part 1: course summary information · part 1: course summary information ... alternative managerial...

of 25 September 2015

PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION

PART 1: COURSE SUMMARY INFORMATION

Course summary

Final award BSc(Hons) Accounting and Finance

Intermediate award BSc, DipHE, CertHE, Accounting and Finance Course status Validated

Awarding body University of Brighton

Faculty Brighton Business School

School Brighton Business School

Location of study/ campus Moulsecoomb

Partner institution(s)

Name of institution Host department Course status

1. SELECT

2.

3.

Admissions

Admissions agency UCAS


Entry requirements Include any progression opportunities into the course.

Applicable for 2015 entry. Check the University’s website for 2016 entry requirements.

Typical Entry requirements BBB at "A" level or Equivalent (excluding General Studies) Or National Diploma DDM Plus: GCSE: Maths and English Language at Grade C or above For non-native speakers of English : English Language Requirement: IELTS 6 (with minimum 6 in writing and 5.5 in other elements), OR International Baccalaureate: 30-32 points with 16 at Higher level. Applicants without English Language will need to gain a minimum grade 4 in HL English or a minimum grade 5 in SL English on IB. OR via Access course (with 24 credits at merit or above) – must include accounting and finance, business or management. OR Other progression agreements approved by Brighton Business School and the University of Brighton OR Other: Mature, 21 years or over, applicants without the above qualifications should be able to show an ability to benefit from the course by, for example, work or professional experience. All mature applicants are considered on an individual basis.

Start date (mmm-yy) Normally September

Sept 2015

Mode of study

Mode of study Duration of study (standard) Maximum registration period

Full-time 3 years 8 years

Part-time N/A N/A

Sandwich 4 years 10 years Distance Select Select

Course codes/categories

UCAS code N420


Contacts

Course Leader (or Course Development Leader)

Sue Endean

Admissions Tutor Judith Clark

Examination and Assessment

External Examiner(s)

Name Place of work Date tenure expires

Refer to StudentCentral

Examination Board(s) (AEB/CEB)

UG AFL Programmes Examination/Award Board

Approval and review

Approval date Review date

Validation 19801 March 2017 Programme Specification Sept 152 Sept 163

Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body 1 (if applicable):

Chartered Institute of Management Accountants

Reviewed in 2015 in line with new syllabus3


Chartered Association of Certified Accountants

2015


Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales

2015


Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountants

Reviewed in 2015 in line with new syllabus

PART 2: COURSE DETAILS

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Aims The aims of the course are:

1 Date of original validation. 2 Month and year this version of the programme specification was approved (normally September). 3 Date programme specification will be reviewed (normally approval date + 1 year). If programme specification is applicable to a particular cohort, please state here. 3 Date of most recent review by accrediting/ approving external body.


- To provide a programme of study in accounting and finance, which has an underlying vocational focus and is designed for students intending to pursue a career as an accountant, financial manager or in any other area where financial information and decision-making are a central element. - To enable students to develop an analytical awareness of activities within a global business environment and within the specialism of accounting and finance. - To provide an academic base, which will enable students to meet the challenges of new ideas and problems arising in subsequent employment. - To help graduates to make an effective contribution in terms of employment, using personal and communication skills.

Learning outcomes The outcomes of the main award provide information about how the primary aims are demonstrated by students following the course. These are mapped to external reference points where appropriate4. Knowledge and theory On completion of the degree, students will have demonstrated:

1. An understanding of the contexts in which accounting and finance can be seen to be operating, in particular, the legal environment, the business entity, the ethical and social environment and the capital markets.

2. Knowledge and understanding of the main current technical language and practices of accounting, in particular, recognition, measurement and disclosure in financial statements, managerial accounting, auditing, and taxation and in a socio-economic domain specified above.

3. Knowledge and understanding of some of the alternative technical languages and practices of accounting, for example, alternative recognition rules and valuation bases and alternative managerial accounting approaches to control and decision-making.

4. Knowledge of skills in recording and summarising transactions and other economic events; preparation of financial statements; analysis and the operations of business, in particular, decision analysis, performance measurement and management control; financial analysis and projections, in particular, analysis of financial ratios, discounted cash flow analysis, budgeting and financial risks.

