Accounting And Finance, MSc, University of Staffordshire

About Accounting And Finance, MSc - at University of Staffordshire

• The course prepares you for an advanced career in the accounting and finance profession.
• In addition to the technical knowledge, the course delivers a range of required skills by today's employer (for example, presentation and communications skills).
• The Course earns you credit towards professional qualifications such as the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

Course content

The Course is intellectually challenging and stimulating. It delivers a well-balanced portfolio of technical and analytical knowledge for decision-making, ethical understanding and soft skills relevant for leading organisations. Recent students landed jobs before they completed the Course in most respected global firms such as Burberry, Merrill Lynch (Bank of America), the Co-operative bank and regional accountancy firm Burton Beavan.Dr Ahmad Mlouk, Course Leader

You'll learn how to apply advanced accounting and finance knowledge, how to simplify and communicate complex financial information and apply advanced analytical skills in the context of global firms and markets. You will also learn how to effectively plan and control financial resources while implementing ethically oriented decision-making processes.

The course includes a number of distinctive modules in which you will examine, the underlying principles that lead to accounting conventions and the financial management of multinational corporations in a global environment. The research-based dissertation allows you to further your knowledge in an area of interest which supports your career ambitions or explore an area in which you would like to extend your research further at PhD level.

This programme will give you a solid foundation in accounting and finance, including an intensive study of the core disciplines of accounting and finance, traditional and contemporary theoretical aspects of accounting and finance and an individual dissertation.

Modules

• International Financial Analysis
• Management Control and Internal Audit
• Advanced Corporate Finance
• Accounting Theory
• International Finance
• Economic Analysis of the Firm
• Business Management Research
• Business Analytics

Module descriptions

• Accounting Theory
  This module presents and examines the following areas: accounting under ideal conditions, agency theory, efficient market hypothesis and information content of financial reports, the effects of income and price changes, methods of income determination, the valuation of assets and, the theory of financial disclosure and standard setting.
• Advanced Corporate Finance
  This module will start with an introduction to the subject which will cover corporate goals, shareholder wealth maximisation and the agency theory. Topics covered over the course of the module include sources of finance, cost of capital and capital structure, advanced investment appraisal techniques and applications, dividend policy and working capital management. The successful completion of this module may lead to an exemption from the equivalent unit in the CIMA/ACCA professional qualification.
• Business Analytics
  This module will start with an introduction to the subject which will cover topics such as financial statement analysis, ratio analysis, analysis of past performance as well as forecasting. It will also focus on key management accounting techniques that help to determine strategic action and the financial ratios and measures that may be used to assess and analyse the financial position of firms and to forecast future financials. Bloomberg Terminal or equivalent will be used for a range of analyses employed in this module. Bloomberg for Education, databases and platforms will be used to bring the pace and excitement of real business into the classroom. Students gain hands-on experience using the same information and technology used by financial professionals all over the world, to help gain an edge in the competitive job market.
• Business Management Research
  You will identify and justify an appropriate research topic of relevance to the broad area of accounting and finance and produce a research proposal which reflects a critical awareness of a range of research philosophies, strategies, methodologies and evaluating their relevance to your proposed topic.
• Dissertation
  In the third and final semester of your MSc Course you select a suitable topic for your research-based dissertation. Topics will be wide-ranging drawing on different aspects of accounting/finance but all aiming to address a specific challenge or problem within the area of your study. Ideally, they should involve external sponsorship to facilitate and support data collection and independent study and hence aim to generate robust conclusions and recommendations with real benefit and added value. The process of choosing a topic might start very early on in consultation with your tutor/ potential supervisor. The assessment requires a 15,000-word Dissertation submission.
• Economic Analysis of the Firm 1
  A review of the neoclassical theory of the firm. Team Production, agency theory, transaction costs and property rights, corporate governance. These theoretical approaches will be elaborated and developed in close conjunction with applied economic studies, for example, in "make or buy" strategies, contract compliance, contract incompleteness, etc.
• International Finance
  This module studies the financial operation of the multinational corporation in an environment of open and integrated financial markets. The module will cover a selection of the following topics: global objectives of the MNC, differences between foreign and domestic investment, the financing of MNC and international projects, trades, and investment strategy by MNC. Sourcing of subsidiary financing, Treasury management by MNC. Financial risk management and the use of financial derivatives and management of country risk.
• International Financial Analysis
  This module commences with an introduction to the subject including definitions and a discussion of its applications. This leads onto an overview of the financial reporting and analysis and the international regulatory framework and the future direction of financial reporting. Students will also study income and asset value measurement systems and prepare consolidated statements of comprehensive income, changes in equity and cash flows. Contemporary issues such as sustainability and the need for environment and social reporting will enhance the students' ability to relate their learning to the wider context.
• Management Control and Internal Audit
  This module commences with an introduction to control systems within an organisational context, with reference to motivation, contingency planning and ethics. Organisation resources, strategy and financial investment are discussed and applied to a case study within an overarching project. The details of the project will be brought together using appropriate project management software. You will study a range of key performance indicators including that of quality and the associated quality assurance systems. Finally, the role of the auditor and audit systems will be addressed and the relationship between the auditor and levels of senior management and internal auditors is explored. ?

Graduate destinations

You will be ideally placed for further academic study to PhD level, careers in universities and colleges, and careers in industry/commerce and financial services.

Entry requirements

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