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Nottingham Trent University Course Specification
Basic Course Information
1. Awarding Institution: Nottingham Trent University
2. School/Campus: Nottingham Business School/City Campus
3. Final Award, Course Title and
Modes of Study:
BA (Hons) Accounting & Finance (Full time and Sandwich)
4. Normal Duration: FT= 3 years, SW= 4 years
5. UCAS Code: NN4H (FT), NN43 (SW)
6. Overview and general educational aims of the course
Knowledge of accounting plays a key role in managing any successful modern organisation. There are widespread opportunities for accounting graduates both in the U.K. and internationally, in the private or public sector. The course is primarily aimed at students who are aiming to qualify as accountants, but is sufficiently generic to support those who progress to a career in business.
The broad aim of this course is to equip you with a range of knowledge, understanding and skills to a level that will enable you to excel in a wide range of jobs that will then be open to you. This degree course is designed to:
- provide you with a rigorous understanding of the theories and practices of accounting and finance;
- equip you with the skills to analyse problems within the context of the modern organisation;
- encourage you to adopt an independent and reflective approach to your learning through developing lifelong learning skills;
- develop your key transferable skills including verbal and written communication, working with others, researching, problem solving, numeracy, IT skills and presentation skills; giving you the self-confidence to embark successfully upon your chosen career.
Distinctive features of the course include:
- The option of completing the course by sandwich or full time mode. Taking the sandwich mode means that you spend year 3 of the course on work placement. This provides you with practical experience allowing you to apply what you have learned in the first two years of study in a real business context. In your final year you are then able to incorporate your experiences in both class discussions and formal assessments;
- The choice of topic for an independent research project during level 3 of the course which allows you to specialise in a subject area related to the field of accounting and finance and, possibly, to your work experience;
- Available exemptions from professional examinations should enable you to qualify as an accountant within 2-3 years of graduation.
This long-running course has many alumni (past graduates) in high-profile roles. You will be given the opportunity to meet a range of guest speakers from all areas of business during the course.
The course does not assume that you have studied accounting before (see Admission to the Course section 11 below).
Whether you decide to become a qualified accountant after graduation or to
pursue an alternative business career this course is proven to enhance your
employability. Successful completion will also prepare you for postgraduate
studies in these subjects or related fields.
7. Course outcomes
Course outcomes describe what you should know and be able to do by the
end of your course if you take advantage of the opportunities for learning that
we provide.
Knowledge and understanding
By the end of the course you should be able to:
A1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of theory within business finance A2. Demonstrate a critical understanding of theory within management accounting A3. Demonstrate a critical understanding of theory within financial accounting A4. Apply accounting and finance theory to practice within organisational settings A5. Prepare, analyse and interpret internal and external financial reports, for a variety of entities, in accordance with current reporting frameworks (BSA) A6. Assimilate and critically evaluate key themes and concepts within the literature relevant to the field A7. Demonstrate competence in the use of specialist information systems software to model, analyse, interpret and present viable solutions to support decisions at various levels of the organisation A8. Demonstrate an awareness of ethical and sustainability issues within the field of accounting and finance A9. Demonstrate an awareness of wider social and management issues and cultural diversity within a global context
(BSA) indicates an item linked directly to the current QAA Subject Benchmarking Statement for Accounting.
Skills, qualities and attributes
By the end of the course you should be able to:
B1. Demonstrate cognitive skills of critical thinking, analysis and synthesis B2. Demonstrate numeracy skills, including the ability to manipulate financial and other numerical data and to appreciate statistical concepts at an appropriate level
9. Assessment Methods
The course uses a variety of assessment techniques to ensure that you can demonstrate the range of learning outcomes (see section 7 above).
The assessment profile aims to test subject knowledge and develop a broad range of transferable skills using a range of assessment methods: essays, business reports, presentations, and the application of information technology. There is a significant examination element which ensures your technical competence and leads to accreditation for prior learning by professional accounting bodies.
This course gives you the opportunity to develop both traditional academic techniques such as literature reviews and essay-writing, and broader business competencies such as use of information technology, report writing and presentation skills.
Assessments at the final level require you to take a holistic view of the discipline and to demonstrate your ability to reflect on your personal development. Assessment is often case-based in order to deal with an increased level of complexity and the multifaceted nature of issues and problems. You will be required to complete an independent research project, providing you with the opportunity of undertaking a major piece of self-managed research under the supervision of a tutor. Your future employability is also an important aspect of this course; therefore you are required not only to undertake a group assessment (to demonstrate team working skills) but also to produce a reflective report, reflecting on your own personal development throughout your degree course.
As well as formal (summative) assessments, the course incorporates formative and diagnostic assessments – through these staff will provide you with more informal feedback on your progress and development and coach your preparation for the formal assessments.