4 Please refer to Course Development and Review Handbook or QAA website for details.


5. Knowledge and understanding of contemporary theories and empirical evidence concerning accounting and finance in the contexts of accounting and capital markets and accounting and the firm; and the ability to critically evaluate such theories and evidence.

6. Knowledge and understanding of the problems associated with investment decisions, the raising of finance and the management of financial resources and risk.

7. Knowledge and understanding of theories and empirical evidence concerning financial management, risk and the operation of capital markets

Skills Includes intellectual skills (i.e. generic skills relating to academic study, problem solving, evaluation, research etc.) and professional/ practical skills.

On completion of the degree students will be able to demonstrate

1. Critical and analytical thinking and the ability to recognise where the particular skills or ideas learned on the course may be relevant to solving a new problem.

2. The ability to analyse and draw reasoned conclusions concerning structured and, to a more limited extent, unstructured problems from a given set of data which must be acquired by the student.

3. The ability to locate, extract and analyse data from multiple

sources, including the acknowledgement and referencing of sources.

4. The capacity for independent and self-managed learning.

5. Numeracy skills, including the ability to manipulate financial

and other numerical data and to appreciate the statistical concepts at an appropriate level.

6. Skills in the use of communications and information technology,

in particular, the use of spreadsheets, word processing software and on-line databases.

7. Communication skills, including the ability to present

quantitative and qualitative information, together with analysis and commentary.

8. The ability to work in groups, and other inter-personal skills,

including oral as well as written presentation skills.

QAA subject benchmark statement (where applicable)5

Accounting (2007)

5 Please refer to the QAA website for details.


PROFESSIONAL, STATUTORY AND REGULATORY BODIES (where applicable)

Where a course is accredited by a PSRB, full details of how the course meets external requirements, and what students are required to undertake, are included.


Exemptions from professional institutions The BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance degree has been assessed by the UK professional accountancy bodies and graduates are offered exemptions from many of the professional examinations. Exemptions from Professional Examinations of CIMA The CIMA examination scheme has been reviewed in 2015 and the following exemptions are given at present. Students are expected to obtain exemption from the foundation level (Certificate in Business Accounting) as follows: Paper C01 Fundamentals of Management Accounting All students

Paper C02 Fundamentals of Financial Accounting All students

Paper C03 Fundamentals of Business Mathematics All students

Paper C04 Fundamentals of Business Economics All students Paper C05 Fundamentals of Ethics, Corporate All students Governance

and Business Law For the Operational and Management Level, the exemptions expected are as follows: Paper P1 Management Accounting All students Paper P2

Advanced Management Accounting All students Paper F1 Financial Reporting and Taxation If FA362 taken Paper F2

Advanced Financial Reporting All students Exemptions are not available for the remaining Operational and Management Level papers: Paper E1 Organisational Management Paper E2 Project and Relationship Management Students will also have to take (with CIMA) the Operational Level Case Study exam and the Management Case Study exam. Strategic (final) Level CIMA does not grant exemptions from this level: Paper E3 Strategic Management Paper P3 Risk Management

Paper F3 Financial Strategy

And final level case study. Website: www.cimaglobal.com


Exemptions from Professional Examinations of ACCA Students will obtain exemptions from Fundamentals Level – Knowledge (papers F1 to F3). For Fundamentals Level - Skills, the exemptions granted are as follows: Paper F4 Corporate & Business Law All students Paper F5 Performance Management All students Paper F6 Taxation Exemption if FA362 Taxation is passed Paper F7 Financial Reporting All students Paper F8 Audit & Assurance Exemption if FA363 Auditing is passed Paper F9 Financial Management All students ACCA does not grant exemptions from Part 3 (Professional): Paper P1 Governance, Risk and Ethics Paper P2 Corporate Reporting Paper P3 Business Analysis Paper P4 Advanced Financial Management Paper P5 Advanced Performance Management Paper P6 Advanced Taxation Paper P7 Advanced Audit & Assurance Note: papers P1 to P3 are essential/core papers and papers P4 to P7 are option papers. Candidates must sit the three core papers and two option papers. Website: www.accaglobal.com Brighton Business School offers Professional Level courses for students wishing to continue their studies with ACCA qualifications in mind. Exemptions from Professional Examinations of ICAEW The ICAEW examination scheme has been updated from 2015. For the Professional Stage papers the exemptions granted are as follows: Accounting All students Assurance Exemption if FA363 Auditing is passed Management Information All students Law All students Principles of Taxation Exemption if FA362 Taxation is passed Financial Management All students

