Accounting and Finance with Foundation Year

This module is designed to support students with the transition to university, the development of the academic skills and attributes necessary for successful future study and the foundations of a developing sense of vocation.  Through a carefully structured and scaffolded series of seminars and workshops, students will be supported in building their self-awareness of, and confidence in, themselves as active learners.  Delivered in the context of their subject area and aligned with the development of academic skills and attributes required across all Foundation Year modules, workshops will focus on academic skills such as referencing, selecting and using valid academic resources, reading/researching for academic purposes, using feedback constructively and gaining confidence in contributing to discussions and debates.  Coordinated assessment points across the Foundation Year experience enables this module to provide students with ongoing support and opportunities to practice and develop their skills and confidence with a range of written and oral assessment types relevant to their subject area as they progress through the year.

This module is designed to raise students’ knowledge and competence in commercial awareness and digital skills so that they will be able to cope with the necessary demands of the undergraduate business and computing degrees.  Students will be trained in a range of business and digital skills, reflecting and discussing how the development of their IT skills can enable future success at university and in the workplace.

This module introduces students to business management as an academic discipline through exploring a range of approaches, theories and contemporary themes.  Specifically, students will study a range of topics and begin to understand the ways in which strategy, people, markets, finance, and ethical issues are entwined with, and impact upon, responsible business. 

This module aims to develop the fundamental concepts and practices of financial accounting and the application of this knowledge to different forms of business organisations. With a focus on using the IASB’s Conceptual Framework and accounting for transactions and events from first principles, students will develop their conceptual understanding of accounting, their knowledge of the main accounting terminology and their awareness of the nature and purpose of financial reporting. They will acquire the techniques of double entry accounting and how to apply its principles in recording transactions, adjusting financial records and preparing non-complex financial statements.

The module introduces management accounting as a specialised service function primarily involving the collection, storage and recording of financial data, its conversion to useful information and the effective communication of this information for decision making. It prepares students for more advanced aspects of management accounting and finance encountered later in the programme.

This module provides students with a holistic view of how an entity’s performance can be affected by both its own internal operating environment and the external environment. It develops students’ knowledge and skills in understanding and applying the legal principles in the context of the business environment and to educate students on lawful and ethical behaviours for professional accountants. Students will study various aspects of management theory, external environment mapping and uses of technology by businesses and finance professionals.

Whatever a student’s future career, there are certain professional skills that are required in the workplace. This module provides opportunities to acquire and apply essential skills for academic success, while also developing digital skills that are a prerequisite for a successful career. Students will practice, and build confidence in wide ranging skills, as part of their transition into higher education. By establishing and pursuing a personal development plan, students develop a set of personal qualities such as self-awareness, confidence and resilience; and professional skills such as communication, teamwork, risk management, coaching and feedback. Whilst students learn to construct outstanding CVs and professional LinkedIn profiles, this module also aims to raise students’ digital skills competencies. The module will cover the general Microsoft Office suite and specific digital skills of particular relevance to the discipline that the student is studying. This module is taught as a mix of lectures, practitioner guest lectures, hands-on skills seminars and computer lab sessions.

This module enables students to develop their understanding and competence in using diverse research methods for academic and professional purposes. Students will explore a variety of research approaches and will develop practical qualitative and quantitative research skills including defining and scoping a project; designing an effective and manageable research protocol; collecting data and using appropriate analysis methods. In addition, students will develop an appreciation of ethical implications of the research process to facilitate responsible research practice. Secondly this module aims to introduce students to the key stages required to complete an applied project from concept to delivery. Students will be taught how to manage a project and contribute effectively as a member of a project team, using ideas generation techniques and problem-solving skills to develop innovative solutions to business problems. This module contributes to the students continued professional development as students will gain key insights into how to perform technical process improvement tasks in a range of environments to solve business problems.

This module builds on the knowledge of financial accounting from year 1 by requiring students to extend their understanding of double entry bookkeeping to the application of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). The approach to teaching the IFRS will be Framework-based, an approach recommended by the IASB. The Framework-based approach develops a critical understanding of the well-established principles around corporate reporting. Students will be taught from exercises and case studies to illustrate key aspects of technical knowledge and to facilitate skills development. Cases are a very effective and enjoyable way to learn because they recount real life or lifelike business situations that present managers with a dilemma or uncertain outcome. This allows students to evaluate critically the appropriateness of certain accounting treatments and consider these within an ethical context. Cases come from a range of situations and organisations, so students can quickly and efficiently gain a breadth of experience and an appreciation of the limits to their knowledge.

This module introduces the core concepts and key topic areas of business finance and the financial environment. It will enable students to develop knowledge and understanding of how the financial markets operate, evaluate alternative sources of finance available to a business, calculate the cost of different sources of finance and the weighted average cost of capital of a business. They will undertake and critique techniques for capital investment appraisals, and business and financial asset valuation, and analyse critically the efficient market hypothesis, capital structure theories and dividend policies. By completing this module, students will be prepared to study more advanced finance, i.e. financial risk management, in their final year of study.

• Personal Income Taxation - 15 credits
• Data Analysis - 15 credits
• Financial Modelling - 15 credits
• Business and Corporate Taxation - 15 credits

This module develops an understanding of the key concepts of investments and financial risk management. It introduces the core investment principles and techniques which will enable students to make informed investment decisions. Students will also gain knowledge in sustainable investing, which is an essential area of study within the field of investment in
today’s world. In addition, it will develop students’ knowledge and understanding of the
various types and nature of financial risk. It covers the main frameworks and techniques
concerning the practical aspects of financial risk management.

This module aims to extend student knowledge and application of IFRS to more detailed and
complex areas of reporting. The technical content is mapped to professional qualification
requirements and students will need to pass this module in order to gain full exemptions.
An inquiry guided approach to learning will be adopted with students drawing on the
conceptual framework and accounting standards introduced in level 5 to solve the challenges of reporting in other areas. Inquiry is an active approach to learning which is designed to support students in analysing technical issues, creating valid approaches to reporting and critically evaluating the current IFRS. Students will be exposed to technical articles and scholarly reviews and will be expected to draw on these to make informed judgements and sustain arguments on the reporting of financial transactions. Students will employ analytical skills to interpret financial statement information and develop an appreciation of the uncertainty and subjective nature of financial reporting.

• Strategic Performance Management - 15 credits
• Audit & Assurance - 15 credits
• Strategic Leadership and Governance - 15 credits
• Digital Finance - 15 credits
• Capstone Project: Dissertation - 30 credits
• Capstone Project: Placement for Good - 30 credits
• Capstone Project: Consultancy Project - 30 credits
• Capstone Project: Start Up For Good - 30 credits