Accounting and Finance with Foundation Year

Accounting for Business provides you with an understanding of the role and nature of accounting. You will be introduced to the idea of financial and management accounting and learn about key accounting functions within contemporary business. 

This module will introduce you to key concepts of business and management, looking at what business is (and isn’t). You will be encouraged to draw on real-life examples found in the businesses you use in your every day life. You will develop an understanding of the key functions used within contemporary businesses and learn about the tools and techniques used in business for analysis and planning. 

In IT for Accountants, you will learn about the importance of IT systems in accounting and develop your skills in spreadsheet software. 

Academic and Personal Skills is delivered with your future in mind. This module takes you through how to get to grips with the technology you need to succeed, as well as using the library, how to reference and how to produce the different styles of academic writing.

It also helps you to develop yourself; you will create a CV, learn how to write a cover letter and find out what your learning style is. The module has guest speakers who share their expert knowledge and experience with you.  All the skills covered in this module will help you to succeed in your chosen degree.

The module aims to acquire and develop an understanding of the employability skills required to succeed in your chosen industry. This is a practical module which will help you create and develop a professional CV and will develop your understanding of the recruitment and selection process. You will learn essential life-long skills to help you succeed in job applications whether they are for part-time work whilst you are a student or for your future graduate career.

This module aims to provide you with a solid foundation in basic bookkeeping, accounting techniques, and the preparation and evaluation of financial statements. You will be introduced to the fundamental principles and concepts of financial accounting and will be supported to develop your skills and knowledge in the basic approaches to the preparation and analysis of financial accounts.

This module explores the wide range of accounting and finance professions and the commercial environment in which accounting and finance operates. An effective accountant and finance practitioner needs to have a broad understanding of the commercial environment and modern practices, such as FinTech and this module develops this knowledge. This module introduces essential academic and employability skills, including preparation for internships and placements.

Accounting is an ever-changing professional service with challenges in both knowledge and skills, and these issues will be explored including approaches to maintaining current levels of technical skills as well as the vital soft skills embracing IT and inter-personal skills.

This module introduces you to the common industry digital applications used in business and will develop the quantitative skills demanded by employers in the accounting and finance professions. Employers routinely require graduates to possess working knowledge of how to use Excel, hence this module will enable you to develop that important knowledge. You will also be introduced to statistical techniques relevant to accounting and finance, including descriptive statistics and introductory regression modelling. This will enable you to effectively obtain, clean, and use data from a range of sources and enhance decision-making. Through completion of the module, you will work towards achieving the Microsoft Office Specialist, Excel Associate certification.

The purpose of this module is to develop an introductory knowledge and understanding of the nature and purpose of cost and management accounting information within organisations. You will be introduced to the fundamental principles around topics such as forecasting, budgeting and costing. The module content is cumulative which will form the foundation of future modules which may attract exceptions from the major accountancy bodies such as ACCA.

This module will enable you to understand the operation of markets and the economy. It considers both microeconomics - the analysis of choices made by individual decision-making units and macroeconomics - the analysis of the economy as a whole. It will also help you to develop an understanding of basic economic concepts that are applicable to careers in business, accountancy, and finance.

In the professional business world, an understanding of the legal and regulatory environment and practise ethical and responsible management is imperative. This requires an understanding of the institutional systems that have led to the development and enforcement of corporate governance. This module will introduce you to the legal and regulatory environment in which accounting and finance operates. You will gain an awareness of the current developments in the UK and international financial reporting standards and practices, as well as explore the legal frameworks and regulatory environment for ethical and responsible corporate governance.

Technological innovation is altering the way organisations function and supply goods and/or services. Financial technology (FinTech) is radically changing the financial services sector, providing new financial products and improved customer experience. In addition to this, accounting and financial services are now supported by a wide range of digital applications. In this module, you will gain a multidimensional viewpoint on what FinTech means and gain the knowledge to critique FinTech innovations. You will all also be introduced to common accounting software and basic FinTech techniques that underpin data analytics. On successful completion of the module, you will be able to assess various innovative FinTech technologies and appreciate the FinTech ecosystem.

This module is designed to help develop graduate-level employability skills and plan for undertaking work-based learning via work placement and/or internship. The module will develop awareness of the recruitment requirements, processes and procedures which employers typically use to attract and recruit talent in accounting and finance. You will develop knowledge of the placement/internship opportunities which are available which can enhance your professional development. It will provide you with the essential professional skills in applying for work placements, internships and graduate positions, as well as support for those of you who may be intending to establish your own business.

