarios.

Sustainable and Innovative Entrepreneur

This module aims to equip you with an understanding of sustainability in the context of entrepreneurship and innovation. You will learn about integrating sustainability principles into entrepreneurial ventures and the role of sustainable innovations in addressing global challenges, as well as exploring how this is achieved in different industries and organisations.

A key focus will be on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainability theory and the role of innovation in fostering a sustainable future. You will apply your learning by exploring real-world challenges and creating innovative solutions through project-based learning.

Accounting Skills

This module will teach you the fundamental accounting concepts, skills and techniques to enable you to be able to collect and record data and transactions, and prepare accounting statements and management accounts.

Key topics will include the functions and differences between financial and management accounting, and identification of the regulatory framework.

You will learn about the accounting system and accounting records at an introductory level, including ledger accounts, double-entry bookkeeping and correction of errors. There will be an introduction to the preparation of final accounts, incorporating accounting adjustments, and cash-flow budgets, including the use of spreadsheets in analysing business scenarios.

Audit and Assurance

This module aims to introduce you to areas of key concepts of audit, assurance, and corporate governance. This will include an understanding of ethics and professional conduct.

You will learn about the audit framework and regulation, planning and risk assessment, internal control, audit evidence and how the discovered material is reviewed and reported.

Assessment:
1-hour In Class Test
2-hour Examination

Data Driven Decision Making

The aim of this module is to introduce you to the concept of data and market research for decision making.

Assessment
2,250-word Leaflet, Brochure, Poster
750-word Explanation Document

Financial Reporting

The aims of this module are to enable you to describe and critically discuss how financial reporting can be regulated, including the system of international accounting standards.  In addition, the module aims to provide the necessary knowledge that will enable you to prepare the statutory accounts in the appropriate form for a single company.

Assessment:
1-hour In-class test
2-Hour Unseen Exam

Financial Management

This module aims to introduce you to areas of key financial decision-making and related underlying theory. These decisions include the setting of corporate objectives, the funding of corporate operations and the appraisal of potential investments.

In addition, the choices that are available to companies in terms of their working capital management and the implications of foreign exchange currency movements will be examined.

The module will also provide you with an understanding of the operation of equity markets and the related implications for listed companies.

Assessment:
1-Hour In-class test
2-Hour Examination

Management Accounting for Control

The aims of this module are to develop your understanding of a range of management accounting 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.

Assessment:
1-Hour In-class test
2-Hour Unseen Exam

The Professional Graduate

This module integrates practical elements to enhance career progression, emphasizing the significance of professionalism in the workplace for graduates. It promotes personal and professional development through activities such as career planning, professional placements, and projects.

Reflective practice is highlighted as a key tool for fostering continuous growth and the acquisition of relevant competencies.

Assessment:
3,000-word Assessment Portfolio

Taxation 1

This module is designed to familiarise you with fundamental concepts and principles of the UK taxation system.

Topics covered will encompass the theoretical basis of taxation, the various sources and forms of taxes, and specifically delve into personal income tax, particularly related to employment income.

You will develop the skills to compute personal income tax obligations arising from diverse income streams and comprehend the administrative processes, including compliance deadlines and penalties.

Additionally, the module aims to offer a comprehensive overview of value-added tax (VAT) calculations and explore the scope of national insurance contributions and capital gains tax (CGT). By covering these areas, you will gain a holistic understanding of the UK taxation landscape, enabling you to analyse and navigate tax-related issues effectively.

Assessment:
1,000-word Individual Essay
1.5-hour Examination

Taxation 2

Over the past few years, the UK has made changes in the tax system to remain competitive among the major economies. The tax system is continuously changing specifically in the advent of the financial crisis. This makes UK Tax an important subject area not only for Accounting and Finance students, but also for general business management students.

Assessment:
1-hour In Class Test
2-hour Unseen Examination

Advanced Financial Accounting

The aim of this module is to extend the areas explored within the Financial Reporting module, by examining consolidated accounts, evaluating financial statements to provide an analysis of performance, comparing, and contrasting alternative approaches to asset valuation, and examining current developments in external reporting.

Assessment:
1-hour In-class test
2-hour Examination

Corporate Finance

This is an excellent way to bridge the gap between theory and real-world application in corporate finance. By starting with core concepts and then delving into specific areas such as corporate valuation and M&A activity, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of how these concepts play out in practice.

Introducing more advanced topics like Portfolio Theory and the Capital Asset Pricing Model adds depth to your knowledge and prepares you for analysing complex financial scenarios. The emphasis on “corporate finance in action” is particularly valuable, as it encourages you to apply what you learn to current developments and occurrences in the corporate world, fostering critical thinking and adaptability.

Assessment:
1-hour In Class Test
2-hour Examination

Professional Practice

This module offers you a chance to gain 270 hours of experience in an organisation, building on your work in the Professional Development module. You will secure a placement and develop your Personal Development Planning for future career goals and better employability.

Typically paired with the Research Project, it allows you to focus on personal development within your work placement, enhancing skills for your chosen careers and gaining practical and research expertise in your field. You can choose from options like a Short Work Placement, a Consultancy Project (remote), or Entrepreneurship (requiring Entrepreneurship in semester one).

Assessment:
Assessment 1: 1,800-word Personal Portfolio
Assessment 2: 3,000-word Learning Logs
Assessment 3: 10 minute Personal Presentation

Research Project

The module offers you a chance to delve into a specific area of interest within various organisational contexts, fostering both professional and intellectual growth.

Under the guidance of a supervisor, you will undertake independent research, showcasing your ability for critical thinking and analysis. The chosen topic typically revolves around management issues in either public or private sectors, with a focus on generating findings applicable beyond specific cases.

There are optional placement routes – Industry, Consultancy, or Entrepreneurship – each tailored to align with career goals and academic pursuits.

Assessment:
At the end of stage 2, you will submit a final version of your research project. This will look like the following, depending on the option chosen:

• Completed dissertation (industry route) or consultancy report (consultancy route) which is structured and presented according to the module guidelines (9,000 words)
• Entrepreneurship 2 year growth strategy and professional discussion around key findings on the viability of the business idea from the experience of starting up the business (6,000-word report and 3,000-word equivalent presentation)

Entrepreneurship

Ever wondered what it’s like to run your own business and unsure of how you would go about it?  This level 6 module adopts a practical approach to investigating the small business sector and developing business ideas.

The module concentrates on the planning involved when setting-up a new business venture.  The main output of the module is the creation of an early-stage business plan that could be used to either set-up a new or develop an existing business.

Even if you decide that running your own business is not for you, going through the experience of developing and writing a business plan, will provide insight into both strategic and operational small business decision making; and increased employability skills that will prove valuable to a future employer.

Assessment:
3,000-word Business Plan + Financial Appendices

Strategic Management

The module encourages you to think critically and creatively about strategic management from the formation of strategy through to frontline implementation. It is aimed at those that may have little or no personal experience of strategic management.

Assessment:
10-minute presentation
2,000 word Assignment