Accounting and Finance with a Foundation Year - BSc (Hons) *

This module will provide you with an introduction to the business environment, different business functions, and how they relate to each other. Considering how businesses operate within their context will allow you to develop a broad approach to understanding how businesses work and inform your future degree and career choice.

This module will help you to develop the essential academic skills required to be successful in Higher Education.  Within a supportive class environment and your own individual study this module will help you to develop basic research skills, academic writing and reflection skills.  Acquiring these skills will aid your transition to undertake the higher levels of study associated with your chosen degree programme.   

During this module you will be required to maintain a learning diary to reflect upon the enhancement of your own academic skills development. The majority of taught sessions will involve interactive discussion and activities led by the module tutor.  Certain sessions will introduce you to services and resources available to you at Birmingham City University.

This module will equip you with the essential skills required to be successful in Higher Education.  Within a supportive class environment and your own individual study this module will help you to develop the professional presentation, time management and team working skills that will be needed in your subsequent study at Birmingham City University and in graduate employment.  Acquiring these skills will aid your transition to undertake the higher levels of study associated with your chosen degree programme and increase your self-awareness, confidence and assertiveness.   

Within the module there will be a combination of teamwork and self-directed study so as to foster a culture of innovation and collegiality that will significantly benefit your transition to degree studies and the learning and teaching philosophy of your chosen degree pathway. Through working with your peers and in addition to regular contact with the module tutor, the module enables you to enhance your ability and confidence to undertake academic study at degree level.  

This module is designed for both those who are interested in studying accounting to degree level or those interested in studying other business related degrees.
It will introduce you to the business environment and will identify both the purpose of accounting and the role of the financial and management accountant within any organisation.

The Foundation Practice Project module is a practical piece of extended work related to your chosen degree. It will require you to apply the knowledge and skills developed throughout your current level of study and will enhance your ability to work individually and as part of a team. During the project you will be given the space, time and facilities to support deeper appreciation for your specialisation and you will be encouraged to demonstrate creativity in the design, planning and execution of a project.

Within the module there will be a combination of teamwork and self-directed study so as to foster a culture of innovation and collegiality that will significantly benefit your transition to degree studies and the learning and teaching philosophy of your chosen degree pathway. Through working with your peers and in addition to regular contact with an assigned supervisor, the module enables you to negotiate your learning and will directly contribute to your professional development and appreciation of how others work.

This module will introduce you to the basics of finance as well as the financial world within which financial institutions and businesses operate. The module provides the basic foundation upon which other Level 4, 5, 6 and 7 finance modules are designed.
Concepts such as Time Value of Money, Financial Institutions, Markets and Institutions, Sources of Finance, and Types of Risk and Return will be introduced. On this module you will develop an understanding of financial information and financial terminology.

You will learn how to prepare simple financial statements for sole proprietorship accounts, as well as being able to explain the purpose of financial accounting. 

Within this multi-disciplinary module, you’ll work with colleagues studying other programmes within the Business School, exploring how to run a business effectively through a business simulation. You’ll run a virtual business, and – with support and guidance – respond to business issues and challenges, rectifying them as you will when it comes to facing such situations in real life.

This module will teach you the fundamental economic principles, theories and models. You’ll learn to evaluate the impact that external micro, macro and international environments have on the activities and performance of businesses. 

You will learn to interpret published financial information and to apply accounting principles to the preparation of financial statements. 

You’ll have to explain the nature of costs and employ a range of cost accounting techniques in order to account for materials, labour and overheads.

This module will teach you to input, manipulate and extract data and information from a discipline-specific financial software. You will undertake a project report and explain the types, purpose, benefits and risks of financial information systems. As part of the module, you gain industry qualifications, such as the Microsoft Office Specialist – Excel qualification.

You will evaluate the performance and position of a company and advise stakeholders on appropriate courses of action. You’ll also prepare published financial statements, including a statement of cash flow.

