Keele University Prospectus Undergraduate | 2016 | Page 42

BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT

Accounting
Overview

Accounting provides essential knowledge for the
understanding of business behaviour, strategy and
corporate performance making it essential for the
study of business, management and related areas.
At Keele you will study the techniques that
accountants use to produce financial information
and the impact this information might have on
the organisation and society in general.
Studying dual honours Accounting at Keele enables
you to choose a second subject area to form part
of your degree, thereby giving you a wider range
of careers paths on graduation. In addition, the
structure of the accounting element of your
degree enables you to tailor the course content
to suit your own strengths and preferences, and
by being a part of Keele Management School you
will meet fellow students who are studying related
business subjects such as Marketing and Human
Resource Management.
The degree is currently recognised by the Association
of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the
Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
(CIMA) and provides exemptions from a range
of membership examinations of those bodies.
You will also have the opportunity to study the
use of a modern accounting software package,
currently Sage, and obtain further accreditation.

Course content

You will take two core modules and a further two
electives in each year of the course. These build
sequentially to develop your understanding of the
subject progressively over the three years of the
degree. In addition to the elective modules listed
below, you may choose to study modules offered
as part of other programmes in the Management
School, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
and across the University.
First year
In the first year you will gain knowledge of the
basic techniques and core concepts of accounting
together with core skills and concepts relating to
the business environment.
Core modules:
Accounting Principles introduces the main
mechanisms of accounting, including the analysis
of financial statements and the assessment of the
users and uses of financial information.
Financial and Management Accounting extends the
basic principles of accounting and explains the role
of costs for pricing and other business decisions.
It also familiarises you with the preparation of the
main financial statements and with financial analysis.

You can also take modules from a range
of electives, including:
• Markets and Hierarchies
• Business Law
• Management in Context
• Quantitative Methods 1 or 2
• British and Global Economy
Second year
You will build on the knowledge gained in the first
year, and begin to consider and challenge some of
the basic assumptions made in the first year of study.
You will take the following core modules:
Cost and Management Accounting provides an
introduction to the core principles and techniques of
recording, defining, and reporting costs associated
with the operations of organisations.
Intermediate Financial Accounting builds on the
first year by looking at the ways that enterprises,
and other organisations, account for complex
financial transactions and the ways in which they
interact with financial markets. All the issues are
considered in the international regulatory framework.
Taxation develops knowledge of VAT and National
Insurance contributions and the preparation of
income tax, chargeable gains, corporation tax
computations and tax planning.
You can also take modules from a range
of electives, including:
• Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility
• Introduction to Econometrics
Third year
Your knowledge of accounting will progress to an
advanced level with two core modules in accounting
and up to two further modules from a selection
of accounting electives. The core modules are:
Management Accounting explores the use of
management accounting information for planning,
control and decision making in enterprises and
organisations.
The Audit Framework develops knowledge and
understanding of the roles of the external and
internal auditor, the regulatory framework and the
theory and techniques of external and internal audit.
Advanced Financial Reporting develops knowledge
and skills to apply current accounting standards,
and critically appraise the underlying concepts and
financial reporting methods.
Electives include
• Advanced Management Accounting
• Applied Financial Analysis
• New Business Plan (ISP)
• Analysing Company Performance (ISP)

www.keele.ac.uk/ugcourses
42