BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance (with Foundation Year)

This module is your introduction to the nature, purpose and conceptual foundations of financial accounting. You'll develop an understanding of the respective contributions of this branch of accounting and the different objectives and needs of a range of users of financial information. You'll study accounting techniques for collecting, classifying and recording financial information as well as the presentation of this data in the form of accounts for small businesses and companies.

Undertand the nature, purpose and conceptual foundations of management accounting. You'll develop an understanding of the respective contribution of management accounting to a company. You'll also prepare and interpret management accounting information for planning, decision making and control in a range of simple business scenarios. Through the development of skills in technical areas and practice in time-constrained assessment, this will help to prepare you for future examination-based assessment in this subject, whether for academic or professional qualifications.

As an introduction of economics to students, examples from the real world will be used to illustrate economic concepts and theory. You’ll learn about the role and methods of economics, which will include developing a testable hypothesis.

On successful completion of this module, you’ll understand the basic principles of economics and the relationships between economic variables, while also developing the ability to work with graphs.

In this module, you'll gain a foundational education in financial literacy and learn about personal finance issues. You'll explore the basics of saving, investment, and property, as well as income tax, National Insurance, pensions, and wills. In addition, you'll discover the role of financial institutions like the Inland Revenue, Banks, Building Societies, and the Stock Exchange. Furthermore, you'll develop skills to gather and analyse personal financial data, recommend appropriate solutions, and select strategies to manage your finance and fiscal requirements.

This module empowers you with the knowledge and skills to operate within the finance and tax framework. On successful completion of this module, you’ll be able to make informed financial decisions, manage your finances and make recommendations that align with your personal circumstances.

Concentrate on developing your analytics skills that are essential for the current and future job market in a data driven business environment. Your focus will be on developing analytical communication and proficiency. You'll use analytics tools like Excel, techniques and functions, basic and advanced use of spreadsheets, advanced word processing and using advanced PowerPoint applications. You'll be equipped with foundational analytical skills that are needed for advanced study and professional practice in various fields, like finance, accounting, business management and economics.

In this module, you’ll gain a strong understanding of business organisations and how they function in contemporary settings. You’ll develop core practical knowledge as you take examples from current business practice, and apply them to business concepts and theory. And the knowledge that you gain in this module will underpin further learnings that you will undertake throughout your degree.

You’ll have the opportunity to examine the complexities of the interlinkages between the internal and external factors affecting an organisation. For example, you’ll explore the impact of challenges such as globalisation and the increasing pace of change, and how these are evaluated in order to establish a strategy. You’ll apply the lessons learned in lectures to a hand-on business simulation game, where you’ll work as part of a team to make weekly business decisions. You’ll therefore gain the insights, tools and skills necessary for succeeding in a real business context.

On this module, you’ll gain practical experience of using business accounting systems, and be introduced to enterprise software. You’ll also analyse accounting systems and evaluate them from the perspective of fitness for purpose, suitability of controls, and value to the user.

This module provides you with the opportunity to develop desirable transferable skills, which will be useful for employment involving business accounting systems that also includes a level of personal responsibility.

This module enriches and consolidates your accounting knowledge learned in previous levels of study. You will learn advanced management accounting techniques, incorporating contemporary methodologies. You will be expected to apply these techniques to real-world scenarios and critically analyse their efficacy. You will compare and contrast varying budget-setting approaches and examine the intricate relationship between budgetary control systems and human conduct. Moreover, you will evaluate and apply performance management systems and appraisal techniques to facilitate both short-term and long-term decision-making. Additionally, you will explore diverse costing methods, assessing their differences and similarities. Finally, you will learn how to meticulously analyse and effectively communicate management accounting information to business management.

This module will introduce you to the fundamentals of finance and to the finance function in a company or corporation. This will enable you to understand the sorts of decisions that are taken by financial managers along with their rationales. The content includes an explanation of the role of finance in business and the objectives of the finance function. You will also examine the decisions affecting capital structure and the cost of capital.

Using a UK and international framework, you’ll explore contemporary financial reporting and accounting. In particular, you’ll study International Financial Reporting Standards, and apply it to a variety of accounting and finance issues, and other reporting data.

Upon successfully completing this module, you’ll have developed analytical skills needed for IT tools and digital media. You’ll also be able to use reports to appraise the financial performance, financial situation and cash position of companies.