In this module, you will use both short and long term decision making techniques to make commercial and investment decisions, as well as assessing the performance of organisations against budgets and forecasts utilising advanced variance analysis.

You will evaluate the theories of taxation, illustrate the principal types of direct and indirect tax policy, and appraise the objectives of a tax system within a country.

You will explain how the law determines the validity of contract law and how to manage both termination / breaches. You will also discuss the importance of ethics and corporate governance, and the roles both play within modern accounting and finance.

This module focusses on the tools and techniques used by Operation Managers within service and manufacturing institutions to ensure activities are cogent with corporate and market objectives. The module requires you to apply a range of operations management tools and techniques to given scenarios in order to produce a range of verbal, written and numerical solutions focussed on the efficiency, effectiveness and economy of an operation’s processes.

This module equips students with key tools for conducting microeconomic analysis and introduces a number of policy applications. The specific topics include consumption and production theories, perfectly competitive markets, market power, game theory and risk and uncertainty.

This module will provide an introduction to the role of Strategic Development in an organisation. Strategic Development is a vital activity in all organisations and the importance of this activity is recognised by all the Professional Accountancy Bodies who have the subject in their syllabi.

Accountants in organisations play a key role in the Strategic Development of organisations. The module will cover the key areas of Strategic Development of – Strategic Analysis, Strategic Choice and Strategic Implementation.

This module is designed for the student who wishes to learn how to utilize financial theory in real world applications. The course is practical in nature and will implement computational approach to many financial problems. This module will build upon modules that are covered in year 1 and will link to the year 3 modules. Upon completion of the course, the student will be fluent in both Excel as well as financial modelling.

This module is consistent with the philosophy of the programmes where it is delivered as it presents a comprehensive coverage of the main techniques of analysis for economics, business and financial-type data involving the application of regression analysis. You will be given the opportunity to experience how econometrics can be used to empirically study and answer questions across a variety of disciplines.

This module is open to BLSS students who choose to undertake an international Study Abroad or Erasmus+ study outgoing mobility placement within their second year of study. The aim of this module is to enable individuals to explore their mobility experience through a cross-cultural lens that focusses on the key themes of their discipline in an international context, cross-cultural awareness, social construction, and the self. Informed by activities that draw on research enquiry, creativity, culture, employability, reflection and professional development.

You will prepare accounting statements in compliance with international finance reporting standards. You’ll critically discuss and apply the advanced aspects of generally accepted international accounting principles. 

You will apply, interpret and make recommendations using a range of capital investment appraisal techniques, and critically analyse and apply a range of strategic management accounting techniques.

You will evaluate and prepare appropriate taxation advice with supporting schedules and computations. You’ll compute direct and indirect taxes for incorporated businesses, and recognise the impact of groups and overseas aspects of corporate tax. 

You’ll differentiate between public and charitable organisations, and evaluate the context in which the not-for-profit sector operates. You will also engage in a live charity case study, gaining valuable real-life skills.

In this module, you will compare the distinctive features of financial markets and institutions, differentiating between the roles of financial markets.

Part presentation, part project, here you will create a document on a particular topic that interests you. You’ll draw adequate and appropriate conclusions and recommendations, as well as assessing their impacts. At the end of the module, you should be able to identify, determine and justify a disciplinary-relevant project, including its aims, scopes and objectives.  

In this module, you’ll analyse the nature and purpose of audit and assurance, while recognising and applying the regulatory framework.

Financial Management will develop your research and analytical skills, enabling you to explain the techniques, concepts and nature of financial markets that affect the financial environment. 

You will learn to explain Islamic economics, the notion of Islamic social equality and governance. You’ll critically evaluate growth, challenges and critiques of the Islamic banking industry. 

You will summarise a range of current issues in company reporting, as well as critically evaluating current company reporting research in a national and international context. 

You will assemble a project plan using project management theory, concepts and tools.