Postgraduate Accountancy 2021-2022

The fact that money (and understanding money) really matters in business and all managers need to understand issues like cashflow and profit might depress you, but it is true. Financial viability of customers? Deciding on the likely financial viability of a project? Reporting to shareholders about performance? Does the word “sustainable” appear in a finance dictionary? All questions we will try and address.

This module is designed to develop students understanding and skills in key areas of accounting and finance. It starts from interpreting financial statements to use financial information in short-term and long-term decision making. It enables the practical application of key concepts of strategic analysis and gives a broader breadth of experience and cross-fertilisation of ideas across industries and management disciplines.

Students will gain an understanding of what financial information is for and how it is controlled by government, the stock exchanges and other institutions. Students will explore financial accounting assumptions and conventions. They will develop their technical knowledge and skills to enable them to record business transactions and prepare financial statements. Finally, students will be introduced to financial statement analysis and the calculation of key metrics. This will allow them to explore how accounting information is used by stock market participants and the impact on users of current developments and issues in accounting practice, governance and standards.

This course introduces students to basic financial concepts before moving on to introduce students to a number of areas of corporate finance including investment appraisal decisions, examining capital structure theory, the financing decisions of the firm, and corporate restructuring. The main aim of the course is to equip students with good analytical skills in order to understand the implications of corporate financing decisions by understanding why companies behave the way they do with respect to financing choices and how this interacts with the real world financial markets, and to enable students to understand the theoretical underpinnings of corporate finance theory.

This course examines theories and issues relevant to portfolio analysis. Themes include: risk and return; investment motives; the application of modern portfolio theory (including the Capital Asset Pricing Model); information and market efficiency; portfolio analysis and asset pricing; bonds and equities; real estate and derivative markets.

Corporate governance has become one of the most significant challenges for organisations and for the managers who work within them. The reasons for this include high-profile corporate scandals, conflict of interests, manipulations of financial statements, ethical dilemmas, crises like  the global financial crisis credit crunch or even pandemic, and a growing need to demonstrate corporate accountability, transparency and ethical practices. The “Issues in Corporate Governance and Ethics” course will deepen students understanding and stimulate critical thinking in these areas. Students will study and critique theory and practices of corporate governance models and ethics guidelines  as well as its relation to boards, professional bodies (accounting/audit firms), investors and wider stakeholder groups. 

This course introduces management accounting and the difference between this strand of accounting and that studied in the BU5031 module.  It develops in students the ability to apply complex problem-solving techniques in the planning, control and decision-making process.  It shows how quantitative methods and analytical techniques can be applied in management accounting solutions to management problems.  The course seeks to develop in students an understanding the organisational context as well as the nature of management accounting information.  The focus is to enhance students’ problem-solving and communication skills, and develop their ability to select and apply appropriate techniques in specific contexts.

Like football, this course is a game of two halves. The first half is financial analysis and builds your ability to analyse companies and think about the implications of financial performance for investors. We will be using Datastream and the ThomsonReuters Eikon system. In the second half we will think about the setting of international accounting standards – the system and the principles behind the IFRS’s.

Like football, this course is a game of two halves. The first half is financial analysis and builds your ability to analyse companies and think about the implications of financial performance for investors. We will be using Datastream and Bloomberg software. In the second half we will think about how stock markets work and how they are regulated.

Writing insightful reports that both engage and persuade the reader is a key skill. In a finance setting this is not just about the words but also careful use of well communicated numbers. The aim of this course is for you to produce a 5,000 word report using appropriate communication devise (graphs, tables) to evaluate critically a corporate finance situation of your choosing. The result should demonstrate your research, thinking, presentation and organisational skills.

If you do not wish to undertake the IFRS certificate, then you will be choosing this course. This is designed for those seeking a more theoretical rather than professional edge to their MSc. You will be teamed with a member of faculty to develop a literature review of a mutually agreed area of accounting research.

If you do not wish to undertake the CFA exam, then you will be choosing this course. This is designed for those seeking a more theoretical rather than professional edge to their MSc. You will be teamed with a member of faculty to develop a literature review of a mutually agreed area of finance research.

Becoming a Certified Financial Analyst charter holder is the aspiration of every finance industry professional. This course covers the CFA syllabus courtesy of our friends from FitchLearning who will teach you week by week and prepare you for the CFA level 1 exam. You will also write an essay reflecting on professional and academic approaches to finance

This widely recognised certificate-level learning and assessment programme will give you the guidance and knowledge to fully understand and apply IFRSs. The ICAEW programme is self-taught using on-line and manual materials, supplied by BPP, but supported by regular contact with University of Aberdeen staff to address any specific problem areas. By the end of the course students should be able to understand and apply IFRSs principles, concepts and knowledge in a commercial setting.

The capstone of your programme. A significant individual piece of work showing your ability to think, research, organise and analyse. You will work with a member of faculty to develop a proposal that you will then turn into 10,000 words of reality!

Inanalysis: A framework for analysis Accounting ratio analysis Common size analysis Stock market ratios Credit ratings Z scores Forecasting: A framework for forecasting Parameter estimation Financial forecasting models Issues in analysis: The links between the stock market and accounting International accounting issuestroduction to accounting: Key accounting concepts Financial reporting Financial statements Financial

Indicative Content

Key accounting concepts,

 Financial reporting,

 Financial statements

Financial analysis

 A framework for analysis

 Accounting ratio analysis

 Common size analysis

 Stock market ratios

 Credit ratings

 Z scores

Forecasting

A framework for forecasting

Parameter estimation

Financial forecasting models

Issues in analysis

The links between the stock market and accounting

International Energy accounting issues