BE101-4-SP-SO:
Introduction to Accounting and Finance
2023/24
Essex Business School
Southend Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 4
Current
Monday 15 January 2024
Friday 22 March 2024
15
02 August 2023
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
BE141
BBA N100 Business Administration,
BBA N103 Business Administration (Including Placement Year),
BBA N104 Business Administration (Including Foundation Year),
BBA N104CO Business Administration (Including Foundation Year),
BBA N110 Business Administration (Including Year Abroad),
BSC N120 International Business and Entrepreneurship,
BSC N121 International Business and Entrepreneurship (Including Year Abroad),
BSC N123 International Business and Entrepreneurship (Including Placement Year),
BSC N124 International Business and Entrepreneurship (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N124CO International Business and Entrepreneurship (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N501 Marketing,
BSC N502 Marketing (Including Year Abroad),
BSC N504 Marketing (Including Placement Year),
BSC N505 Marketing (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N505CO Marketing (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N832 Tourism Management,
BSC N834 Tourism Management (Including Placement Year),
BSC N355 International Business and Finance,
BSC N356 International Business and Finance (Including Placement Year),
BSC N357 International Business and Finance (Including Year Abroad),
BSC N358 International Business and Finance (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N358CO International Business and Finance (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N111 Business Administration and Supply Chain Management,
BSC N112 Business Administration and Supply Chain Management (Including Placement Year),
BSC N113 Business Administration and Supply Chain Management (Including Year Abroad),
BSC N114 Business Administration and Supply Chain Management (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N114CO Business Administration and Supply Chain Management (Including Foundation Year)
This module introduces students to the role of accounting and finance in business, with a focus on companies.
The aims of this module are:
- To introduce students to the various traditions, concepts and techniques in accounting and financial management, and their role in decision-making in business.
- To enable students to develop a critical understanding of these concepts and methods in practice in the context of both small and large firms.
By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the objectives, functions, importance and limitations of both financial and management accounting in providing useful information to the very users of accounting information for decision making.
- Obtain knowledge and understanding of the main current technical language and practices of financial accounting; to develop an ability to critically evaluate arguments and evidence; ability to manipulate financial data and prepare a set of financial statements;
- Explore the role and limitations of accounting information and financial reporting in providing useful information to decision-makers;
- Demonstrate a good understanding of, and ability to analyse a set of financial statements and explain the limitations in their techniques of analysis;
- Demonstrate an appreciation of areas which are fundamental to the development of principles of management accounting, understanding of some of the contexts in which management accounting operates and the concepts which underpin management accounting.
- Obtain knowledge and understanding of the main current technical language and practices of management accounting; to develop an ability to critically evaluate arguments and evidence; ability to manipulate financial data and;
- Prepare a set of financial statements for internal management purposes.
The module examines the principles of financial and management accounting; the recording of transactions; the preparation of financial statements and their analysis; the principles of cost accumulation and decision making in businesses; techniques of cost control; the management of working capital; the sources of funding and investment appraisal.
The module will draw upon the financial and management accounting literature, use key theoretical concepts and problem-solving exercises to build an understanding and appreciation of accounting and financial management for firms.
Lectures; Seminars; Discussion of case studies; Class exercises
Self-learning via Individual work outside the classroom
The lectures will be developed around the key concepts as mentioned in the indicative module content and will use a range of live examples and cases from business practice to demonstrate the application of theoretical concepts. The lectures will follow a weekly format of 2 hours per week for 10 weeks in two terms.
Seminars in the form of class exercises will be built into the lectures to develop critical analytical and problem solving skills. Seminars will use a range of activities, such as discussion of case studies from the core text, topical business news items and will involve students working in pairs or groups or individually to discuss, reflect on problems and answer questions, present their ideas and thoughts to the class for discussion. Seminars will take place during class time at the lecturer's discretion – i.e. some classes will warrant a full two-hour lecture.
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 |
Online Class Test 1 (mid-term, 30%) |
|
30% |
| Coursework |
Online Class Test 2 (end-term, 70%) |
|
70% |
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 Tanveer Hussain, email: th22205@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Dila Agrizzi
th22205@essex.ac.uk
No
No
No
Dr Fangming Xu
University of Bristol
Associate Professor of Finance
Available via Moodle
Of 31 hours, 30 (96.8%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
1 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
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