Module overview
The course seeks to provide an introductory, but comprehensive overview of financial accounting, management accounting, and financial management to non-specialist students. The course is delivered with particular emphasis on helping students of management to develop the ability and skills in critically evaluating and appreciating the importance of the accounting and finance function within organisations in connection with decision making, control and corporate performance management. As an introductory course, students do not need to have prior knowledge in accounting and/or finance.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- the use of the main schemes of cost classification, costing methods, contribution analysis and capital investment appraisal.
- the management functions of planning, decision making and control and how these are related within a business activity;
- simple sets of financial statements;
- key capital aspects of the business;
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- explain the benefits of budgetary control.
- appreciate the basic principles underlying costs;
- discuss who might be the main users of financial statements and their needs;
- explain applications of contribution analysis;
- define, calculate and interpret ratios that help to analyse and understand business performance;
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- self-management; learning skills; communication skills; problem solving.
Syllabus
- Financial Accounting: User demand for accounting information; Income statement and balance sheet; basic accounting postulates; problems of profit measurement and asset valuation; analysis and interpretation of accounting information; the regulatory framework.
- Management Accounting: Cost concepts and classification; cost behaviour and cost-volume-profit analysis; costing for short term operating decisions; product costing.
- Financial Control: Planning and budgetary control; introduction to capital investment appraisal; working capital management; financing the business; capital gearing.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
There will be two lectures and one class per week. The lectures will introduce you to material. Classes will be used to explore concepts and practice techniques. You are also expected to undertake independent study.
Type | Hours |
---|---|
Follow-up work | 56 |
Lecture | 20 |
Revision | 25 |
Seminar | 14 |
Preparation for scheduled sessions | 25 |
Completion of assessment task | 10 |
Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
Peter Atrill and Eddie McLaney (2018). Accounting and Finance for Non-Specialists. Pearson.
Jones, M. (2013). Accounting. Wiley.
Assessment
Formative
This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.
Set exercises - non-exam
- Assessment Type: Formative
- Feedback: Feedback on exercises provided.
- Final Assessment: No
- Group Work: No
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Examination | 70% |
Multiple choice Test | 30% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Examination | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Examination | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External