This module will enable you to learn a set of important skills and competencies needed to progress to level 4 of an undergraduate degree. On the successful completion of this module, you will have developed, as a minimum, the literacies expected of an undergraduate student. These literacies include Independent Learning, Digital, Academic, Information, Creative, Social, Emotional and Assessment. The module will consist of several ‘taster’ subject specialist sessions early in trimester 1 (for Business & Law, Engineering & Computing, Built & Natural environment, Health, and Science), as well as sessions focused on employability, professional bodies/membership, and career pathways. The module assessments will include individual and group projects, which will enable you to apply the knowledge and skills you have gained during your first year of study. You also will be encouraged to reflect on your own learning and development throughout the module.
View the full module definitionThis module is an introduction to key contemporary issues and global challenges affecting multiple disciplines - Business, Science, Engineering, Computing, Health and Social Care. You will engage in interdisciplinary thinking and working to develop a deeper understanding of the current global issues that impact your discipline, other sectors in society and your future career path. The module will provide you with real-world context and insights from industry professionals and academics, allowing you to develop your academic foundations as you analyse and propose solutions to real-world challenges. The module assessments enable you to develop your research, problem solving and critical thinking skills through in-depth study, as well as be able to communicate your findings effectively using both traditional and creative media formats.
This module will help you develop additional critical knowledge, skills and competencies that will prepare you for progression to undergraduate study on our portfolio of extended degree programmes. The module will give you the opportunity to focus on an area most relevant to your chosen course and investigate a topic that interests you the most. There will be specific lectures, workshops and tutorials covering the approaches, skills and competencies required for project-based learning, you will also be participating in regular group supervision sessions with a relevant member of staff for your topic. You will be encouraged to be creative with the outputs presented – both “in writing” and “in person” using graphics, audio, video etc. to bring your topic to life. You will be encouraged to reflect on your own learning and development throughout the module.
View the full module definitionIn this module, you will embrace the fundamental principles of global business strategy, exploring how organisations operate and compete in a fast changing, complex and interconnected world. You will examine the political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, environmental and legal forces shaping international markets and learn how firms develop strategies to survive, expand, adapt, and sustain competitive advantage across borders. Taken together, these factors present many challenges and opportunities for international markets. You will go on to explore how these external factors of the business environment can be linked to the internal factors within the sector and company context that could determine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing organisations seeking to compete in global markets. You will explore the concept of globalisation and examine its positive and negative impacts in different international markets as well as examining the need for companies to operate in ethical ways to meet corporate social responsibility expectations.
View the full module definitionYou'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.
View the full module definitionAs an introduction to a broad range of civil legal issues, you will you will 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.
This module introduces the core principles of financial analysis and management within a business context. You will gain a practical understanding of financial reporting and management accounting, learning how to interpret financial statements and assess business performance. The module also develops your ability to analyse and present financial data using Microsoft Excel, supporting informed decision-making through evidence-based analysis. Key concepts are explored from both a theoretical and applied perspective, with a strong focus on the development of analytical, digital, and employability skills.
View the full module definitionThis 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 marketer's activities.
View the full module definitionEntering higher education is exciting; but it can also be a daunting experience. At ARU, we want all our students to make the most of the opportunities higher education provides, reach your potential, become lifelong learners and find fulfilling careers. However, we appreciate that the shift from secondary education, or a return to formal education is, in itself, quite a journey. This module is designed to ease that transition. You'll be enrolled on it as soon as you receive an offer from ARU so you can begin to learn about university life before your course starts. Through Into ARU, you'll explore a virtual land modelled around ARU values: Courage, Innovation, Community, Integrity, Responsibility, and Ambition. This innovative module is designed as a game, where you collect knowledge and complete mini tasks. You'll proceed at your own pace, though we you to have completed your Into ARU exploration by week 6. If for any reason you're unable to complete by that date, we'll signpost to existing services so that we can be confident that you are supported.
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. Students who complete this module successfully may be exempted from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) unit F5 Performance Management.
View the full module definitionFinancial 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. Students who complete this module successfully may be exempted from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) unit F9 Financial Management.
View the full module definitionUK taxation can be exceedingly complicated for both companies and individuals in today's worldwide economy. You’ll explore both theoretical and practical elements of taxation and use relevant tax software throughout the module. You'll look at recent cases and provide detailed tax advice or planning using technical elements and relevant tax rules and their application, to resolve issues in a real life situation. Taxation in the UK is a very practical subject and you'll be able to attend professional events organised by the professional accounting bodies. Practicing tax experts will provide guest lectures on a regular basis to enhance your understanding of the practical elements of taxation and HMRC webinars will be used regularly to highlight the changes in taxation as they occur. Students who complete this module successfully may be exempted from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) unit F6 Taxation.
View the full module definitionYou'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.
View the full module definitionRuskin 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.
This Capital Markets and Investment module provides a practical introduction to financial services, global capital markets and the financial investment world. This module will build on what you have learnt in the previous years and delivers concepts, terminology and knowledge to help you learn how to make investment decisions. With a focus on global markets, you will learn about key financial principles and products including equities, bonds, derivatives and investment funds. Analytical skills will be developed and opportunities to utilise professional databases will facilitate your understanding of how real markets operate.
View the full module definitionThe 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. Students who complete this module successfully may be exempted from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) unit F8 Audit & Assurance.
View the full module definitionCorporations 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. Students who complete this module successfully may be exempted from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) unit F7 Financial Reporting.
View the full module definitionThis 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 Covid19, 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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