Business and Finance All students Business Strategy Exemption if ST363 Corporate Strategy is passed To apply for exemption students will need to have achieved a minimum mark of 50% in all modules needed for exemption with at least 40% in all the assessed elements. However if a student achieves at least a 2.1 degree classification then exemption for Business and Finance will be awarded on application to the ICAEW. Website: www.icaew.com


Exemptions from Professional Examinations of CIPFA Students will obtain exemptions from: Professional Certificate Financial Accounting All students Management

Accounting All students Financial Reporting

All students Audit and Assurance Exemption if FA363 passed Professional Diploma Financial Management All students

Corporate Governance and Law All students Taxation Exemption if FA362 passed Business

Strategy Exemption if ST363 passed Website: www.cipfa.org.uk

LEARNING AND TEACHING

Learning and teaching methods This section sets out the primary learning and teaching methods, including total learning hours and any specific requirements in terms of practical/ clinical-based learning. The indicative list of learning and teaching methods includes information on the proportion of the course delivered by each method and details where a particular method relates to a particular element of the course. The information included in this section complements that found in the Key Information Set (KIS), with the programme specification providing further information about the learning and teaching methods used on the course.

Learning and Teaching Method % of Student Effort

Lectures 8%

Seminar 5%

Workshops 6%

Independent study 81%


ASSESSMENT

Assessment methods This section sets out the summative assessment methods on the course and includes details on where to find further information on the criteria used in assessing coursework. It also provides an assessment matrix which reflects the variety of modes of assessment, and the volume of assessment in the course. The information included in this section complements that found in the Key Information Set (KIS), with the programme specification providing further information about how the course is assessed.

The primary assessment methods are: Examinations (56%): demonstration of knowledge, understanding and ability to apply knowledge. Reports, Essays and Projects (Group based – 13%, Individual – 26%) : demonstration of independent research skills, evaluation/analytical skills, project management and written communication skills (this includes presentations on levels 4 and 5 modules - shown in appendix 3) Seminar based assessment (5%): demonstration of knowledge, analytical ability and verbal communication skills.

Learning Outcome Assessment method Module Number of credits

For mapping between learning outcomes and module assessment, see appendix

SUPPORT AND INFORMATION

Institutional/ University

All students benefit from: University induction week Student contract Course Handbook Extensive library facilities Computer pool rooms (98 workstations in Mithras House Annexe) E-mail address Welfare service Career Planning Agreement Personal tutor for advice and guidance


Course-specific Additional support, specifically where courses have nontraditional patterns of delivery (e.g. distance learning and workbased learning) include:

In addition, students on this course benefit from: Please refer to information held in Studentcentral. Peer Assisted Study Skills (PASS)

PART 3: COURSE SPECIFIC REGULATIONS

COURSE STRUCTURE: This section includes an outline of the structure of the programme, including stages of study and progression points. Course Leaders may choose to include a structure diagram here.

BSc(Hons) Accounting & Finance

Level 4 Level 5 Level 6

Core

Financial Accounting

30

Management Accounting

30

Economics

20

Financial Skills 20

Core

Core

Financial Accounting & Reporting

20

Financial Reporting: Theory & Practice

20

been on Placement may choose to

complete a placements relevant module instead of this.

Management Accounting Systems

20

Management Control

Systems

20

Financial Management

20

Finance & Risk

Management 20

Case Study Analysis

20

Advanced Case Study*

20

BSc(Hons)

Accounting & Finance

*Students who have


Academic & Prof. Skills

20

Business Ethics &

Corporate Governance

20

Elective 1

20

Corporate & Business

Law

Elective 2

120

20

20

120

120 Modules

Status: M = Mandatory (modules which must be taken and passed to be eligible for the award) C

= Compulsory (modules which must be taken to be eligible for the award)

O = Optional (optional modules) A = Additional (modules which must be taken to be eligible for an award accredited by a professional, statutory or regulatory body, including any non-credit bearing modules)

Level6

Module code

Status Module title Credit

4 FA183 C* Financial Accounting 30 4 MA182 C* Management Accounting 30 4 EC161 C* Economics 20 4 FN142 C* Financial Skills 20 4 ML150 C Academic & Professional Skills 20

5 CA272 C* Case Study Analysis 20 5 FA283 C* Financial Accounting & Reporting 20 5 MA263 C* Management Accounting Systems 20 5 FN281 C* Financial Management 20

6 All modules have learning outcomes commensurate with the FHEQ levels 0, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. List the level which

corresponds with the learning outcomes of each module.