The module aims to extend acquired accounting knowledge and skills to enable the interpretation of firms’ performance and prospects and the consideration of stocks as investment vehicles. The module will cover approaches and techniques to analyse stocks, select stocks and make rational decisions. It aims to provide opportunities to develop trading skills using Excel, become an equity analyst and prepare investment reports. Additional areas of study will include the different trading attitudes: value investing, fundamental analysis, speculation, and technical analysis.

This module introduces sustainability accounting and especially how sustainable development links to the roles of organisations, financial management, management activities, accounting and reporting. The module will expose you to key developments in sustainability reporting and it will examine the current requirements for companies to report sustainability information such as their impact on the environment, society and economy. It will consider how sustainability accounting can be significant in the context of financial markets, risk management and investments and the accountability of organisations.

Also, it will provide an opportunity to explore future development of sustainability in accounting and finance.

This module introduces the necessary knowledge and skills to enable you to understand the nature and characteristics of financial planning in the context of entrepreneurship. The goal of this module is to help you to acquire a critical understanding of the processes of financial management in a way that facilitates financial and investment decision-making within entrepreneurial settings.

This module covers the key financial issues and decisions faced by entrepreneurs: different forms of business, business planning, understanding financial statements, measuring performance, evaluation techniques, the range of sources of finance available, and how to formulate an exit strategy.

The module will build on previously developed prior knowledge of financial and management accounting and introduce core issues in managing risk and business performance from a financial viewpoint. Core to this will be the understanding of the types of risk faced by organisations and the strategies, methods and techniques available to mitigate and manage them. You will utilise the concepts and techniques within performance management to allow you to understand how they contribute to an organisation’s successful navigation of mid to long-term challenges.

Technological innovation is altering the way organisations function and supply goods and/or services. Financial technology (FinTech) is radically changing the financial services sector, providing new financial products and improved customer experience. In addition to this, accounting and financial services are now supported by a wide range of digital applications. In this module, you will gain a multidimensional viewpoint on what FinTech means and gain the knowledge to critique FinTech innovations. You will all also be introduced to common accounting software and basic FinTech techniques that underpin data analytics. On successful completion of the module, you will be able to assess various innovative FinTech technologies and appreciate the FinTech ecosystem.

This module is designed to help develop graduate-level employability skills and plan for undertaking work-based learning via work placement and/or internship. The module will develop awareness of the recruitment requirements, processes and procedures which employers typically use to attract and recruit talent in accounting and finance. You will develop knowledge of the placement/internship opportunities which are available which can enhance your professional development. It will provide you with the essential professional skills in applying for work placements, internships and graduate positions, as well as support for those of you who may be intending to establish your own business.

This Intermediate Financial Accounting and Reporting module builds on the knowledge gained in the first year of the degree and forms the second of three financial accounting modules studied as part of the overall degree. This module will enable you to prepare and evaluate further financial statements including consolidation and identify solutions to accounting problems drawing on their knowledge and exposure to additional accounting standards and theory. The module will attract exemptions from the major accountancy bodies.

The module builds on the Level 4 Fundamentals of Management Accounting module and further develops competency in the analysis of information on costs and in applying costing techniques in addition to developing an understanding of risk of these decisions. The module also further develops knowledge of how to use budgeting as a means of short-term planning to execute the strategy of organisations. The module content will form the foundation of future modules and will contribute to exemptions from major accounting professional bodies.

This module aims to provide you with an understanding of the fundamentals of financial management and their practical application within a business context. You will learn about the role of financial management in achieving organisational goals and how to use financial information to make informed decisions.

This module introduces both the subject of personal tax and the foundations of audit.

It provides the core knowledge of the underlying principles of the main areas of UK taxes affecting the activities of individuals. It will consider the separate taxes such as income tax from self-employment, employment, investment, and the national insurance contributions liabilities of both employed and self-employed persons, as well as capital gains tax for individuals. Also, it can provide an opportunity to appreciate the tax implications of the taxpayer and the tax practitioner.

The audit part of the module will broadly introduce the external audit regulatory environment, professional ethics, and the basics of audit evidence.

All students can apply for a one-year professional placement, which takes place between your second and last years of study.

This is an excellent opportunity to take advantage of and we will help you find out about vacancies and make the right connections with high profile employers through regular events and presentations.

Here is just a small selection of the companies our students have enjoyed placements with so far: NatWest, Barclays and the Cooperative Bank; BP, Esso and Shell; IBM, Hewlett Packard and Compaq; Ford, Vauxhall, Jaguar and Nissan; Marks & Spencer, Selfridges and Sainsbury’s; Eli Lilly, Glaxo and ICI; Fujitsu, Marriott and Virgin.