10. Course structure and curriculum
The course is studied over either three years (Full-time mode) or four years (Sandwich mode) where year 3 comprises of an industrial placement. The curriculum develops three core areas of accounting at each taught level: financial reporting, management accounting and business finance.
Nottingham Business School has developed a level two (year 2) framework for all our full time undergraduate courses that will allow students studying their course by Full time (3 year) mode to follow one of five opportunities in the second half of their second year. Opportunity One - to continue with your course of study at the University.
Opportunity Two - to study your second half year at an International Partner University. Opportunity Three - to complete an internship within an Organisation. Opportunity Four - to undertake an entrepreneurship project in conjunction with the NTU HIVE. Opportunity Five - to undertake a community project in conjunction with SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise)
Sandwich students follow Opportunity One.
C-Core O-Option module
Year 1 (Level 1): Management Accounting 20 credit points - C Financial Accounting 20 credit points – C Applied Accounting and Business Skills 20 credit points - C Data Research and Analysis 20 credit points - C Economics for Business and Management 20 credit points - C Foundations of Law 20 credit points - C
Year 2 (Level 2 – First Half year) : Financial Management 20 credit points - C Financial Reporting 20 credit points- C Management Accounting Information 20 credit points – C
Year 2 (Level 2 – Second Half year for S/W students and F/T students choosing Opportunity One) : Two from Accountability of Corporations 20 - O Forensic Accounting and Assurance 20 credit points - O Finance in the Public Services 20 credit points - O Taxation 1 20 credit points –20 credit points - O Plus One from a broader range of Nottingham Business School modules 20 credit points - O
Year 3 (Sandwich): Students complete an accounting and finance-focussed work based placement (in the UK or overseas) of at least 36 weeks duration, and will be eligible for the University’s Placement Diploma in Industrial Studies (PDIS). Also, see arrangements for placement below.
Year 3 (Full-time) / Year 4 (Sandwich) level 3:
Advanced Management Accounting 20 credit points – C
Corporate Finance 20 credit points - C
services (including personal counselling) which are available on request and are publicised by the providers of those services. Your personal academic tutor can often also assist you, if appropriate, in finding the relevant sources of help.
An induction event, immediately prior to the start of the first year of your course, will include: an introduction to the course and the modules you will be studying, meeting with your tutor, introduction to university I.T. facilities and sources of help and student support services. A student handbook will provide you with essential information about the Nottingham Business School and the support provided for your learning throughout your period of study.
Increasing use is made, as appropriate, of reliable electronic means of support for your learning on the course but the availability of face-to-face contact remains an invaluable part of the course.
13. Graduate destinations / employability
In recent years, Nottingham Trent has consistently been placed as one of the top Universities for graduate employment. The Nottingham Business School contributes strongly to this impressive record with 91.9% of graduates in employment or further study six months after graduation (latest information as at start of 2011).
Graduates from this course have demonstrated that they are well prepared for the world of work and there are excellent career prospects in all sectors. Most graduates secure training contracts with accounting companies, industry or public sector organisations and undertake professional examinations. On occasion graduates return to their placement organisations as full-time employees. Others chose to work in corporate finance, banking and general management.
Increasing numbers of our graduates are using the course as a foundation for postgraduate study including post graduate certificates, masters and doctorate levels.
The course also prepares students for the world of work through various events focussed on careers and professional development. These include talks by successful graduates (alumni), representatives of the accountancy professional bodies and the university employability service.
14. Course standards and quality
Course standards and quality are maintained in a number of ways. You will be offered constructive feedback in each element of assessed course work. You will have the opportunity to provide written comments feeding back to the University on the modules you study. You will be able to offer your comments and suggestions in person
at course committees.
The course team ensures the continuing relevance of course content by consulting respected professional practitioners, such as employers, accounting professional bodies and other academic institutions. The research interests of the staff also enhance the curriculum.
External Examiners report on the appropriateness of the curriculum, the quality of student work and the assessment process. All tutors have their teaching observed by their peers with a summary of good practice observed across the group then being produced and circulated.
Current national subject benchmarks for Accounting (identifying characteristic features of a course in the subject), together with graduate attributes sought by employers, have informed course learning outcomes (see Section 7 above).
The University was the subject of a successful institutional audit by The Quality Assurance Agency in November 2008.
15. Assessment regulations
This course is subject to the University’s Common Assessment Regulations
(located in its Academic Standards and Quality Handbook). Any course
specific assessment features are described below:
To obtain an honours degree, you must pass all of your course modules. Your final degree classification will be based on a percentage mark, comprising 25% of your performance (measured by the aggregate of module marks) at level 2 plus 75% of your assessment performance at level 3.
16. Additional Information
Collaborative partner(s):
Course referenced to national QAA
Benchmark Statements:
Accounting
Course recognised by: Association of Chartered Certified
Accountants Chartered Institute of Management Accountants Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting CFA Society UK
Date implemented: September 2014