Throughout this module, you will acquire the essential skills and knowledge needed to make informed career decisions and proactively manage your professional development in the accounting industry. You will be able to cultivate a diverse range of job application skills, such as crafting a professional CV, cover letter, and public profile, that will empower you to excel in assessment and selection scenarios. Moreover, you will have the chance to establish your career aspirations and devise a comprehensive plan to realise them. This will entail introspection regarding your existing career competencies, establishing objectives for personal and professional growth, and creating actionable strategies to attain them.

By the end of the module, you will have a clear understanding of what is expected of a working professional and job applicant in the accounting field, and be able to identify your unique selling propositions, which will help you to stand out from other candidates.

This module is designed to provide practical guidance and support in undertaking a placement search, preparing for the placement experience, and succeeding in the modern workplace. Throughout the module, you will develop critical self-awareness and personal literacy skills, enabling you to self-reflect on your own strengths and weaknesses and target your placement search effectively. Additionally, you will also explore methods of effective and targeted placement search, increasing your chances of securing a placement.

In summary, this module is an essential component of your employability journey. By integrating with co-curricular activities, the module provides a holistic approach to employability, ensuring that students have a broad range of skills and experiences to draw upon in their future careers.

This module introduces you to the entire statutory audit process from planning and risk assessment, gathering audit evidence and finishing with review and reporting. You will develop your understanding of key concepts in auditing and underpins later study of auditing in the final year. You’ll learn the process of how an audit is undertaken in the ‘professional auditing world’ through simulation activities using case studies.

Upon successful completion of this module, you will be able to explain the concepts of audit and assurance and functions of audit including ethics, and identify, evaluate and test the internal controls and plan an audit of financial statements accordingly.

On this module, you’ll examine the nature of financial markets and the role of financial intermediaries. You’ll analyse the nature of market efficiency, and the extent to which asset prices reflect rational decisions in consideration of psychological or speculative factors. You’ll also explore comparative merits and the question of financial regulation. Different types of financial instruments and their valuation will also be explored.

Upon successful completion of this module, you’ll be able to assess institution-based and market-based finance in a variety of contexts, understand the main principles underlying asset pricing models, and resolve general problems in selecting investments in a global market.

In this module, you'll critically analyse the role of digital technologies in modern businesses. You'll explore software and hardware applications and evaluate their impact on competitive strategy and organisational change. Using a multidisciplinary approach, you'll cover topics like online and mobile channels, digital marketing, and business-to-business relations. You'll develop analytical and presentation skills to provide clear and concise reports, both individually and in teams.

This module prepares you to lead digital technologies in modern organisations, and it equips you with essential skills to evaluate the value of digital business development for businesses and sectors.

This is your introduction to taxation in the UK and the framework within which you’ll have to make financial decisions during your future working life. You’ll look at the taxation consequences of:

• employment
• self-employment
• savings
• dividends
• pension contributions.

You’ll also look at how they are reported to the fiscal authorities and you’ll also explore benefits-in-kind and national insurance contributions. Developing your knowledge and understanding of UK personal taxation.

Focus on the skills of modelling and abstraction, and the use of generic business models to understand and analyse an organisation, taking information and process perspectives.

You'll look at information flows that provide an integrative element across organisational functions, as well as the role of data and information in supporting business processes and information flows decision making. You'll be helped to keep a perspective on your role in your field in the wider picture through a cross-functional picture of business and management.

On this placement, you will be able to access a 40-52 week work-based learning or placement opportunity to help develop your employability and enterprise skills. You will gain first-hand knowledge and experience of making applications to, and working in, a placement role. You will set your own work-based targets and reflect upon your progress in the role you have on your placement. Halfway through your placement, you will make a presentation to your line manager and placement tutor which summarises your gained knowledge on your placement and the tasks you have/will complete in your placement role.

This is an opportunity for you to study Business topics abroad in order to experience a different national, educational and business culture and to build on your knowledge, understanding, skills and competencies you have acquired during the earlier part of your course. This will help you to develop those skills to a higher level and to acquire new skills. All the topics studied will be relevant to your degree.

You will undertake an international study exchange at a university outside the UK, arranged by the University’s exchanges office. This international study exchange lasts for one academic year and is taken after the conclusion of your second year of studies (Level 5).

This 24-week placement is your opportunity to develop your employability and enterprise skills, within the UK or Europe. You will gain first-hand knowledge and experience of making applications to, and working in, a placement role. You will set your work-based targets and reflect upon your success in your placement role. At the end of the placement, you will make a presentation to your line manager and placement tutor which summarises the knowledge and skills you have developed on your placement.

