Accounting and Finance - 2012 entry
BSc (Hons)
- single
Typical A-level offer: BBC or equivalent
Professional exemptions from ACCA, ICAEW and CIMA exams
Overview
At Oxford Brookes University many of our degree programmes include a period of employment as an integral part of the course.
The Business School has set up an Accountants in Mentoring scheme (AiM) to enhance the employment prospects
Simon Williams Undergraduate Centre on Wheatley campus
This course is run by the Business School
Our Accounting and Finance courses develop well-rounded accounting graduates with an international perspective. They have excellent team-working, problem-solving and communication skills, and are commercially aware and analytical. As a result they are highly sought after.
Subject specialists, in consultation with leading practitioners and employers, have developed a course which exposes you to key accounting and financial aspects of the complex global business world.
After the first year you have the option to remain on the BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance or to follow one of two pathways. The pathways allow you either to focus on Information Management - in which you learn to analyse and manage the information needs of organisations - graduating with a BSc (Hons) Accounting and Information Management; or to focus on Business - where you concentrate on complex multifaceted business problems - graduating with a BSc (Hons) Accounting and Business.
The status and quality of business degrees at Oxford Brookes are illustrated by our long-standing strategic alliance with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the global body for professional accountants.
Why Brookes?
At Oxford Brookes University Business School you will find a dynamic and international community of more than 150 academic staff, 2,000 undergraduates and 500 postgraduate and research students.
We are the only business school to host a Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (in assessment) as well as the two national Higher Education Academy Subject Centres in business and management disciplines (Business, Management, Accounting and Finance, and Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism), putting us at the centre of business education in the UK.
We are consistently applauded for the excellence of our learning and teaching. Our strong connections with the world of business ensure the relevance of our courses, the credibility of our staff and the career successes of our students. We practise a special 'Brookes blend' of critical enquiry with practical insight, of rigour with relevance.
Teaching, learning and assessment
Business at Brookes is known internationally for its learning and teaching, evidenced by the achievement of top scores in the last quality review. We adopt an innovative approach to teaching, which helps the student learning experience to be vibrant and engaging. Our students develop skills in critical enquiry along with a firm grounding in business practice which, together, enable them to confidently take on the demands of graduate jobs in leading international businesses.
We firmly believe learning should be exciting as well as challenging. You are encouraged to take an active approach to your studies through, for example, problem-solving classes, dragons’ den type assessments involving local employers, and working with actors to develop presentation skills. We want you to enjoy developing the skills you will need to succeed in the competitive business world.
This is an internationally-focused course, which is intellectually stimulating and uses a wide range of teaching methods. The majority of the teaching is in small interactive group workshops. This provides opportunities for frequent informal feedback and encourages student participation. In this way, students learn from each other and are encouraged to use their collective experience and understanding.
Throughout the course you will have close contact with your academic adviser and you will be taught through workshops and seminar discussions supplemented and supported by lectures. Within these workshops you will be given the opportunity to participate in activities such as group presentations, role plays, analysis of numerical data, discussions of topical material (such as newspaper articles, videos and websites) and computer-based simulations.
Outside class, there is a substantial e-learning component, providing the opportunity to undertake self-study quizzes and diagnostic assessments, to participate in online discussion groups and to work in groups to prepare wikis as part of the assessment process. E-learning activities will be complementary to face-to-face learning, forming part of a blended approach.
You will benefit from ongoing, in-depth specific feedback on your work. This way you will know exactly which areas you need to focus on to do the best you can in your studies and develop yourself for your future career.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
A graduate of this course will be able to:
- demonstrate an ability to think globally and consider issues from a variety of perspectives
- critically evaluate arguments and evidence
- locate, extract, analyse and evaluate information from multiple sources, with appropriate acknowledgement and referencing
- understand the function and operation of accounting in a range of contexts, informed by current thinking and research in the discipline.
Additionally, students taking the Information Management pathway will be able to understand and evaluate how information management relates to and affects organisations and their development generally, and the accounting function in particular.
Students taking the Business pathway will be able to examine and appraise business concepts and frameworks through analysis of complex, multifaceted business problems from a range of organisational, industrial and international contexts, and use these in effective decision making.
Disciplinary and professional skills
A graduate will be able to:
- appreciate and demonstrate the capacity to apply international standards and practices
- demonstrate the use of the current international technical language of accounting and accounting practice
- recognise the limitations and uncertainties of practice and the alternatives offered within the discipline of accounting
- understand and apply accepted techniques to the recording of business transactions and the preparation of financial statements
- appraise the performance and financial situation of organisations
- select and apply management accounting techniques to practical situations
- critically evaluate contemporary theories and empirical evidence in accounting and finance.
