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Accounting and Finance BSc (Hons)

Chelmsford, Cambridge

Year 1

Foundation in Business

In your first year you'll study with our partner, ARU College. This module will provide you with the necessary skills to begin studying at level 4 in courses related to business, accounting, finance, marketing, tourism and economics. You will be introduced to the core skills necessary to succeed in higher education, including thinking critically, researching and referencing appropriately, demonstrating appropriate numeracy and ICT skills, and communicating effectively verbally and in writing. You'll also be introduced to specific concepts related to your degree programmes including the functions of a business, business law, ethics and intercultural studies. Real-world applications of these theories in business will be highlighted, and you will practice applying the theory to case studies. The module is made up of the following eight constituent elements: Interactive Learning Skills and Communication (ILSC); Information Communication Technology (ICT); Critical Thinking; Core Maths; Ethics; Intercultural Studies; Business Law; Introduction to Business.

Year 2

Introduction to Financial Analysis and Management

The module aims to give you a sound grasp of the basic concepts required for financial analysis and management. The module will help you understand the role of managerial finance and financial markets and will enable you to analyse and present data using Microsoft Excel. For those studying BSc (Hons) Business Management and BSc (Hons) Business Management with Placement, successful completion of this module fulfils the requirements of the Chartered Management Institute's Unit 520 Managing Finance.

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Global Business Environment and International Strategy

You'll explore the factors that affect business, from a mostly external perspective, including elements of globalisation and international business and the fundamental skills needed in the world of business. Political, Economics, Social, Legal, Ecological and Technological factors will be examined in the macro business environment and how these interact in a competitive environment with globalisation, technological and social change to create complex strategic options for organisations. You will also explore in some detail the concept of sustainability and introductory economics.

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Introduction to Business Contracts and the Law

As an introduction to a broad range of civil legal issues, you'll get an insight and appreciation of the various ways in which the law impacts on the world of commerce and our everyday life. The module provides a foundation across a broad range of fundamental legal principles and concepts of the English Legal System. The rights and obligations of legal entities/individuals under the Law of Contract and the Law of Tort will also be examined.

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Digital Business and Principles of Marketing

This module presents a fusion between the philosophies which underlie marketing, with a strong emphasis of integrating digital and traditional concepts and the real life application of marketing across a variety of sectoral contexts. You'll examine the core marketing concept of customer value and the interplay between marketing and sustainability and the ethical challenges and critiques of modern marketing. You'll gain a wide range of knowledge across a breadth of sectors and be able to adapt these to whatever career or future research you choose. On completion of the module you'll have not only a solid grounding in marketing philosophies and theories but also a critical view of marketing, based around the realisation of the reality of modern digital marketing operations and management in a context of increasing global economic challenges, but also within a context where the customer profile is shifting to become increasingly demanding, critical and questioning of the motivations and ethics behind the marketers activities.

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Organisational Behaviour

You'll be introduced to a range of organisational behaviour issues that you may encounter in your career and be provided with evidence-informed analyses of ways in which culture, leadership, structure and motivation affect workers and workplaces. This foundation enables you to analyse the human side of management and diagnose problems affecting organisations both independently and as part of a group. You'll have the opportunity to take managerial, critical, symbolic-interactivist and feminist perspectives to business issues and organisational behaviour related theories, models and concepts to build your social capital and critical analytical skills. Specifically, we will equip you with the knowledge and human capitals to understand how people and organisations function in individual, group and organisational levels based on the latest academic evidence on topics such as motivation, leadership, teams, organisational structure and culture. Finally, we aim to inspire you to value and continuously use the best available academic evidence on effective management of people and organisations throughout your career.

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Year 3

Financial Management

Financial management is the assessment of the investment and financing decisions of firms and you’ll gain knowledge of the theoretical foundations underlying much of financial management practice and learn how those theories should be applied in practice. You’ll learn how to apply problem solving and analytical skills to complex and current issues in corporate finance.

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Introduction to Financial Reporting

You'll explore basic accounting concepts to develop the knowledge and skills required to understand and apply International Accounting Standards in the preparation of financial statements for entities. You’ll consider the conceptual frameworks for financial reporting, the required accounting treatment for key items appearing in financial statements, the preparation of cash flow statements and the analysis and interpretation of financial statements.

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Performance Management

As organisations develop they must always have an eye on the future and make decisions that influence performance. Planning and decision making is a core aspect of business strategy and this module looks at the accounting and finance information that is used in planning and support of the decision making process and control against those plans. It will introduce and demonstrate the accounting techniques used in planning and control and short and long term decision making. The module will also draw on aspects of organisational behaviour, and the risky, uncertain and quickly-changing environment in which many organisations operate.

