Accounting and Finance BA Honours

You will study 6 compulsory modules over two semesters. These modules are designed to give you a solid grounding in the subject and bring you to a standard level of competence to pursue further study in the subject.

You will also complete a virtual internship with reputable companies (such as KPMG, Goldman Sachs and HSBC) as part of the assessment, plus study towards the Xero Advisor Equivalency Certificate, a widely recognised qualification in the accounting sector. You will develop data analytical skills by completing problem-based business cases in your assignment.

This module is an introduction to bookkeeping and financial accounting.

Its main aim is to provide you with knowledge of the basic techniques and skills required to record transactions by the method known in accounting as “double entry” and then prepare a set of single company financial statements based on those records.

Furthermore, it aims to provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to be able to interpret financial statements prepared by others, including real company financial statements.

This module provides a thorough grounding of the basic statistical methods and computer software for the analysis and presentation of accounting and economic data. It caters for students with some prior mathematical knowledge.

While you are expected to complete mathematical calculations by hand and using a computer, the emphasis is on the interpretation and communication of quantitative results.

This module aims to provide you with an understanding of economics from a business perspective.

This includes an understanding of how competition, the behaviour of the financial markets, and government economic policy can influence an organisation as well as providing the ability to apply economic theory in both microeconomic and macroeconomic contexts.

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

1. Explain how globalisation and the economic environment impact on businesses with special emphasis on the main determinants of the level of national income, economic growth and development, inflation, and international trade
2. Identify the different goals of the main stakeholders of corporate organisations, and assess how market structure and market forces determine prices and sales revenue
3. Describe the organisation and functions of the main financial markets, and how financial markets help economic development and trade
4. Discuss how monetary policy impacts on businesses, with particular emphasis on the role of interest rates and exchange rates on the business’s balance sheet.

This module aims to introduce you to the significant role accounting information plays in each fundamental business transaction process. You will learn to analyse and handle information using accounting systems and advanced IT techniques.

On completion of this module, you will be able to:

1. Define characteristics of useful information to the organisation
2. Describe different business transaction processes where accounting information needs to be captured (revenue, expenditure, cash, payroll/HR, general ledger)
3. Identify accounting system fraud and recommend appropriate control mechanisms
4. Read and interpret information presented using system documentation techniques.

This module aims to equip you with the basic accounting tools that aid management with its core functions of planning, decision making and control, both in a business or a not-for-profit environment.

Key areas covered are cost classifications for decision making, product costing techniques applicable to different industries, budgeting, short term decision making using cost volume profit analysis, and long term investment appraisal.

On completion of this module, you will be able to:

1. Explain which classification of costs would be relevant in each business scenario, and how these would aid decision making
2. Identify and discuss the most appropriate product costing technique for each type of industry/business
3. Prepare functional budgets and cash flows
4. Assess performance from a financial and non-financial viewpoint, and appraise long term investment projects using a variety of techniques.

In the second and third years, you will spent more time on ethics, governance and controversial accounting principles. You'll study accounting rules and apply accounting skills. There is more emphasis on discussion, critical evaluation, reflection and anticipation of likely future developments.

At the end of your second year, you may opt to take a year’s placement before returning to complete your final year of study.

Applied Financial Accounting

This module aims to develop your knowledge of financial accounting techniques and practices by introducing issues which involve more than one possible accounting treatment and examining the impact of international regulatory frameworks. You are encouraged to adopt a critical attitude to the quality of corporate reporting, particularly in areas of non-mandatory narrative disclosures such as corporate social responsibility and governance.

Please note that you will either complete this module OR the Advanced Financial Accounting module depending on your results in the Financial Accounting module of Year 1.

Advanced Financial Accounting

This module enables you to extend your knowledge of the principles and techniques used in financial accounting and reporting. You will develop the ability to understand and critically analyse key techniques and practices within the framework of financial accounting and reporting. You will also develop and refine your transferable skills, including communication, presentation skills, critical analysis, time management and team-working.

This module will examine the laws regulating the conduct of business and business organisations. The first part of the module sets the context and provides essential material on English Business law (English Legal system, Contract, Tort & Employment) whilst the second part covers Company law and Corporate Governance.

Applied Management Accounting

This module examines the application of management accounting information and its influence on management behaviour and decision making. It will provide you with an opportunity to apply, interpret and analyse management accounting techniques and will enable you to consider their wider and strategic uses. The module will explore the impact on organisations of strategic issues of contemporary management accounting.

Please note that you will either complete this module OR the Advanced Management Accounting module depending on your results in the Management Accounting module of Year 1.

Advanced Management Accounting

This module aims to provide a critical understanding of the management accounting techniques and practices available today and the development of recent advances in methods of overhead cost allocation to reflect the changing nature of modern business.