Additionally, students taking the Information Management pathway will be able to:
- study organisations in terms of their business processes and using a systems perspective
- analyse an organisation’s information needs and advise on the use of information systems to support these.
Students taking the Business pathway will be able to:
- select and apply qualitative and quantitative business-specific tools of research, analysis, decision making and evaluation to a wide range of scenarios and problems
- devise, substantiate and sustain arguments that contribute to decision making in diverse, dynamic and uncertain contexts.
You will also develop the following transferable skills: self-management, learning, communication, teamwork, problem-solving including numeracy and IT skills.
In detail
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Course content
A large part of the Accounting and Finance course is taught from an international perspective, encouraging you to appreciate international standards and practices of accounting, think globally and work across cultures. You can view the course structure here.
You start Year 1 with an induction week where you will meet fellow students. You will also meet with your academic adviser and course managers to discuss your first year programme of study. Included in the first year modules are sessions designed to equip you with the key skills necessary to succeed in your degree, including academic writing and reading in English, primary research, sourcing and evaluating secondary data, academic referencing with emphasis on avoiding plagiarism, and manipulation and critical evaluation of numerical data.
Year 2 also includes sessions providing help and guidance in sourcing and applying for the most suitable work placement positions for your career aspirations. We actively encourage you to take up the option of a work placement in order to graduate with highly valued, graduate-level work experience alongside the academic knowledge and transferable skills gained throughout the course.
Students following the Information Management pathway will be particularly well equipped to deal with the growing impact of information systems on working life within organisations generally, and the importance which information systems tend to have in the careers of accounting professionals in particular. The Information Management modules will enable you to study organisations and their processes, to analyse their information needs and to advise on information systems to support these.
If you choose this pathway you will take modules on Management Information Systems and Accounting Information Systems in Year 2, and study Information Systems Strategy and Business Intelligence and Decision Making in your final year.
The Business pathway helps students develop an analytical approach to business decision making and problem solving. You will be equipped to analyse complex business problems from a range of organisational, industrial and international contexts, and use these in effective decision making. In Year 2 you will be learning and applying these skills in International Markets and Competition and in Business Strategy for Competitive Advantage. In your final year you will take Strategic Decision Making (a double module credit).
As we review our courses regularly, the list of modules you choose from may vary from the ones shown here.
Year 1
You take six compulsory modules:
- Introduction to Accounting (double module)
- Accounting in Society
- Essential Information Skills
- Business Economics and Financial Markets
- Foundations of Business
You also choose modules from a range of electives.
Year 2 and final year
In Year 2, there are four compulsory module credits:
- Management Accounting
- Corporate Finance
- Financial Accounting and Reporting (double module)
You also choose modules from a range of electives.
In Year 3 (Year 4 if you undertake a work placement), you take three compulsory honours modules:
- Financial Accounting Theory
- Business Aspects of Management Accounting
- Contemporary Issues in Finance
In addition, you choose to undertake either a dissertation, or a double synoptic module, as well as other elective modules.
Work placements
In your third year you have the option of undertaking a placement. Students have enjoyed exciting and intellectually-challenging positions at IBM, Xerox, New Internationalist, Grant Thornton, KPMG, Caterpillar, Innocent, Microsoft, Rolls-Royce, Hewlett-Packard and a host of other global organisations.
Study abroad
Information about exchanges, European work placements and other study abroad programmes, is available here.
Free language courses for students - the Open Module
Free language courses are available to all full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students who are studying any course on our Headington (including Marston Road), Harcourt Hill or Wheatley Campuses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.
Key facts
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Department
Professional accreditation
Graduates gain exemptions from first level professional qualification exams with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).
Some exemptions from second level examinations are available, including up to the maximum that can be achieved from the ACCA.
We are a Partner in Learning with the ICAEW.
Course length
Full-time: 3 years, or 4 if a work placement is chosen
Part-time: up to 8 years
Teaching location
Wheatley Campus
Start date
September
2012
January
2013
UCAS code
NN43 BSc/DG
Fees / funding
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Tuition fees
UK/EU students
Full-time: £9,000
Part-time: £750 per module. You can take up to five modules per academic year.
Placement year: £2,000. This is the fee for students taking their placement in 2012, and will increase annually with inflation.
