UDACFINA - BA Accounting and Finance

The majority of the programme will be taught through lectures and seminars, where lectures are designed to convey the broad outlines of knowledge pertinent to each module whilst the seminars are built around student activity in response to a set of prepared tasks that require students to apply knowledge, discuss and analyse. Students will be expected to prepare for the seminars using a variety of learning resources that will normally include textbook, module handout/Weblearn site including learning/stimulus materials, references to sources in the learning centre, and materials available on academically reputable internet sites

Technical skills are developed, with guidance from the professional bodies and the subject benchmark. These include, where appropriate, numeracy, technical language and current practices, contemporary theory, technical and qualitative analysis and dealing with empirical analysis of relevant material.

Teaching, study and assessment methods ensure that practical knowledge is developed through lectures and practiced, with guidance in seminars. Direct teaching is supported through text books, journal articles and electronic sources, with every component being supported with its own web site. The knowledge developed and subsequent understanding is assessed in a variety of ways, including reports, essays presentations, group work and unseen examination.

Intellectual skills, identified in the subject benchmarks are developed throughout the courses. These include critical evaluation of arguments and evidence, the ability to analyse and draw reasoned conclusions from a given set of data, the ability to locate, extract and analyse data from multiple sources, including the referencing of sources.

Independent and self-managed learning is encouraged and the capacity to develop these skills is developed from the earliest stages of the courses. Participants are required to develop these essential skills as they are key components to both academic and lifelong learning.

Participants are encouraged to engage in their own learning in the subject. This is achieved by relating as much as possible to the real world. This enables participants to understand the relevance of the subject to their own lives, and to the lives of other.students, and are able to experience a real-world business environment through the compulsory work-related learning element in the second year of their course programme.

To deliver an academically rigorous programme of study, which provides students with the opportunity to study the major disciplines in accounting and finance and to relate these to the business environment.

To provide a sound conceptual foundation for a professional, managerial or business career and to help students understand current thinking, analyse current problems in accounting and finance and help them deal with the rapidly changing business environment. It will enable students to enhance their employability and/or gain admission to a masters programme or study for a professional qualification. The core modules of the course satisfy some of the requirements of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants (ACCA), Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW), the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) and the Association of International Accountants ( AIA ). Students can use the Level 5 and 6 option modules on the course to gain further exemptions.

The programme promotes the use of a range of teaching, learning and assessment methods, which develop the students’ intellectual abilities, self-confidence and ability to study independently.

The course has been devised with reference to the subject benchmark statement for Accounting (2016) developed by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.

On successful completion of this course students will be able to :

1. Evaluate the nature and problems of traditional costing methods and activity-based costing (ABC), calculate and evaluate budgets including functional budgets and critically appraise alternatives to traditional budgeting techniques and their behavioural implications.

2. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the basic principles of the English legal system, relevant legal institutions and the principal areas of law, which relate to business. Analyse the legal issues which arise in a given business context and demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the basic legal principles of employment law and an ability to analyse and critically interpret legal issues which arise in an employment context.

3. Have developed a knowledge and critical understanding of the theoretical models, analytical methods and practical aspects of financial decision making, management accounting, financial reporting, taxation and auditing in competitive business environments and dynamic capital markets.

4. Understand the basic theory of finance, develop the skills of valuing investment instruments and critically evaluate the conceptual frameworks for pricing securities.

5. Have a critical understanding of the corporate social reporting, corporate governance and ethical issues involved in accounting.

6. Perform a range of advanced techniques in the context of current international financial reporting practice and articulate the current debates on issues and controversies in reporting in the UK and internationally.

These course learning outcomes have been mapped to the QAA Subject Benchmark Statement for Accounting ( 2016 ) and both course and module learning outcomes have been mapped to the professional body exemption requirements of the ACCA and CIMA.

