BE882-7-AU-CO:
Accounting and Finance
2020/21
Essex Business School
Colchester Campus
Autumn
Postgraduate: Level 7
Current
Thursday 08 October 2020
Friday 18 December 2020
10
13 October 2020
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
MBA N20012 The Essex MBA,
MBA N200MO Business Administration,
MBA N20E24 The Essex MBA,
MBA N20E36 The Essex MBA,
MBA N20EJS The Essex MBA
This module introduces key aspects of accounting and finance, and some of its main applications in contemporary management and decision making settings. The central rationale is that managers need to be aware of, and be able to critically evaluate, the informational outputs of accounting systems and financial management techniques, how their application underpins managerial, financing and investment decisions, and contemporary issues of relevance to these systems and techniques. It also provides a foundation for optional modules in accounting and/or finance.
1. to provide students with sufficient background understanding of accounting and finance principles and their role in the business decision-making process
2. to enable students to understand selected accounting and finance techniques, their application in organisations and contemporary issues related to them
3. to support and encourage education and learning, and to foster the capacity for individual study and
4. to facilitate development of critical and analytical thinking for further academic study, employment and personal development.
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
1. Explain and apply the accounting principles and concepts underlying the preparation of financial statements, including notions of cash flow vs. accounting profit and concepts of assets, liabilities and equity.
2. Be conversant with the form and content of company financial statements (e.g. income statement, cash flow statement, statement of financial position).
3. Apply financial analysis techniques to make informed decisions/recommendations/projections.
4. Gain clear conceptual understanding of managerial and cost accounting, cost elements and classification, cost behaviours and short-term decision-making.
5. Evaluate investments employing standard criteria, such as Net Present Value, and explain their shortcomings.
6. Evaluate investments while employing models that match risk and return as well as describe the conditions in which the models can be reliably deployed.
7. Describe the irreversibility and flexibility of capital investments and illustrate the use of real options.
8. Describe the ways of raising finance and discuss the factors to be considered when deciding on a suitable balance between debt and equity capital.
Skills for Your Professional Life (Transferable Skills)
The module, class activities and coursework will help you to develop the following transferable skills:
a) Ability to develop critical and practical problem-solving skills.
b) Ability to develop interpersonal communication skills through debate and team presentations in class.
c) Ability to identify relevant information from case evidence and financial reports
d) Interpretation of accounting and financial information for decision-making
This module will be held over three consecutive weeks, as well as a 2-day preparation block, during Induction Week. There will be 54 hours of contact distributed across synchronous and asynchronous delivery modes. All sessions will be recorded and made available for later viewing and revision. Each session can contain a combination of lectures, workshops, and case-based discussion as well as group work and presentations. The accounting sessions broadly provide the bases for reading, understanding and analysing accounting information (including the important assumptions underlying its preparation). The finance sessions explain the investment and the financing decision making processes within organisations and the use of accounting information and financial techniques to underpin such decisions. Students are expected to prepare for each session (i.e., by undertaking the required readings) to enable them to actively engage with the session.
- Collier, Paul M. (2015) Accounting for managers: interpreting accounting information for decision making, Chichester: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
- Berk, Jonathan; DeMarzo, Peter. (2019-05-24) Corporate Finance, Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course. The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students. Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Individual Test |
|
35% |
| Coursework |
Group Report and Presentation |
|
30% |
| Coursework |
Individual Report |
|
35% |
Additional coursework information
The coursework details will be circulated at the start of the module.
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Hardy Thomas, email: hardt@essex.ac.uk.
Dr. Hardy Thomas and Prof. Ileana Steccolini
hardt@essex.ac.uk
No
No
No
Dr Bidit Dey
Brunel University London
Senior Lecturer
Available via Moodle
Of 1216 hours, 42 (3.5%) hours available to students:
1174 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).
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