5 FA265 C* Business Ethics & Corporate Governance 20 5 LW270 C* Corporate & Business Law 20

Core modules

6 FA360 C* Financial Reporting: Theory & Practice 20 6 MA360 C* Management Control Systems 20 6 FN368 C* Finance & Risk Management 20 6 CA362 C/O** Advanced Case Study 20 **Students who have completed a Placement Project (DB319) may

substitute this for the Advanced Case Study (CA362) or it can be counted as a 20 credit optional module.

6 DB319 O Placement Project 20

Specialist Optional Modules

6 FA363 O* Taxation 20 6 FA363 O* Auditing 20 6 ST363 O* Corporate Strategy 20 Status: M = Mandatory (modules which must be taken and passed to be eligible for the award) C

= Compulsory (modules which must be taken to be eligible for the award)

O = Optional (optional modules) C*/O* = Compulsory or Optional modules required for professional body exemptions

AWARD AND CLASSIFICATION

Award type Award* Title Level Eligibility for award Classification of award

Total credits7 Minimum credits89 Ratio of marks10: Class of award

Final BSc(Ho ns)

Accounting and Finance 6 Total credit 360 Minimum credit at level of award 120

Levels 5 and 6 (25:75) Honours degree

Final BSc Accounting and Finance 6 Total credit 300 Minimum credit at level of award 120

Levels 5 and 6 (25:75) Not applicable

Intermediate DipHE Accounting and Finance 5 Total credit 240 Minimum credit at level of award 120

Level 5 marks Not applicable

Intermediate CertHE Accounting and Finance 4 Total credit 120 Minimum credit at level of award 120

Level 4 marks Not applicable

Select Select Total credit Select Minimum credit at level of award Select

Select Select

*Foundation degrees only Progression routes from award:

Award classifications Mark/ band % Foundation degree Honours degree Postgraduate10 degree (excludes PGCE and BM BS)

70% - 100% Distinction First (1) Distinction

60% - 69.99% Merit Upper second (2:1) Merit

7 Total number of credits required to be eligible for the award. 8 Minimum number of credits required, at level of award, to be eligible for the award. 9 Algorithm used to determine the classification of the final award (all marks are credit-weighted). For a Masters degree, the mark for the final element (e.g., dissertation) must be in the corresponding class of award. 10 Refers to taught provision: PG Cert, PG Dip, Masters.

Page 12 of 20

50% - 59.99% Pass

Lower second (2:2) Pass

40% - 49.99% Third (3)

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EXAMINATION AND ASSESSMENT REGULATIONS

Please refer to the Course Approval and Review Handbook when completing this section. The examination and assessment regulations for the course should be in accordance with the University’s General Examination and Assessment Regulations for Taught Courses (available from staffcentral or studentcentral).

Specific regulations which materially affect assessment, progression and award on the course E.g. Where referrals or repeat of modules are not permitted in line with the University’s General Examination and Assessment Regulations for Taught Courses.

In line with the previous Programme Specification, normally no referrals at Level 6 will be allowed. Exceptions to General Examination and Assessment Regulations (GEAR): Normally a pass mark of 40%, minimum of 35% threshold.

Exceptions required by PSRB These require the approval of the Chair of the Academic Board

Normally a pass mark of 40%, minimum of 35% threshold.

