MSc Strategic Professional Accounting and Finance

Aligned to the ACCA paper, in this module you will analyse, evaluate and conclude on the assurance engagement and other audit and assurance issues in the context of best practice and current developments.

Aligned to the ACCA paper, in this module you will apply relevant knowledge, skills and exercise professional judgement in selecting and applying strategic management accounting techniques in different business contexts to contribute to the planning, control and evaluation of organisational performance.

The goal of this module is for you to enhance your employability by engaging in development activities that will be recognised and appreciated by prospective employers. You will gain a sound understanding of the nature of the accounting and finance professions as well as what is expected of a working professional and job applicants in the accounting and finance industries. You will practise generic and specific skills relevant to career success and develop strategies to enhance resilience and adaptability in the workplace.

Aligned to the ACCA paper, in this module you will demonstrate organisational leadership and senior consultancy or advisory capabilities and relevant professional skills, through the context of an integrated case study.

Aligned to the ACCA paper, in this module you will discuss, apply and evaluate the concepts, principles and practices that underpin the preparation and interpretation of corporate reports from a diverse range of stakeholder perspectives.

You will undertake an independent project, relevant to the area of Accounting and Finance. You can choose between a research project, a consultancy project or a guided project. The ability to carry out independent research, analyse both qualitative and quantitative data and then to communicate their findings orally and in writing are key skills required by the accounting and finance professions.

This module is designed to enable you to place financing and investment decisions into the context of the wider environment, corporate strategy and performance. By using case studies throughout the module, you will appreciate how corporate strategy is formulated, linked to business and functional strategies and how management control is exercised and performance is measured.

In this module you will adopt two perspectives: first that of an analyst of the international system, examining the operation of foreign exchange and derivative markets, and theories of exchange rate determination; second that of the financial manager within a multinational enterprise (MNE) facing issues of currency risk management and international investment. You will demonstrate both critical evaluation and practical application of theoretical and empirical developments in the field of international finance.

This module details the various asset classes that investors might consider in forming portfolios. You'll gain hands-on experience of building a diversified portfolio, hedging using derivatives, and analysing its performance and risk using the Bloomberg terminal.

The fundamentals you'll learn in this module will be particularly beneficial for a career in asset management, investment banking, and wealth management. Your primary focus will be on building an equity and bond portfolio, although other asset classes will also be introduced to you.

This module is particularly relevant for students who aspire to work in asset management, banking, treasury, financial reporting or for rating and verification agencies. You will developing expertise in the rapidly evolving field of sustainable finance - both of the financial instruments that organisations issue and investors buy, and of the systems of accountability and governance that are associated with them. You will develop practical skills in the use of Bloomberg Terminals to support your analysis of sustainable finance and investment.

You’ll gain an understanding of how to examine data and use statistics to produce information that’ll help businesses to formulate strategies and make decisions. Statistics underlies business analytics and intelligence, making it a powerful tool for decision making. Essential concepts in business analytics and intelligence will be introduced, as well as statistical and econometrics concepts that are central to areas such as business analytics, data mining, data analytics, big data and artificial intelligence. You’ll also be encouraged to work with diverse datasets, as you’ll learn how to prepare these and test basic models of analytics.

If you decide to take the sandwich mode your year of full-time taught study will be followed by one year of full-time, supervised work experience. The time on supervised work experience is paid and spent with a suitable international hospitality and tourism employer. You carry out an assessed project for the company as part of your academic studies on the placement. You'll expand your enterprise skills in the context of the workplace. The focus will be on building your intrapreneurial mindsets during your placement, helping you to develop the curiosity, creativity, vision and resilience to be successful in a variety of organisations. The placement will enable you to drive innovation in one or more of the following areas: ethical business behaviour, inclusivity, responsible management, sustainability, digitalisation and internationalisation. Drawing on your research skills you'll propose evidence based innovative solutions to your placement organisations’ challenges.