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ACCT41510: Accounting (EBS)

It is possible that changes to modules or programmes might need to be made during the academic year, in response to the impact of Covid-19 and/or any further changes in public health advice.

Type Tied
Level 4
Credits 10
Availability Available in 2023/24
Module Cap None.
Location Durham
Department Accounting

Prerequisites

  • None

Corequisites

  • None

Excluded Combinations of Modules

  • None

Aims

  • To provide students with a critical appreciation of the financial tools of accounting and governance, in particular, the techniques of financial statement analysis, financial planning and investment appraisal.
  • To provide a critical understanding of the factors affecting the financial planning and governance structures of a firm, giving insight into topical issues in the area.

Content

  • Fundamental Concepts of Accounting
  • Measuring and Evaluating Financial Performance
  • Measuring and Evaluating Cash Flows
  • Working Capital Evaluation
  • Financial Planning Techniques
  • Investment appraisal
  • Board of Directors and Audit Committee Accountability and Credibility
  • Audit Data Analytics

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

  • Upon successful completion of the module, the students will have an advanced knowledge and critical appreciation of:
  • the key financial statements;
  • issues relating to working capital management;
  • the concepts of budgeting and short term decision analysis;
  • the factors affecting the capital structure and financing needs of a firm;
  • the fundamentals of annual reports credibility;
  • the mechanisms of corporate governance and accountability;
  • the different benefits and challenges of dealing with big financial and non-financial data.

Subject-specific Skills:

  • Upon successful completion of the module, students will:
  • Have a critical understanding of how managers make financial decisions in a world of uncertainty and imperfect information;
  • Be able to use key techniques for interpreting financial statements;
  • Be able to use key techniques of investment appraisal;
  • Critically understand and apply techniques of cash budgeting and working capital management;
  • Be able to identify and evaluate the credibility of governance board and committees structures

Key Skills:

  • Written communication
  • Planning, organising and time management
  • Problem solving and analysis
  • Using initiative
  • Computer literacy
  • Big data analytics

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • Learning outcomes are met through classroom-based workshops, supported by online resources. The workshops consist of a combination of taught input, groupwork, case studies and discussion. Online resources provide preparatory material for the workshops typically consisting of directed reading and video content.
  • The formative assessment consists of classroom-based exercises involving individual and group analyses and presentations on specific business situations/problems relevant to the learning outcomes of the module.
  • The summative assessment is a financial analysis, which is designed to test the ability to formulate a problem, apply appropriate business-analytics techniques to analyse it, and critically interpret the results obtained.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

ActivityNumberFrequencyDurationTotalMonitored
Teaching blocks - combination of lectures, groupwork, case studies and discussion6Over a 3-day teaching block4.5 hrs27 
Webinars2 
Preparation and Reading71 
Total100 

Summative Assessment

Component: Written AssignmentComponent Weighting: 100%
ElementLength / DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
Financial Analysis3000 words max100Same

Formative Assessment

Classroom-based exercises involving individual and group analyses and presentations on specific business situations/problems relevant to the learning outcomes of the module. Oral and written feedback will be given on a group and/or individual basis as appropriate.

More information

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Current Students: Please contact your department.