Component

MA Public Opinion and Political Behaviour
BA Business Economics options

Final Year, Component 05

Option(s) from list
BE116-6-AU
Elements of Corporate and Business Law
(15 CREDITS)

Develop your legal knowledge by studying Partnership Law, followed by various aspects of Company Law (including professional negligence), together with the rules of Agency, Insolvency principles, the offence of Insider Dealing and Employment Law.

BE130-6-FY
Current Issues in Financial Reporting
(30 CREDITS)

This module looks to deconstruct what accounting and regulation is, and the role of international standard setters and politics in standard setting. You will look at accounting theory which forms the foundations for the approaches to accounting that are currently taken in society, we will look at the way that this forms the conceptual framework and the discuss the measurement approaches that are taken. It continues with a more in-depth look at corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting, including discussions about recent initiatives as well as academic findings. You’ll then look at fair value accounting in terms of its valuation measurements, its strengths and weaknesses in comparison with historical cost accounting and its relationship with the global financial crisis. Other issues covered are of foreign currency translation - to compare the different methods which can be used to account for it. And issues related to Off-balance Sheet accounting with a particular focus on lease contracts and the role that these tools have played in encouraging opportunistic behaviours that lead to the bankruptcy of global companies and to the recent global financial crisis. Finally, you’ll discuss the accounting treatment of goodwill and other intangible assets.

BE131-6-AU
Advanced Management Accounting
(15 CREDITS)

Management accounting serves the purpose of identifying, measuring and communicating economic information to permit management and workforce make informed judgements and decisions. Investigate the technical issues in cost management and performance measurement systems, and wider issues concerning the role of management accounting in shaping management structures and decisions in manufacturing and service contexts.

BE132-6-SP
Auditing
(15 CREDITS)

What are the key concepts and issues in auditing? You are introduced to the role of the auditor, followed by an analysis and evaluation of the two main audit approaches: audit risk-based auditing and business risk-based auditing. You then discover key auditing concepts such as the true and fair view, evidence and independence.

BE133-6-SP
Debates in Public, Social and Environmental Accounting
(15 CREDITS)

In this module, you evaluate contemporary developments and research in the field of management accounting, using real-life business case studies. You explore management accounting within economic, political, social and cultural contexts, exploring issues such as deregulation, globalisation and increasing customer demands. You examine strategic issues such as cost management, performance measurement and management controls and explore how organisational and technological changes are impacting the discipline both nationally and internationally.

BE142-6-SP
Taxation Policy and Practice
(15 CREDITS)

Understanding tax is key to the work of most accountants, whether your client is a self-employed sole trader or a huge multi-national organisation. In this module you will use the UK tax system as the framework to develop your skills in this area and you’ll critically reflect on the impact of taxation to individual taxpayers, government and society.

BE329-6-AU
Financial Management
(15 CREDITS)

This module develops your understanding of how modern financial management techniques work in practice and how they can be used to support corporate decision making. We explore the nature and purpose of financial management, the role of financial institutions and the money market and how stakeholders affect corporate objectives. You explore the technical aspects of financial management and explore techniques used for business and asset valuation, investment appraisal and managing capital.

BE332-6-AU
Options and Futures
(15 CREDITS)

In this module you study the derivative market, in particular, futures and options markets. You explore various futures markets including the stock index, FX, commodities and interest rate contracts, how they are priced and hedged, and different trading strategies; as well as considering different option positions, the relationship between call and put option prices, and trading strategies.

BE333-6-AU
Empirical Finance
(15 CREDITS)

Master the necessary skills to conduct econometric research. You consider the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) method and time series analysis, the conditions under which OLS is employable, the pitfalls and caveats when using OLS and performing analyses on time series data using any estimation method, and prediction and forecasting.

BE334-6-AU
Financial Markets and Monetary Policy
(15 CREDITS)

Explore the links between money, financial intermediaries, financial markets and the policies that affect them. In particular, you examine the effects of monetary policy on financial markets and on the economy as a whole. Gain an understanding of how interest rates, money supply and central bank actions affect the decisions of economic agents, financial markets and prices.

BE422-6-SP
Business and International Development
(15 CREDITS)

This module explores enterprise-based development models within the developing world and examines their impact upon sustainable development and poverty alleviation. Using case studies from across Africa, India, and the UK, you learn about a range of social purpose business models, such as social enterprises, not for profit, green for profit and fair trade. You learn about the role of the informal economy, areas such as social exclusion and debates around social enterprises.

BE434-6-SP
Management Psychology
(15 CREDITS)

Discover the psychology of organising. You investigate the role of the individual in the organisation, the construction of meaning, bureaucratic and technological consciousness, organisational socialisation and secondary adjustments, and the significance of organising principles such as time, gender and motive. Use film and video material to explore the issues raised and to provide contextual support for the ideas, including feature films such as GI Jane, She Stood Alone and Vertigo.

BE435-6-SP
Management, Society and New Forms of Work
(15 CREDITS)

This module explores the future of management and work in light of contemporary social theory and social, political and economic changes. You look at new organisational forms, such as management consultancy, symbolic analysis and affective labour, as well as new forms of exchange, such as Open Source software. You explore resistance to social-economic change, such as neo-Luddism, culture-jamming, alternative media, anti-globalization and popular movements against precarious labour. By comparison, you also examine more conventional forms of organisation, including sweatshops, fast food, retail, call centres, mining and agriculture.

