Prof Alnoor Bhimani

This course is compulsory on the MSc in Accounting, Organisations and Institutions. This course is available on the CEMS Exchange, Diploma in Accounting and Finance, Global MSc in Management, Global MSc in Management (CEMS MIM), Global MSc in Management (MBA Exchange), MBA Exchange, MPA in European Policy-Making, MPA in International Development, MPA in Public Policy and Management, MPA in Public and Economic Policy, MPA in Public and Social Policy, MPA in Social Impact, MSc in Law and Accounting and MSc in Management and Strategy. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

The course may also be taken by MSc students who have not previously studied accounting subjects to a significant extent.

Students on the MSc Accounting and Finance programme are not permitted to enrol in this course or in AC490. 

This course cannot be taken in conjunction with AC414 Financial Reporting, Capital Markets and Business Combinations or AC420 Financial Reporting in Capital Markets.

The course is capped at 115 students.

This course provides students with an introduction to financial accounting, and highlights aspects of reporting that are important to users of financial information. The course covers the preparation of key financial statements and the frameworks of accounting regulation. The course will also cover accounting issues related to depreciation, goodwill, intangible assets, equity, debt, fair value measurement and consolidation. Students will be introduced to financial statement analysis and research on the use of accounting information in financial markets.

20 hours of lectures and 8 hours of seminars in the MT.

There will be a reading week in week 6 of MT. 2 hours of lectures in ST.

Students are expected to produce several pieces of written work, including accounting exercises.

A detailed reading list will be made available at the start of the course. Illustrative texts: Tracy and Tracy. How to Read a Financial Report. 8th edn, Wiley, 2014. Weetman P, Financial Accounting: an Introduction, 7th edn, Pearson, 2016.

Exam (100%, duration: 2 hours) in the main exam period.

Students answer four questions (one compulsory question; two from four questions; and one out of two essay questions).