This module will build on the skills, knowledge and experience gained from earlier studies and enable you to apply and further develop crucial employability skills through working on a live project. you will work in groups with an employer or third sector organisation in order to address a specific issue related to employment and/or career development within accounting, finance and professional services. In addition to this, you will develop personal employability and reflection skills through the use of VR software and the creation of a reflective log and personal development plan, which will support their progression into graduate-level employment or further study.

This module will look at a range of diverse approaches to environmental accounting, covering physical issues such as biodiversity, carbon and water, along with accounting matters such as management control, finance and audit. It will provide an opportunity to assess the current trends, challenges and opportunities relating to environmental accounting issues locally and globally. The module provides an opportunity for further development in this subject and for you to identify specific areas that you may wish to pursue further studies and research.

The module will equip you to implement programming and algorithmic thinking in financial services, products and markets. You will be introduced to the provision of infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS) to inform thinking about the future of business operations in financial services firms, banks and vendors. You will study and analyse ethics, sustainability and governance issues pertinent to FinTech, financial markets and society. A significant proportion of the module will be designed around delivering Python syntax, how to write sequences and functions in Python, how to develop Python modules and introducing Objected Oriented Programming (OOP).

This module explores the salient theories that purport to explain the phenomena of accounting fraud and financial crime, and how it can be detected and prevented. This module will also develop knowledge, skills and understanding of, and ability to critically evaluate issues associated with forensic accounting, including fraud examination.

The Business Integration Project is designed to allow you to scope, define, design and implement a research project, using published literature, to support their future career aspirations within the broad field of accounting & finance. It provides the opportunity for research and analysis of current practice and exploration of innovations and contemporary developments within accounting and finance, aligned to your future career goals. You will work under the guidance of an academic supervisor to produce an in-depth business report which addresses an identified challenge, problem or opportunity within the field of accounting and/or finance. This module encourages you to demonstrate research skills and to apply knowledge from across the programme in order to explore an area of your own interest, whilst also demonstrating the ability to work independently and with minimal supervision.

This module will provide you with a detailed understanding of business strategy and contemporary approaches to management, to prepare you to be effective managers and leaders of the future. Accounting and Finance professionals need to be able to take a holistic view of business issues and understand the strategic aspects of business decisions in an often globally influenced operating environment. The module will draw together knowledge from across the programme and apply this to real-world organisational problems, deploying established techniques of analysis and enquiry, some of which are at the forefront of strategic research and practice.

This module will build on the skills, knowledge and experience gained from earlier studies and enable you to apply and further develop crucial employability skills through working on a live project. you will work in groups with an employer or third sector organisation in order to address a specific issue related to employment and/or career development within accounting, finance and professional services. In addition to this, you will develop personal employability and reflection skills through the use of VR software and the creation of a reflective log and personal development plan, which will support their progression into graduate-level employment or further study.

This module takes the financial accounting and reporting knowledge and skills developed at Levels 4 and 5 up to the advanced level. It will look at a wide variety of accounting standards and the theory behind the developments in the world of accounting. It will consider more advanced areas of the consolidated financial statements and analysis and interpretation of financial information. This module can lead to exemptions from professional accounting body examinations for students wishing to pursue a career as a professional accountant.

This module aims to provide you with the skills that would be expected from a finance manager responsible for the finance function of a business by developing upon the core financial management knowledge and skills introduced in Level 5 Financial Management.

The objective is to enhance the capability to think critically and engage in logical analysis, to conceptualise problems, form logical conclusions and the ability to solve problems.

This module provides grounds of the business taxation principles and the rules in the context of these principles. It will consider the business taxation specific to the UK tax system including Corporation tax, Capital gains tax, Inheritance tax and Value Added Tax. Taxation is a subject that touches all areas of business, so it can provide an opportunity to develop further and specialise in a variety of areas. This module can lead to exemptions from professional accounting body examinations for students wishing to have a career as a professional accountant.

This module builds on learning around Personal Tax and Audit and will critically explore issues around independence and corporate governance, the regulatory framework of auditing, the impact of civil and criminal law on auditing and current developments in financial auditing. The module content will attract exemptions from the major professional accountancy bodies.

Advanced management accounting concepts and techniques are organised around a focus on strategy to enable you to contribute to an organisations’ successful navigation of mid-to-long-term challenges. The module extends your understanding of approaches such as: value chain analysis; strategic pricing; lean manufacturing; strategic issues for financing the firm; risk analysis; project appraisal techniques; performance appraisal and the balanced scorecard. The module aims to develop strategic understanding and how this applies to real life scenarios.