Appendix to Programme Specifications Mapping

of Assessment Methods on Core Modules

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Assessment: BSc(Hons) Accounting & Finance

Level 4

Level 4- Looking for a balance:

o Individual and group

o Academic and business

writing o Verbal and written

assessments

o Application and theory o

Recall and use

Learning to be a student: Introduction to using literature, learning subject fundamentals, learning to apply techniques, learning to be independent, becoming effective presenters, becoming team players

CATS 30 30 20 20 20

Assessment:

% Exam 70 70 50 60

% C/WK 30 30 50 40 100

Individual Assignment

Group

Assignment

Report

Essay

Exam

Exercise

Presentation

Portfolio

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Level 5

Level 5- Looking for a balance

plus at least one each of:

o Case Study o

Proposal o

Literature Review o

Research design

Developing use of literature, learning to test ideas, becoming competent practitioners, learning to synthesise ideas from different subject/ topic areas, professional presenters, effective team workers

CATS 20 20 20 20 20 20

Assessment

% Exam 70 70 70 60 50

% C/WK 30 30 30 40 50 100


Group Assignment

Report

Essay

Exam

Exercise/Build

Presentation

Case Study

Proposal

Literature activity

Research Design

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Level 6

Level 6- Looking for a balance to

ensure mostly individual work

Sound knowledge base, confident users of literature, researchers, critical thinkers, innovators/ problem solvers/ creative thinkers, self –aware professionals

CATS 20 20 20 20 40

Assessment

% Exam 70 70 70

% C/WK 30 30 30 100


Group Assignment

Report

Essay

Exam

Exercise/Build

Presentation

Case Study

Proposal

Research Project

Portfolio

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Appendix - Mapping of Course Learning Outcomes to QAA Benchmarks

BSc (Hons) Accounting & Finance- Satisfying QAA Subject Benchmarks for Accounting

Subject-specific knowledge and skills Accounting as a degree subject requires students to study how the design, operation and validation of accounting systems affect, and are affected by, individuals, organisations, markets, society and the environment. This study is informed by perspectives from the social sciences. Such perspectives may include, but are not restricted to, the behavioural, the economic, the political, and the sociological. As indicated above, accounting is often studied in combination with a significant amount of finance. Under such circumstances, the degree structure should also require the study of the operation and design of financial systems, risk, financial structures, and financial instruments. On completion of the degree, a student should have the following subject-specific knowledge and skills:

An understanding of some of the contexts in which accounting can be seen to be operating, in particular, the legal environment, the business entity, the ethical and social environment and the capital markets.

X X

X X X X X X X X

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Knowledge and understanding of the main current technical language and practices of accounting, in particular, recognition, measurement and disclosure in financial statements, managerial accounting, auditing, taxation in a specified socio-economic domain

X X X X X X X X

Knowledge and understanding of some of the alternative technical languages and practices of accounting, for example, alternative recognition rules and valuation bases and alternative managerial accounting approaches to control and decision-making.

X X X X X X X

Skills in recording and summarising transactions and other economic events; preparation of financial statements; analysis of the operations of business, in particular, decision analysis, performance measurement and management control; financial analysis and projections, in particular, analysis of financial ratios, discounted cash flow analysis, budgeting and financial risks.

X X X X X X X X

Knowledge and understanding of contemporary theories and empirical evidence concerning accounting and finance in the contexts accounting and capital markets and accounting and the firm; and the ability to critically evaluate such theories and evidence.

X X X X X X X X X

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Knowledge and understanding of the problems associated

with investment decisions, the raising of finance and the

management of financial resources and risk.

X X X

On completion of a degree, students will have knowledge and understanding of theories and empirical evidence concerning financial management, risk and the operation of capital markets.

X X

BSc(Hons) Accounting & Finance- Satisfying QAA Subject Benchmarks for Accounting

Cognitive abilities and generic skills On completion of a degree, a student should have acquired

the following abilities and skills:

To become more critical and analytical in their thinking, and to recognise where the particular skills or ideas learned on the course may be relevant to solving a new problem.

X X X X X X

To be able to analyse and draw reasoned conclusions concerning structured and, to a more limited extent, unstructured problems from a given set of data and from data which must be acquired by the student.

X X X X X X X X X

To locate, extract and analyse data from multiple sources, including the acknowledgement and referencing of sources. X X X X X X X X X X

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To develop the capacity for independent and self-managed

learning.

X X X X

Numeracy skills, including the ability to manipulate financial and other numerical data and to appreciate statistical concepts at an appropriate level.

X X X X X X X X X

Skills in the use of communications and information technology, in particular, the use of spreadsheets, word processing software and on-line databases.

X X X X X X X X X X X

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Communication skills including the ability to present quantitative and qualitative information, together with analysis, argument and commentary.

X X X X X X X X

Normally, an ability to work in groups, and other inter-personal skills, including oral as well as written presentation skills. X X X X X

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