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Taxation in the UK

UK taxation can be exceedingly complicated for both companies and individuals in today's worldwide economy. You’ll then develop this to assess individual liability to tax and the profits chargeable to UK Tax on companies and unincorporated businesses. This will involve a full understanding of the UK Tax system. A detailed study will be made of both Income Tax and Capital Gains tax. The impact of both overseas and UK subsidiaries will be studied in detail. This will culminate in the ability to compute the tax burden for individuals, unincorporated businesses and companies and groups of companies with overseas and UK subsidiaries. Tax planning issues will be introduced at the later stage of the module.

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Ruskin Module (15 credits)

Ruskin Modules are designed to prepare our students for a complex, challenging and changing future. These interdisciplinary modules provide the opportunity to further broaden your perspectives, develop your intellectual flexibility and creativity. You will work with others from different disciplines to enable you to reflect critically on the limitations of a single discipline to solve wider societal concerns. You will be supported to create meaningful connections across disciplines to apply new knowledge to tackle complex problems and key challenges. Ruskin Modules are designed to grow your confidence, seek and maximise opportunities to realise your potential to give you a distinctive edge and enhance your success in the workplace.

Year 4

Corporate Governance and Auditing

The role and requirements of a professional accountant extend far beyond that of being responsible for the preparation of financial and management accounts. You'll be responsible for compliance with the statutory requirements of company law and other frameworks whilst ensuring that accounting standards are adhered to, risks are identified and managed and internal audits and non-financial elements including Corporate Social Reporting and environmental issues are reported. In this module, you'll examine the nature, purpose and scope of assurance engagements, including the statutory audit, its regulatory environment and professional ethics relating to audit and assurance, underpinned with the importance of auditing theory and how it is put to practice. Internal audit will be covered, including the scope of internal audit as well as the differences between internal audit and external audit. You'll then explore a range of areas relating to an audit of financial statements including, planning and risk assessment, evaluating internal controls, audit evidence and a review of the financial statements. The final stage deals with reporting, including statutory audit reports, management reports, internal audit report and an evaluation of current issues facing auditing profession. As you go through the module, you'll gain the technical knowledge needed and communication skills to tackle real-life challenges in the workplace.

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International Financial Reporting

Corporations can operate in exceedingly complex international markets and so clear financial reporting requires the ability to interpret complex transactions by applying accounting principles and regulations. You’ll develop the ability to exercise judgement in a corporate reporting environment and develop the skills and knowledge to understand and apply International Financial Reporting Standards (IFS) in the preparation of financial statements. You’ll explore relevant accounting regulations and the skills to utilise sound judgement in the application of these regulations to specific situations and to be able to clearly communicate the conclusions of your analysis. The required accounting treatment for key items appearing in financial statements will follow and the analysis and interpretation of financial statements concludes the module. Key financial reporting standards, their application and theoretical background will be explained in lecture sessions and you'll work on practical examples and case studies for discussion and clarification in seminars.

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Capital Markets and Investment

You'll gain a rigorous grounding in the theory and practice of corporate finance at an advanced level with an emphasis on the applications of the principles and a thorough synthesis of the most important current research. Both normative and positive aspects of the theory are examined, together with supporting descriptive and empirical evidence from various implications in practice. You'll focus on key aspects of the financial operations related to maximising the valuation of a corporation in an international financial environment. Principles that corporations use in their investment and financing decision-making are reviewed and evaluated using practical examples. You'll be introduced to the wider corporate financial operations, including hedging and financial derivatives, including financial leverage and capital structure, portfolio and evaluation models, mergers and acquisitions, business valuations, foreign exchange market, forward and money market hedging, financial futures and options, interest rate swaps. This module is part of a broader programme offering support for you to study for the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and the Chartered Institute of Bankers (CBI). You'll develop the knowledge and skills required in finance, business analysis and banking related professions or to start your own business through practical tasks involving developing financial strategies, conducting a financial analysis and managing foreign currency risks, among others using professional database such as Bloomberg and Osiris, etc. You'll also develop your professional identity by engaging in tasks that enhance your career development and employability.

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Undergraduate Major Project

This module aims to enhance your employability and bring authenticity to your research investigations by introducing contemporary business research in areas of Accounting, Finance, Business Management and Operations Management. You’ll explore a detailed area of contemporary research in the modern business world utilising data and information from public sources which provide the analytical basis of your research topic. In this way, your research can include evolving business situations such as: adoption of new technologies, strategies for a post-Covid19 business environment, changes in customer behaviour after Covid-19, business challenges in post-Brexit Britain etc. Your module tutor will support your progression through the various stages of the research process including the introduction of theoretical frameworks, targeted literature searches, data collection using professional business database and data analysis utilizing different methods. The final business report allows you to engage in a substantial piece of individual desk-based/secondary research focused on a field relevant to your degree award and subject.

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