BE437-6-SP
Perspectives on Technology, Organisation and Society
(15 CREDITS)

Gain an insight into the relationship between management, the innovation process and the development, application, and use of new technologies. You focus primarily on process innovations, building upon your knowledge of operations management and the process of producing and delivering goods and services.

BE439-6-AU
Business Ethics
(15 CREDITS)

This module builds on your understanding of management and organisation by considering the ethics of business activity. You are introduced to the origins, practice and theory of business ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR). You consider a range of perspectives and use business literature to critically examine organisational ethics and analyse its constraints.

BE440-6-AU
Brand Management
(15 CREDITS)

Explore the fascinating world of brands in our contemporary cultures, and investigate the consequences for contemporary marketing practices and for organisational practices more generally. You examine the notion of brand identity, brand image, the issues of brand development and extension, and the consumption of brands. You are also introduced to managerial and marketing issues central to brand management.

BE530-6-SP
Critical Marketing Perspectives
(15 CREDITS)

Marketing is part of our everyday lives, embedded into all spheres of society. Marketing techniques are not only used by corporations to promote their products and services. Governments, charities, social movements and protest groups also use these techniques to seek to shape our norms, lifestyles and culture. This module explores a range of contemporary marketing discourses and critically examines their impact on marketing practices and on society.

BE533-6-SP
Corporate Marketing
(15 CREDITS)

The way in which an organisation is perceived by various publics and interacts with different constituents is of strategic importance for many organisations from small businesses and non-profit charities to large global corporations. Corporate marketing is a new emerging field in marketing that helps you to better understand and master organisational challenges such as corporate identity, corporate reputation and corporate brand management and communication.

BE630-6-SP
International Finance
(15 CREDITS)

Gain a thorough understanding of the basic international arbitrage relationships of some basic models of exchange rate determination. You then explore topics in economics such as models of currency crisis, and the South American and East Asian Crisis, and investigate international markets from the perspective of a multinational firm, where topics such as the international cost of capital and foreign direct investment are covered.

BE631-6-SP
Risk Management and Financial Institutions
(15 CREDITS)

The (mis)use of financial derivatives can potentially have catastrophic consequences for those who acquire them. And yet in recent years derivatives have become increasingly important, both for the financial sector and for the wider economy. On this course you discover how risk can be managed with the use of derivative instruments.

BE632-6-SP
International Banking
(15 CREDITS)

This module explores the nature, functions and strategic drivers of international banking institutions and markets. You examine the different types of global banking institutions, including commercial, investment, retail, private and offshore financial centres. Topics include international banking activities and services (such as trade finance, loans sales and securitisation), international banking regulation, failures and crises and comparative banking. You also explore current trends and risks affecting international banks.

BE633-6-AU
Alternative Investments
(15 CREDITS)

The purpose of this module is to introduce you to the principles of alternative investments. We provide a detailed analysis of various classes of alternative investments in the financial markets. Specifically, these classes include commodities, hedge funds, mutual funds, private equity/venture capital and real estate investment trusts (REITS). The theoretical part of the module aims at deepening your understanding of each given investment category, while the practical part focuses on formulating and implementing various active and passive investment strategies, as well as quantifying the risks associated with them.

BE634-6-SP
Corporate and Investment Banking Services
(15 CREDITS)

Corporate and Investment banking includes a heterogeneous set of activities. The module aims at analysing the major corporate and investment banking services, related to mergers and acquisitions, capital markets services (as private equity, venture capital, structure financial products and initial public offerings) and credit market services (as securitization and non-performing loans management).

BE942-6-SP
Creating and Growing a New Venture
(15 CREDITS)

This module will give you the critical and transferable skills associated with the creation and management of new and entrepreneurial organisations. The module focuses on the development process of new ventures (new small businesses spin-offs from large firms, and social enterprises) and their management. It covers essential processes, including: a) Critical start-up issues and themes that all prospective entrepreneurs have to focus attention on, including, self-assessment, opportunity identification, self-efficacy, ideas generation. b) New and early-stage enterprise functions and processes such as networking, marketing, financial, and behavioural aspects in different environments. c) Work towards the setting up of new ventures through a series of practical workshops organised by the University's Innovation Centre. The module is a mix of theoretical insights and practical application. It is concerned with enabling you to critically examine and organise different forms of learning, develop skills and capabilities for a better understanding and application of the strategic and functional aspects of creating and managing new and entrepreneurial ventures.

LG366-6-AU
Introduction to Professional Communication
(15 CREDITS)

This module introduces final-year undergraduate students from across the social sciences to the fundamental theories and analytical methods that underpin effective communication within various professional environments. The course aims to demonstrate how language can be strategically employed to achieve diverse objectives and will likely be of particular interest to students interested in going into careers in management and marketing. Key concepts such as discourse, influence, authority, emotion, and cross-cultural communication will be explored to provide insights into the factors that impact professional interactions and the tactics that can be utilised to enhance communication effectiveness. Throughout the module, you will not only develop a solid understanding of these theoretical concepts but will also have numerous opportunities to refine their own professional communication skills and techniques. Practical application of these skills will be encouraged across a variety of scenarios and settings, ensuring that you are well-equipped to excel in your future careers in management and marketing.

SC340-6-FY
The Current Issues in Social Science
(30 CREDITS)

This module gives students an opportunity to apply social science to address key issues facing society at the local, national and global level. For example, what is the impact of the war in Yemen or in Syria? What is the impact of Brexit? How does global warming affect us? What are the major challenges in the 21st century? This module will tackle a different theme each term to better understand how Social Science can be used to understand the big issues.

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