Tuition fees
International students
Full-time: £11,200
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
+44 (0)1865 483088
finance-fees@brookes.ac.uk
Funding and scholarships
For general sources of financial support, see:
Apply / Entry reqs
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RELATED COURSES:
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- Business and Management
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- Business
- Economics, Finance and International Business
- Economics, Politics and International Relations
- Information Technology Management for Business
- International Business
- International Business Management
- International Hospitality Management
Typical offers
A-level: BBC or equivalent
IB Diploma: 30 points
Advanced Diploma: grade B, including A-level at grade C
BTEC National Diploma: DMM
AS-levels will be recognised in place of a maximum of one A-level (may include a 12 unit vocational A-level)
Key skills are not required but would be a positive feature of an application, as would free-standing AS-levels such as Critical Thinking.
Specific entry requirements
GCSE: Mathematics (minimum grade B) and English (grade C or above)
Please also see the university's general entry requirements.
English language requirements
If English is not your first language you should have IELTS 6.5 overall, with a 6.0 in reading and a 6.0 in writing or equivalent.
Please also see the university's standard English language requirements.
English language requirements for visas
If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Border Agency's minimum language requirements as well as the university's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.
Full-time students should apply for this course through UCAS.
Part-time students should apply directly to the university.
Conditions of acceptance
When you accept our offer you agree to the conditions of acceptance. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.
Credit transfer
Oxford Brookes operates the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). All undergraduate single modules are equivalent to 7.5 ECTS credits and double modules to 15 ECTS credits. More about ECTS credits.
Student experience
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Why Oxford is a great place to study Accounting and Finance
As one of the most famous cities in the world, Oxford offers everything any student could want and more. It is a bustling and stunning cosmopolitan city with excellent shopping, restaurants, cafes, pubs and clubs.
Situated in the heart of rural England and home to 150,000 people, Oxford offers students a clean and safe environment less than an hour from London and international airports.
Oxford is not only a centre of education but also has a growing hi-tech community. Many businesses are located in Oxford and there are a growing number of business parks in the surrounding area.
The department is based at Wheatley, a leafy 80-acre site just 25 minutes from Oxford on the inter-campus Brookes Bus service. Wheatley campus has a wide range of sports facilities and there are pubs and shops in the nearby village.
Specialist facilities
The Simon Williams Undergraduate Centre is an innovative social learning space based on Wheatley Campus for the use of Business School undergraduates. It provides a welcoming, vibrant atmosphere in which students can socialise, study, work collaboratively, and grab a drink and something to eat.
Completed in 2007, the building is 'a breath of fresh air' - a bright, open space, filled with the most up-to-date technology, and featuring a cafe which serves high quality food and refreshments. It includes workstations and areas for collaborative working, plus facilities for practising, recording and reviewing group presentations. In addition, there is a Business School teaching room on the first floor, which is equipped with state-of-the-art presentation technology, as well as the Undergraduate Office, the Placements Office and other student-facing staff offices.
The aim of the centre is to provide a space in which both students and staff can interact, collaborate and share ideas.
General support services
Supporting your learning
From academic advisers and support co-ordinators to specialist subject librarians and other learning support staff, we want to ensure that you get the best out of your studies.
Personal support services
We want your time at Brookes to be as enjoyable and successful as possible. That's why we provide all the facilities you need to be relaxed, happy and healthy throughout your studies.
Accommodation
At Brookes we understand that when you live away from home it's important to be somewhere that you feel comfortable and safe.
After graduation
DOWNLOADS
RELATED COURSES:
- Business, Management and Communications
- Business Management
- Business and Enterprise
- Business and Management
- Business and Marketing Management
- Business
- Economics, Finance and International Business
- Economics, Politics and International Relations
- Information Technology Management for Business
- International Business
- International Business Management
- International Hospitality Management
Professional accreditation
Graduates gain exemptions from first level professional qualification exams with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).
Some exemptions from second level examinations are available, including up to the maximum that can be achieved from the ACCA.
We are a Partner in Learning with the ICAEW.
Career prospects
Your degree leads to careers in accounting and finance, but also prepares you for other areas of business. Our graduates go on to join general graduate training schemes, specialise in areas of particular interest, set up their own business or continue their studies to postgraduate level.
If you follow the Accounting and Information Management pathway, you will be particularly well equipped to deal with the growing impact information systems have within organisations and in the careers of accounting professionals.
If you take the Accounting and Business pathway, you will develop an analytical approach to business decision making and problem solving to take forward into your professional future.
The Careers Centre organises careers fairs and there will be talks by employers and professional bodies in the accounting and finance fields in your final year.
Further study
There will be seminars during your final year on the opportunities available for continuing your studies to postgraduate level. Oxford Brookes Business School offers a wide range of taught postgraduate programmes, from certificates and diplomas to master's degrees, and a doctoral programme.
