module specification

This module is the Level 6 Project module for this course and focuses upon developing employability, work-experience, research, academic writing, presentation and independent learning skills.

Successful completion of Level 5 and Level 6

1.  to develop critical evaluation of arguments and evidence in the context of current problem areas in accounting and finance
2.  to develop the capacities for independent and self managed learning and the ability to engage in professional reflection of personal strengths and weaknesses
3.  to engage with academic sources and the accounting literature and to be effective in acknowledging and referencing of these sources
4.  to be effective in giving presentations relevant and appropriate to an intended audience
5.  to develop employability and professional practice skills relevant to the accountancy profession
6.  to understand and critically appraise developments in corporate governance and corporate social reporting

The module also aims to develop students’ skills, in particular:
- academic writing skills;
- communication skills, including oral presentation skills;
- application of knowledge and presenting data
-  critical thinking and writing
- career management.

There is no prescribed syllabus for this Project module. 

From week one students will be supported in finding suitable work experience if they are currently not in part-time employment

Students will in the first ten weeks of the module through critiques of professional frameworks and journal articles examine developments in corporate governance and corporate social reporting.  Students will then select three areas in international financial reporting, management accounting and finance, taxation, audit and social and environmental reporting to conduct research and prepare for the presentations and write-ups.

Plenary sessions will be delivered by the Academic Liaison Librarians and the Careers and Employability Service to introduce the use of research strategies and to focus on the relevance of module learning, teaching and assessment strategies to the development of effective employability skills, including CV writing and the types of aptitude testing used by accounting employers. Students will be supported in finding appropriate part-time employment if they are not currently working or involved in relevant volunteering activities.

For Weeks 1 – 3 there will be 1 hour plenary sessions for all students.  For Weeks 1 – 11  (  excluding Week 7 activity week )  there will be 2 hour workshops in groups reviewing articles.  Weeks 13 and 14 will have 1 hour plenary sessions and presentations will take place in Weeks 16 and 17, 19 and 21 and 23 and 24.  Weeks 25 – 28 will have 1 hour writing workshops.  Week 20 will be an activity week and Weeks 15, 18 and 22 will be preparation weeks.

On completing the module students will be able to :

1.  critically review academic journal articles in the fields of corporate governance and corporate social reporting and relate issues to the professional accounting frameworks
2.  critically assess and evaluate a range of diverse accounting and related business academic literature and from this develop and perform a structured presentation relevant to an intended audience
3.  reflect upon their development of relevant employability skills including CV writing and PDP
4.  produce two critical papers on current accounting and finance problem areas which will examine strengths, weaknesses and limitations of accounting theory and practice

The assessment strategy for this Project module will focus on academic writing and presentation skills through the assessment of the group presentation,  research articles critique  ( including a self-reflective statement ), the three individual/ group presentations and the two write-ups.

Students will be provided with an introduction to electronic databases through plenary sessions with the Academic Liaison Librarians for accounting and finance theory.

Employability and Reflective resources suggested are below:

Cottrell, S (2010) Skills for success: the personal development planning handbook  2nd Ed, Palgrave Macmillian, Basingstoke
Kirton B (2012) Brilliant workplace skills for students and graduates Prentice Hall, Harlow
Lumley M and Wilkinson J (2014) Developing employability for business Oxford University Press, Oxford
Moon J (2004) A Handbook of reflective and experiential learning: theory and practice Routledge Falmer, London
Rook S (2015) Work Experience, Placements and Internships  2nd Ed, Palgrave Macmillian, Basingstoke

Online careers information

London Metropolitan University http://student.londonmet.ac.uk/jobs-and-employment/career-and-employability-advice/
www.prospects.ac.uk
http://targetjobs.co.uk