This module explores the role of auditing and assurance in businesses today. It is primarily concerned with developing the knowledge and understanding of the process of carrying out the assurance engagement and its application within the professional regulatory framework. Students will practise the approaches and techniques of auditing by tackling a variety of case studies. Contemporary issues in auditing will also be explored.

The modules aims to equip students to progress towards chartered accountant status by providing exemption from professional body taxation exams. It will equip students to critically evaluate tax issues, undertake complex computations and critically examine the findings. 

The key areas that will be covered include: 

• Evaluation of tax theory and the taxation system
• Deploying techniques of advanced computations and analysis to understand tax liabilities.
• Synthesis of how different taxes interact with one another.
• Providing relevant advice to clients on managing tax liabilities through tax planning techniques. 

The purpose of the module is to enhance students' understanding of three key drivers of Managing Business Performance:

1. Business in the 21st century is characterised by disruptions to business models by new entrants and incumbents who seek superior performance and competitive advantage. New business and operating models can be developed to improve the performance of organisations and understanding the business model as a framework to understand and manage how to create value is critical.
2. Human capital is one of the key intangible assets of organisations in an age where intangible assets are the dominant means by which organisations create and preserve value. Leadership is a crucial means for managing individual performance and the relationships between people to best achieve organisational goals.
3. Managing projects have become the means by which organisations execute their strategies and understanding of project management concepts and techniques to implement organisational goals and strategies effectively and efficiently.

By the end of the module students should be able to achieve the following learning outcomes:

1. Critically assess and evaluate approaches to business strategy through an understanding of business ecosystems and business model formulation and disruption
2. Critically examine the concepts, models and tools associated with leading and managing organisational relationships
3. Critically discuss the role and importance of project management for contemporary organisations
4. Critically evaluate success factors for the management of business performance 

The aim of this module is to examine strategic finance issues faced by multinational companies from an international perspective. It focuses on how these companies operate within the global financial environment. Students will learn to identify and analyze the various forms and sources of business risks that multinational companies encounter.

Specifically, the module aims to:

1. To enable students to critically evaluate the international financial environment of a multinational corporation, including financial institutions, financial markets and exchange rate systems.

2. To critically examine and evaluate the principal concepts in the theory and practice of international financial management.

3. To analyse, apply and evaluate financial strategies through application of relevant analytical tools to examine and assess major issues and developments in international financial management.

4. To provide a critical understanding of the principles of risk exposures and the management of its international financial operations

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

1. Analyse the environment in which international financial management is undertaken and discuss the structure of a MNC.
2. Critically assess the operations of the currency and derivatives markets and theories of exchange rate determination.
3. Define, assess and apply techniques and methods to evaluate and manage exposures and risks deriving from international business.
4. Apply the principal concepts, theories and appropriate tools in international financial management and reflect upon contemporary thinking to analyse and evaluate the international financial strategies of organisations, capital structure and financing of MNCs.
5. Assess a wide body of empirical research literature on contemporary issues relating to international financial management and critically appraise it. 

This module builds on knowledge gained from module BU5006 Financial Accounting 2 -performance operations or equivalent. Key topics covered are:

Sources of long-term finance - characteristics of ordinary and preference shares and different types of long-term debt/ operating of the stock and bond markets/ share and bond issues/ role of advisors/ cost of equity using dividend valuation model/ post-tax cost of bank borrowings/ yield to maturity of bonds and post-tax cost of bonds/ post-tax cost of convertible bonds up to and including conversion/ WACC and its use.

Group financial statements - full consolidated statements (single & group) / capital schemes / currency/ disclosure of interests in other entities/ need for and nature of disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities/ recognition and measurement of revenue, operating and finance leases including discussion of substance over form, financial instruments, provisions, contingent liabilities and contingent assets, share-based payments and provision for deferred taxation / ethical selection and adoption of relevant accounting policies and accounting estimates / additional acquisition in the period/ calculation of gain or loss on disposal of a controlling interest in a subsidiary in the year/ adjustment to parent's equity/ consolidating a foreign subsidiary and calculation of foreign exchanges gains and losses/ impact of indirect effective holdings on preparation of group financial statements/ disclosure of transactions between related parties / basic and diluted earnings per share calculations / revenue definition, recognition, measurement, accounting and application

