MSc International Accounting and Finance

Why this Programme?

The course aims to provide students with the opportunity to study the major disciplines in international accounting and finance and to relate these to the business environment. It also aims to provide a sound conceptual foundation for a professional, managerial or business career which will help to understand current thinking, analyse current problems in international accounting and finance and deal with the rapidly changing business environment. It provides a thorough understanding of the multifaceted and diverse roles and functions that accountants perform in organisational settings, such as accounting for business cash inflows and outflows over the year.

The course aims to deliver an academically rigorous programme of study, which provides students with the opportunity to study the major disciplines in Accounting and Finance and to relate these to professional practice. The programme promotes the use of a range of teaching, learning and assessment methods, which develop the students’ intellectual abilities, self-confidence and ability to study independently.

The course has been devised with reference to the Master’s Degree Characteristics Statement set out by the QAA (2020). The subject specific knowledge and skills, cognitive abilities and non-subject specific skills outlined in the benchmark statements are referenced in sections 11 and 16 of this documents.

Modules

6 Months

AC7071NM International Financial Reporting (20 credits)

This module aims to develop knowledge and skills in understanding and applying International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). It will also include the theoretical framework in the preparation of financial statements of entities, including groups, and how to analyse and interpret financial statements. Students will also be exposed to the qualitative characteristics of useful information for users of financial reports.

This module aims to enable students to achieve the following:

understand the conceptual framework for financial reporting
appreciate the role of regulatory framework for financial reporting
develop an interest in the need for International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
prepare financial statements for single companies and for groups in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and relevant International Accounting Standards (IAS) / International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
analyse and interpret information from financial reports

The module also aims to facilitate the development of the following skills:

academic writing;
researching
analysis and presentation of financial data;
use of accounting packages such as Sage, etc. in financial reporting;
communication, including oral presentations;
interpersonal, including effective team working;
self assessment and reflection.

AC7073NM Advanced Financial Management (20 credits)

The Advanced Financial Management module develops core financial management knowledge and skills and prepares students to advise management and/or clients on complex strategic financial management issues facing an international organisation.

Students will be expected to demonstrate an integrated knowledge of financial management and an ability to relate the technical understanding of the subject to issues of strategic importance to the organisation. Financial managers are required to look across a range of issues which affect an organisation, its finances and stakeholders; accordingly students will be required to understand case studies focusing on a range of issues and from varying perspectives.

More specifically, this module aims:

To provide a detailed examination of the principles of financial management and their links with accounting, economic and organisational theory, highlighting their associations to corporate governance and stakeholder institutions;
To explain the role and responsibility of senior financial advisers;
To examine sources of finance;
To comprehend, analyse and apply advanced mechanisms for financial planning and investment evaluation in a variety of organisations, together with a range of financial management tools and concepts available to managers to facilitate financial decision-making;
To improve academic skills including academic reading and writing, oral communication, team working, analysis, critical thinking and research.

FE7066NM Data Analysis for Global Business (20 credits)

This module offers students a critical understanding of data and different techniques employed for data analysis in relation to the global business.

To provide students with practical skills necessary to undertake data analysis for global business, the aims of the module are:

to introduce methods for data handling

to discuss mathematical and statistical foundations for data presentation and analysis

to develop thorough analysis and synthesis of theory and practice in relation to the subject areas

to foster a critical awareness and deep interest in global business issues

to master steps in formulating an econometric model

to provide an opportunity to students for critical self-reflection, studying and data analysis skills and knowledge.

The module uses Bloomberg for teaching delivery and enables students to join the elite group of Bloomberg users around the world. The module also enables the development of expertise in the use of packages such as SPSS, EViews and NVivo to analyse data.

AC7072NM Audit and Assurance (20 credits)

The module will develop students’ understanding of the critical aspects of managing audit and assurance engagements: acceptance, planning, managing, concluding and reporting.

Students will apply technical knowledge to support reasoning and conclusions. The module aims to develop the following skills:

Assimilating and using information
Structuring problems and solutions
Applying professional scepticism and critical thinking
Developing employability and technology skills

Theoretical and practical aspects of the audit process will be considered including recent developments in the organisation of the profession, and the regulatory framework governing practitioners and factors affecting the future evolution of the practice of auditing and other assurance services.