This module explores the mathematics that underlies financial processes and decision-making and complements the study of these areas in economics and accounting.

Specific areas include probability, extending interest ideas to annuities and bonds, modelling financial data using time series models and Markov chains, applying discrete methods for option pricing, and using a utility to make decisions under challenging environments.

This module aims to broaden and expand your knowledge of the concepts and techniques required for the design, operation and control of business processes. Cases and practical exercises are relevant to a variety of commercial, manufacturing and service organisations. The module builds on the IT and quantitative skills developed in the first year.

The aim of the first part of the module is to introduce you to a variety of personal finance products and issues so as to increase their financial literacy.

The second part of the module aims to provide you with an understanding of personal financial behaviour. This includes an understanding of how market anomalies, financial bubbles, fake news and manipulations in financial markets can influence individual financial decision making as well as providing the ability to apply cognitive and emotional behaviour biases in irrational behaviour contexts.

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

1. Describe a range of personal finance products and their features
2. Analyse the short and long term implications of taking out a range of financial products
3. Explain basic financial markets anomalies and financial bubbles, and their impact on financial environment with special emphasis on the main determinants of the financial instruments’ prices and trends
4. Identify the impact of fake news and information manipulations on stock prices and how financial markets react towards this information, and
5. Analyse how cognitive and emotional biases influence individuals, with particular emphasis on their role in financial decision making.

In the final year, you'll study four compulsory modules designed to advance skills and knowledge appropriate to graduate level.

This module examines accounting theory and its influence on accounting. The module aims to provide you with an opportunity to evaluate and apply different strands of accounting theory to research in accounting.

The module is designed to provide an in-depth exploration of philosophical debates connected to the generation of knowledge, whilst connecting such debates to those currently employed in accounting.

On completion of this module, you will be able to:

1. Analyse the role of accounting in society
2. Critically evaluate various accounting theories and current debates surrounding these
3. Critically appraise mainstream/traditional, critical and interpretative methodologies in accounting and related issues.

This module aims to provide you with a conceptual understanding of contemporary corporate finance and the practical tools and techniques for the financial decision-making process.

The module explores the main aspects of financial management, including capital budgeting and investment decision-making, capital structure and finance decision-making, and working capital management.

It will enable you to form a critical appreciation of the link between accounting and finance, and the interaction between financial decision-making and capital market behaviour.

On completion of this module, you will be able to:

1. Critically analyse the main principles and concepts that govern corporate finance
2. Analyse and apply the various techniques associated with financial decision-making
3. Assess the different theories that impact on valuation, capital structure and dividend policy
4. Evaluate the cost of capital and demonstrate the impact of changing capital structures, and
5. Identify and critically evaluate working capital management policies and procedures for an organisation.

The aim of this module is to provide participants with the critical tools and mindset to analyse and identify responses to modern ethical business challenges.

You will be sensitised to different ways of thinking, learning from debating, and collaborating with your peers from different cultural backgrounds so as to build your methodological, analytical and communication skills.

On completion of this module, you will be able to:

1. Critique the application of concepts of ethics, organisational governance and corporate social responsibility in management
2. Identify and analyse issues in business ethics and corporate social responsibility, and
3. Apply concepts relating to ethical reasoning and framework for ethical analysis and decision making in a business context.

This module aims to introduce you to UK personal and business taxation. It deals with the fundamental principles of UK tax law and practice, including the computation of tax liabilities.

This leads you to tackle more complex computational problems and to identify tax planning opportunities. You are also introduced to tax software packages, and gain ‘hands on’ experience of their use.

The module seeks to provide you with a better understanding of the ethical dimensions of tax compliance and tax planning.

On completion of this module, you will be able to:

1. Categorise and explain the main sources of tax law and practice
2. Summarise the characteristics of an ideal tax and critically evaluate the Chancellor's spending and tax-raising strategies
3. Explain the application of direct and indirect taxes including Income Tax, Value Added Tax and Inheritance Tax
4. Analyse the scope and basis of taxation of trading income for individuals and partnerships and demonstrate an understanding of the exemptions and reliefs, which are available in computing capital gains tax
5. Analyse the scope of Corporation Tax, including losses and groups.

This module explores and applies several quantitative methods and computer software for the retrieval, analysis and presentation of project management accounting data, the emphasis being on the interpretation and communication of quantitative results for project planning, control and decision making.

This module aims to introduce you to the complexities of starting a business.

It draws together a range of theories, concepts, and notions from several sources such as Finance, Marketing, and Strategy.