Analysis & Interpretation of accounts -  ratio application & interpretation including EPS /segmentation / limitations / advise on action that could be taken to improve an entity's financial performance and financial position taking into account ethical considerations and internal and external constraints

 Contemporary developments - stakeholder information demands / environmental and social accounting / non- financial measures / Human resource accounting/ IFRS & GAAP convergence

This module builds on knowledge gained from module level 4 and level 5 Management Accounting. It has a focus on strategic decision making. It will include the following indicative content: 

Long-term decision making - relevant cash flows, investment decision making, investment appraisal techniques, Payback, ARR, IRR, NPV, annuities, profitability index, capital rationing, pricing strategies

Cost planning and analysis for competitive advantage - activity based costing, activity based management, Throughout accounting, JIT, TQM, target costing, value analysis, Kaizen costing, life cycle costing, the value chain, direct customer profitability, distribution channel profitability, pricing - elasticity of demand, profit maximisation pricing, pricing strategies

Management control and risk - sensitivity analysis, risk and uncertainty, decision trees, probabilistic models, Bayes Theorem, TARA framework, business risk, ethical implications, Big Data, data analytics

Control and performance measurement of responsibility centres -  decision making in different structures, key metrics, benchmarking, Balanced Scorecards, FPIs and NFPIs, analysis of Return on Investment, Residual Income and Economic Value Added and transfer pricing, performance in not for profit organisations

This module is going to focus on primary, secondary and mixed data and how using data analysis can support decision making. It will equip students with essential skills to analyse, interpret, and present data effectively in professional settings. Equip students with the relevant practical skills through the application of advanced Ms Excel techniques and SPSS usage, to analyse variables to address decisions. Provide students with the critical skills required to collect and analyse data; and its presentation by means of relevant methods. 

Data - databases (such as FAME, Yahoo Finance and Investing.com), types of financial data with emphasis on big data, ethics in data handling, annual reports and other source. Data in SPSS - Entering data into SPSS, measuring and setting variables. 

Data mining - Data Visualisation Techniques in Excel-creation of dashboards using pivot tables, lookups and logical statements, use financial ratios to conduct performance analysis of companies with data on available databases.

Data Collection - Exploring techniques and tools for primary data collection and methods to analyse for understanding and presentation. Transferring and exporting collected data into Excel and SPSS for data analysis. 

Financial Statistics in Excel - use the 'Analysis ToolPak' -  and SPSS, descriptive statistics (mean, median, mode, standard deviation and variance), Anova (single factor, 'with and without' replication), correlations, regressions, T-Test, and Excel solver (for linear programming).

Financial Markets - market sensitivity (beta estimation), portfolio diversification (variance and covariance matrix), market reaction to announcement (event study-single and multiple events), market efficiency (use time series models such auto-regression and moving average concepts).

The module aims to develop students' ability to apply financial models and related advanced analytical techniques to inform business decisions and to evaluate possible decision outcomes in a competitive business environment.

This is a dissertation module for Finance students. The prerequisite will be  Data Analysis for Decision Making. 

The module is designed to enable students to develop and apply business research and analytical skills that will enhance their employability and rapid progression to management positions in the workplace. It requires them to: 

• Undertake a research project that is 'scoped and framed' within a required degree programme of study.
• Design and conduct appropriate in-depth research in an elected area of study.
• Acquire, consolidate and apply theoretical knowledge, methodologies, and research approaches in a ‘real world’ environment.
• Develop and utilise skills in critical investigation; analysis and synthesis of evidence; reflection and autonomous learning.

This is a self-directed module which enables and empowers students to initiate and develop their own project concept appropriate to their discipline of study.

Students within their final year of studies are very focussed on their ultimate work aspirations, and this module aids them to gain 'graduate trajectory' and enable them to better move into their chosen profession / industry as seamlessly as possible upon graduation.  

After the initial lectures setting out the style and scope of the module and opportunities, students decide on the content of their project and assessment (co-creation), and pitch this to staff by way of an initial project proposal.

Students then receive tutorial support and supervision throughout the year and agree the form that their final assessment will take. Students are encouraged to work with other stakeholders (internally or externally) where appropriate in the developing the project or work.