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ACCT41910: Accounting and Finance (Taught)

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

  • Accounting and Finance (Online)

Aims

  • To contribute to the overall aims of the programme by developing students' understanding of the financial management of organisations.
  • To provide students with a critical appreciation of the financial tools of accounting and finance the techniques of financial statement analysis and investment appraisal.
  • To provide students with a critical understanding of the factors affecting the financial planning and risk assessment of a firm and of the financing and capital structure decisions, giving insight into topical issues.
  • To develop links with the Business School's research strategy by incorporating current research in the areas of financial management, reporting and disclosure.

Content

  • Fundamental Concepts of Accounting
  • Evaluating Financial Performance
  • Working Capital Evaluation
  • Financial Planning Techniques
  • Long Term Investment Decisions
  • Capital Structure decisions
  • Financial Risk Management

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

  • Upon successful completion of the module, the students will:
  • 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 financial markets in which firms operate;
  • the tools and techniques used in managing financial risks;
  • how managers make financial decisions in a world of uncertainty and imperfect information.

Subject-specific Skills:

  • Upon successful completion of the module, the students will be able to:
  • be able to use key techniques for interpreting financial statements;
  • be able to use key techniques of investment appraisal;
  • be able understand and apply techniques of cash budgeting and working capital management;
  • be able to identify and evaluate the methods by which financial risks can be managed, and the extent to which such methods should be used.

Key Skills:

  • Written communication;
  • Planning, organising and time management;
  • Problem solving and analysis;
  • Using initiative;
  • Computer literacy.

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

  • The summative assessment of the module, by an individual written assignment, will test students' acquisition and articulation of knowledge and their ability to apply key techniques of financial planning and analysis.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

ActivityNumberFrequencyDurationTotalMonitored
Workshops (a combination of taught input, groupwork, case studies and discussion), timetabled in blocks6Over a 3-day teaching block4 hours24Yes
Preparation, reading and other independent study76 
Total100 

Summative Assessment

Component: Written AssignmentComponent Weighting: 100%
ElementLength / DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
Individual written assignment3000 words max100same

Formative Assessment

Regular self-assessment exercises involving economic analysis and interpretation, using computer aided assessment.

More information

If you have a question about Durham's modular degree programmes, please visit our Help page. If you have a question about modular programmes that is not covered by the Help page, or a query about the on-line Postgraduate Module Handbook, please contact us.

Prospective Students: If you have a query about a specific module or degree programme, please Ask Us.

Current Students: Please contact your department.