Module Directory

The module aims to provide students with a basic understanding of essential elements of Financial Accounting and Corporate Finance.

The syllabus will cover growth mindset and planning, types of business, financial statements, ratio analysis, corporate finance functions, long-term and short-term finance, financing strategies, investment appraisal and Portfolio Theory.

The aims of this module are:

• To ensure students understand income statements and statements of financial position preparation by including simple adjustments.


• To enable students to interpret annual reports.


• To give students the opportunity to understand the difference between long-term and short-term finance for organisations.


• To equip students with investment appraisal techniques and understand the role of financial intermediaries.

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

1. An ability to understand income statements and statements of financial position preparation by including simple adjustments.


2. An ability to undertake ratio analysis and interpret annual reports.


3. An appreciation of the difference between long-term and short-term finance for organisations.


4. An ability to conduct simple investment appraisals and understand the role of financial intermediaries.

Skills for your professional life (Transferable Skills)

By the end of this module, students will have been offered opportunities:

1. To improve your financial literacy and numeracy skills.


2. To improve your commercial awareness by familiarising yourself with the current developments in accounting and finance.


3. To enhance your communication skills in class discussions.


4. To develop a growth mindset, your personal plan of setting targets and time management to undertake coursework and exam.

Syllabus

• Growth mindset & planning your student journey.


• Introduction to accounting & starting a company.


• Income/expenditure/assets/liabilities/equity explanation & accounting equation.


• Income statement.


• Statement of financial position.


• Mock Accounting test.


• Accounting ratios 1.


• Accounting ratios 2 & annual reports.


• Accounting test.


• Depreciation, accruals & prepayments.


• Putting it all together – Income statement, statement of financial position with accruals, prepayments and depreciation.


• Introduction to Finance; corporate vs investments, functions.


• Long-term finance; debt and equity.


• Short-term capital; working capital.


• Mock test week.


• Financing strategies.


• Capital/financial markets.


• Investment appraisal.


• Finance test.


• Introduction to banking.


• Financial intermediaries.

This module will be delivered via:

• One 2-hour lecture per week.
• One 2-hour class per week.

Teaching and learning on Essex Pathways modules offers students the ability to develop the foundation knowledge, skills, and competencies to study at the undergraduate level, through a curriculum that is purposely designed to provide an exceptional learning experience. All teaching, learning and assessment materials will be available via Moodle in a consistent and user-friendly manner.

Lectures: will introduce several of the units from the course textbook outline and identifies the key points of the subjects under discussion.

Classes: students will be given the opportunity to discuss any issues relating to the module material and will work individually and in groups on a range of class exercises.

Learning support

Summarised lecture material is provided using PowerPoint presentations, which are available on Moodle. Students will be given exam-type questions and relevant articles to work on in classes and all such work will be given feedback.

Discussion and debate on relevant topics will be encouraged. Solutions to tests and past exam papers will also be discussed in class. Students can also contact the Module Leader for any questions via email or during Academic Support Hours, which are published on the course Moodle site.