The module utilises the development of a unique business plan through which you will learn, practice, and apply the necessary academic and practical knowledge and skill sets, including team working, required for the establishment of a new business, as well as an understanding of the complexities relating to the functioning of a small business.

The primary aim of the work placement module is to provide you with the opportunity to undertake a period of work experience (minimum of 30 days) from which they learn about business in general and the organisation, and the sector within, which it operates as well as the critical drivers of business success.

The work placement will provide an insight into the world of work and appropriate conduct at work. The module will therefore facilitate you in becoming and staying employable through assertiveness, continuing development and reflection on their development and the link between theory and practice.

This module aims to critically evaluate theoretical perspectives on leadership, in particular the increasing interest and demand for authentic leadership.

The module will explore the contextual complexity of and challenges to leadership effectiveness in the 21st century.

The module will also provide you with the opportunity to apply theoretical concepts in order to develop your current practice.

This module aims to equip you with knowledge sufficiently in depth to critically engage with modern investment theory and practice.

It incorporates a study of portfolio theory as the basis for contextualising challenges in investment decision-making, especially those related to asset price determination, understanding risks, asset management practice, the merits of rival investment philosophies, financial market liquidity, and information disclosure.

It investigates how these challenges drive institutional, product, regulatory and technological innovation in financial markets.

This module aims to develop knowledge of the purpose and need for auditing of financial statements, to understand some of the theoretical contexts of auditing and to develop an ability to evaluate the use of modern auditing techniques in a variety of practical situations.

You will learn how to develop and apply audit strategies and learn the practical application of Auditing Standards (ISAs).

On completion of this module, you will be able to:

1. Assess the nature, purpose and scope of auditing and internal review, including the role of external audit and its regulatory framework, and the role of internal audit in providing assurance on risk management and on the control framework of an organisation
2. Evaluate accounting and internal control systems and identify and communicate control risks, potential consequences and recommendations
3. Explain and evaluate sources of evidence, describe the nature, timing and extent of tests on transactions and account balances (including sampling and analytical procedures) and design programs for audit and review assignments, and
4. Evaluate findings, investigate inconsistencies, modify the work program as necessary, review subsequent events, and justify and prepare appropriate reports for users within and external to the organisation, including recommendations to enhance business performance.

This module aims to provide you with appropriate tools for the analysis of financial statements, in particular for the purpose of business valuation.

In doing so, you will become familiar with how investors, lenders and corporate managers evaluate and utilise financial and non-financial information in corporate reports.

The module aims to synthesise information contained in financial statements and narrative reports to enable you to interpret company performance and gain an insight into the business.

You will thereby develop an awareness of the risks faced by companies and how these can be mitigated.

On completion of this module, you will be able to:

1. Critically evaluate the quality of financial reporting and identify the 'red flags' of creative accounting
2. Interpret financial statements and make appropriate adjustments to facilitate analysis and synthesis
3. Apply the discounted cash flow and residual income methods of equity and enterprise valuation and critically appraise each method
4. Assess companies' operational and financial risk by reference to financial statements.

You will be studying at our north London campus in Hendon.

Whether you are studying full or part-time – your course timetable will balance your study commitments on campus with time for work, life commitments and independent study.

We aim to make timetables available to students at least 2 weeks before the start of term. Some weeks are different due to how we schedule classes and arrange on-campus sessions.

During your first year, your weekly timetable will typically consist of lectures, seminars, workshops and laboratory sessions.

Your weekly timetable will typically consist of:

• 5 to 6 hours of lectures
• 5 to 6 hours of seminars
• 5 to 6.5 hours of interactive workshops
• 2 hours of computer labs.

Outside of teaching hours, you’ll learn independently through self-study which will involve reading articles and books, working on projects, undertaking research, and preparing for assessments including coursework, presentations and exams.

Your independent learning is supported by the library and study hub, laptop hire, and with online materials in MyUniHub.

Here is an indication of how you will split your time.

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Our excellent teaching and support teams will help you develop your skills from research and practical skills to critical thinking. And we offer free 24-hour laptop loans with full desktop software, free printing and Wi-Fi to use on or off campus.

We'll test your understanding and progress with informal and formal tests.

The informal tests usually take place at least once per module, from which you’ll receive feedback from your tutor. The grades from these tests don’t count towards your final marks.

There are formal assessments for each module, usually at the end, which will count towards your module and your final marks. Assessment methods will vary across the modules you study.

Coursework assessment types vary from presentations, business simulated case studies, online quizzes, portfolio analyses, reflective reports, business reports and academic essays. You will have the opportunity to develop core graduate competency areas that will equip you for entering into relevant accounting and finance professions.

The balance between the two will depend on which modules you are taking. The table below is a good guide.

To help you achieve the best results, we will provide regular feedback.