Module Title Module Code

Fundamentals of Accounting AC4004
MIS and Ethics AC4006
Professional Skills for Accounting AC4005
Business Law BL4051
The Economic Environment FE4054
Financial Accounting and Company Law AC5005
Managing Finance AC5006
Key Principles of Taxation AC5007
Advanced Financial Accounting AC6006
Financial Management AC6007
Issues and Controversies in Accounting and Finance AC6P08

Learning Outcomes 1 - 6

QAA Accounting Subject Benchmark Statement ( 2016 )

There are a variety of assessment tools used in the core modules. Students will be provided with the opportunity to demonstrate their writing skills by writing essays and reports. They will demonstrate their presentation skills in a number of modules, which in turn will prepare them for the employment market on completion of the course. Some modules use more traditional methods of assessment, such as closed book examinations in order to gain professional body exemption.

There are a range of formative assessments on all modules designed to enhance student skills development and prepare them for the summative assessments. Feedback will be provided on drafts of coursework prior to submission and assessment feedback provided on Weblearn based coursework. Generic feedback will be provided on examination performance prior to the exam period.

A sample of assessed work will be second marked in line with the University’s policies and student performance on the modules benchmarked against the University’s module pass rate expectations and action plans developed.

Level 5 core 15 credit module Learning Through Work 1, Autumn semester. Optional 30 credit Professional Experience Year Placement taken between Levels 5 and 6.

At Levels 4, 5 and 6 in order to pass the course the following modules must be passed and with a minimum overall mark of 40% and a minimum mark of 35% in each component of assessment. This is to meet the exemption requirements of CIMA.

Level 4 - Fundamentals of Accounting; Management Information Systems and Ethics ; Business Law ; The Economic Environment
Level 5 - Financial Accounting and Company Law ; Managing Finance ; Key Principles of Taxation ;
Level 6 - Advanced Financial Accounting ; Financial Management ;

No combinations required.

The arrangements for promoting reflective learning and PDP are delivered through the Level 4 Professional Skills for Accounting module, the core Level 5 Learning Through Work 1 module and the Level 6 Issues and Controversies in Accounting and finance module. All have formative and summative assessment requiring varying degrees of critical self- evaluation and reflection in the context of accounting and finance professional practice.

Professional accountancy body requirements for specific exemptions.

This course qualifies you for exemption from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)’s fundamental exam papers, F1 to F9.

The core modules of the course satisfy many of the requirements of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW), the Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountants (CIPFA), the Association of International Accountants (AIA) as well as the award of full membership of the Institute of Financial Accountants (IFA) and Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).

Employability and workplace skills are developed in a number of ways throughout the courses. The introduction of a core Level 5 Learning Through Work module where each student will do a short work placement will assist in developing skills for the workplace. Career management is encouraged through reference to the relevant professional bodies, work experience and careers advice. Each year we have a professional accountancy body panel briefing for final year students and presentations for all students integrated in to lectures throughout the year.

The University provides talks from guest speakers from both national and international organisations and career skill development specialists. These sessions give students the opportunity to learn more about future career paths and strategies to pursue their own career aspirations. Additional these sessions boost students’ confidence, further their personal development and hone their key employability skills.

In addition, students are encouraged to participate in extra-curricular activities including involvement in peer coaching of students, receiving professional mentoring, volunteering in the not-for-profit sector, joining or setting up student society and national competitions such as the Universities Business Challenge in which we had a group of semi-finalists in 2017.

Accounting is a subject field with a high demand for graduates.

Opportunities for qualified accountants are extensive, and our graduates have found work with companies such as Angel Finance, BBC, Grant Thornton, Hays Agency, Hartley Fowler LLP, The Courtauld Institute of Art and The Royal Opera House.

In addition to the University's standard entry requirements, you should have:

• a minimum of grades CCC in three A levels (or a minimum of 96 UCAS points from an equivalent Level 3 qualification, eg BTEC National, OCR Diploma or Advanced Diploma)
• English Language and Mathematics GCSEs at grade C/grade 4 or above (or equivalent)

If you do not have traditional qualifications or cannot meet the entry requirements for this undergraduate degree, you may still be able to gain entry by completing the Accounting and Finance Extended Degree.

All applicants must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. Applicants who require a Tier 4 student visa may need to provide a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as Academic IELTS. For more information about English qualifications please see our English language requirements.