FE7052NM International Corporate Finance (20 credits)

This module explores the theoretical underpinnings and empirical evidence concerning the activities of corporate finance from an international perspective. The module offers students the opportunity to develop their knowledge in a range of areas related to the international financial system, theories explaining foreign exchange rate behaviour, hedging currency risks, sources of finance for international trade and investment projects for both large and small firms, the effect on international capital structure of investment decisions, risk exposure and risk management, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, and multinational working capital management. These topics will be dealt with the overall framework in relation to international corporate activities.

The module aims to:

provide a framework for students to explore corporate strategies and decisions in an international perspective.
Offer a conceptual framework for students on corporate strategies and decisions from an international perspective.
a study on the application of relevant theories, models and empirical evidence for the analysis and evaluation of major corporate activities and decisions made by global firms.

The module uses Bloomberg for teaching delivery and assessment and enables students to join the elite group of Bloomberg users around the world.

FE7063NM Financial Regulation and Compliance (20 credits)

The module examines the theoretical and applied aspects of regulation and compliance in the financial services industry. Relevant theories, models and empirical evidence are used in the analysis of regulatory and compliance issues across the globe.

This module is aimed to present a set of principles that enable students to understand better the scope of substantive regulation and compliance from local and global perspectives. This module provides the opportunity to students for assessing regulatory choices on specific policy issues and encourages critical reflection on the design of regulation. Students also have the chance to study the forces which have shaped financial regulation and to probe the purpose and nature of financial regulation. As regulation increases and changes are ongoing, the demand for clear guidance on navigating daily compliance issues is greater than ever. Students have opportunities to discuss regulatory concepts and their practical applications including the latest compliance strategies and regulatory information.

This module aims to develop:

Awareness and understanding of theory and practice of the role of the financial regulation and compliance in the financial services industry.
A reflective approach to the analysis of issues relating to prudential regulation, conduct of business, compliance functions, customer due diligence and dispute resolution.
Problem-solving skills for addressing regulatory and compliance challenges of surveillance and combating of money laundering, terrorism, corruption, insider dealing, and other forms of financial crime at a local and global level.

AC7070NM Fundamentals of CSR and Sustainability (20 credits)

The field of corporate social responsibility has practically transformed our world and reoriented the way corporate entities conduct and perceive their operational activities. Corporate managers and those who represent corporate entities are expected to always behave ethically. Modern societies now expect that solutions to our social and environmental problems cannot only be the prerogative of nation governments, businesses of the 21st century have a lot to contribute when finding solutions to these problems.

The demands modern stakeholders put before corporate entities have continued to increase; tomorrow’s managers need to know how to meet these demands. Some scholars have in fact argued that corporate social responsibility has drawn our attention to some of the excesses which globalisation has brought unto the corporate scene in the 21st century. We have seen some unacceptable practices which have accompanied globalisation and consequently made the job of CSR and what it advocates much more difficult. Many things have been made a lot more challenging for everyone because of this. We cannot ignore the adverse impacts of these excesses. There are several unacceptable practices in the form of injustices and human rights abuses, extreme poverty in several nation states both – emerging and even some advanced nations, environmental degradation, some irresponsible and reckless practices by some corporate leaders and terrorism on a very large scale.

In recent years, a number of social, economic and environmental problems have continued to cause concern to us all, for example, climate change, waste management and irresponsible use of our depletable resources just to mention a few. Sustainable Development is a buzzword in CSR; both corporate and individual citizens still need to demonstrate that we are serious in executing what sustainable development means to us, what it requires from us all and how the needs of future generations of all inhabitants of this planet would be sustainably met; these are issues tomorrow’s managers would need to know how to embed in corporate strategies. This module aims to lay the foundation on how modern managers should address these and other CSR related issues.

FE7P64NM Dissertation (60 credits)

This module provides students with the opportunity to undertake research projects on specific research questions related to their course.

Students will critically investigate issues cognate to their programme of study. The aim will be to make proposals or recommendations for the future and / or a contribution to extant theory.

Students are expected to utilise appropriate investigative techniques and standards of data collection and analysis as they write their postgraduate research-based dissertation.

The dissertation will be 10,000 words in length.

The dissertation module has the following aims:

To facilitate a detailed investigation of one area or topic within the subject field;
To develop a thorough analysis and synthesis of theory, policy and practice in relation to the chosen topic;
To provide an opportunity for critical reflection on the research topic.

The expectation is that students will undertake research in areas of interest to them that is in context to their chosen course; the research supervisor will be allocated by the subject area within which the course is located.