This module aims to begin to develop Pre-Master’s students’ academic reading, research and critical thinking skills in preparation for postgraduate study and to support the development of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) literacy skills.

The three main purposes of the module are to:

1. begin to develop academic reading skills to prepare for postgraduate study in the UK
2. to begin to develop skills in locating, evaluating and using appropriate sources with appropriate citation, and
3. to begin to develop the skill of responding critically to the content and context of reading.

The Accounting Capstone module is designed to help you develop critical thinking and analytical skills to investigate contemporary accounting practices and issues. Through independent research and analysis, you will review various accounting techniques and concepts introduced in prerequisite modules. This will enable you to evaluate their practical applicability and to identify limitations that can impact their effectiveness in a broader social and economic context. By conducting case study analysis, you’ll apply relevant analytical techniques to a broad range of data, you will gain practical skills that you can use in various accounting roles.

This module will equip you with valuable skills that are highly sought after by employers in the accounting field. Whether you aspire to become an auditor, financial analyst, or management accountant, the Accounting Synoptic module will prepare you to approach accounting issues with a critical mindset and practical applicability.

You'll concentrate on developing an understanding of the wider strategic and tactical aspects of business analytics (including but not limited to Business Intelligence, Visualization, Data preparation etc) in order to apply in business decision making related to performance, operations, forecasting etc.

You'll also develop the underlying skills necessary to source and analyse both quantitative and qualitative data to produce knowledge for management decision-making. You'll enhance your practical capabilities to transform raw data into compelling, actionable insights and support strategic decision-making.

You'll gain the practical expertise needed to tackle real-world business analytics challenges and to contribute effectively to data-driven decision processes in professional settings, supporting your transition into analytical roles in various fields.

Through looking at the practice of financial accounting and reporting, this module enables you to take a critical look at accounting practices in contemporary society. You’ll assess the actual role of accounting in organisations, while contrasting this with its theoretical role.

On successful completion of this module, you’ll be able to demonstrate the capacity to apply international standards and practices, and understand the function of accounting in a range of contexts.

This module is uniquely designed to encourage you to critically evaluate a business from a management accounting perspective. You’ll learn to apply and critique advanced management accounting techniques. While gaining a critical appreciation of management accountants, and their strategic approach, you’ll also analyse their changing role in the modern business environment.

The module will equip you with the skills to apply the techniques studied, and provide you with a critical understanding of the theoretical aspects of strategic management accounting.

This module extends the basic theory of corporate finance covered in previous years by developing more complex approaches to financial management which can guide decision-making in the face of risk and uncertainty. It also examines corporate decisions concerning capital structure and the choice between internal and external finance and sets these decisions in the context of developments in a range of financial markets. Your learning outcomes include being able to apply investment appraisal techniques to conditions of risk and uncertainty, assess the impact of cost capital for businesses and understand the key principles and techniques of risk management.

This module provides an opportunity for you to investigate the forces shaping the contemporary financial system. You'll examine a variety of issues, taking the financial turmoil of 2007-2008 as a starting point. The emphasis will be on both the underlying causes of recent financial developments and the more general implications of these for our understanding of finance and on the possibilities open to regulatory authorities, companies, investors and other interested groups to respond to these developments.

How is auditing used in practice? What role does auditing fulfil in accountability structures and in corporate governance?

In this module, you’ll delve into and analyse contemporary issues on audit and assurance engagements. Using a professional regulatory framework, you’ll explore auditing cases that include both historical and current international corporate scandals. You’ll also gain practical and theoretical skills on how to apply International Standards on Auditing on audit and assurance engagements.

You will gain essential knowledge of UK taxation principles and practise based on the study of individuals and companies. You will also learn practical aspects of assessing liability to income tax, capital gains tax, corporate tax and VAT are covered.

Upon completion of the module, you will be able to:

• Outline the UK tax system
• Relate and apply current tax legislation and case law to a range of situations
• Explain, justify and use tax planning principles recognising tax avoidance and tax evasion issues
• Compute tax liabilities, including capital gains tax, for individuals and corporations
• Advise on minimisation of tax liabilities through consideration of exemptions, allowances and reliefs etc.

You will develop your critical and practical understanding of creating and analysing a sustainable investment portfolio. You’ll have access to our Bloomberg virtual trading terminals to develop your practical skills. You’ll also construct an investment portfolio aligned to sustainable investing principles.

This module will include focusing on practical aspects of portfolio management, including establishing key performance metrics, risk measurement and fundamental analysis.