AC102 Half Unit
Elements of Financial Accounting
This information is for the 2020/21 session.
Teacher responsible
Dr Saipriya Kamath OLD 2.11
Mrs Chris Constantinou (Course Leader)
Availability
This course is compulsory on the BSc in Finance. This course is available on the BSc in Actuarial Science, BSc in Business Mathematics and Statistics, BSc in Management and BSc in Mathematics, Statistics and Business. This course is available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit and to General Course students.
Course content
This is a half-unit course that introduces students to fundamental principles of financial accounting for the purposes of external reporting. The course starts with a discussion of the framework of financial accounting: its nature, intents and purposes, and the context and environment in which it operates. This includes, and eventually entails, the need for, and various sources of, accounting regulation and accounting standards. AC102 unpacks various core financial accounting concepts and conventions, but the course also looks into the processes used to record, summarise, and present financial accounting information as well as, crucially, its interpretation. This course thus essentially focuses on the preparation, interpretation, and limitations of company financial statements for external reporting, and the regulatory framework in which financial reports are prepared.
Teaching
This course is delivered through a combination of weekly lectures and classes in the Michaelmas and Summer terms. Each teaching session contains a variety of technical content and practical exercises. This year, some or all of this teaching may be delivered by a combination of online recorded (asynchronous) lectures and virtual interactive (synchronous) classes as an alternative to face-to-face teaching.
Formative coursework
Written answers to numerical problems and discussion questions will be expected weekly; two pieces of work per term will be submitted for marking and feedback.
Indicative reading
Detailed reading lists will be made available at the beginning of the course. Illustrative texts include Peter Atrill and Eddie McLaney Financial Accounting for Decision Makers, 9th edn, Pearson, 2019.
Assessment
Exam (100%, duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes, reading time: 15 minutes) in the summer exam period.
The exam duration is 1 hour and 45 minutes. The first 15 minutes will be reading time.
Student performance results
(2017/18 - 2019/20 combined)
| Classification | % of students |
|---|---|
| First | 76.8 |
| 2:1 | 12 |
| 2:2 | 5.2 |
| Third | 3.3 |
| Fail | 2.8 |
Important information in response to COVID-19
Please note that during 2020/21 academic year some variation to teaching and learning activities may be required to respond to changes in public health advice and/or to account for the situation of students in attendance on campus and those studying online during the early part of the academic year. For assessment, this may involve changes to mode of delivery and/or the format or weighting of assessments. Changes will only be made if required and students will be notified about any changes to teaching or assessment plans at the earliest opportunity.
Key facts
Department: Accounting
Total students 2019/20: 528
Average class size 2019/20: 15
Capped 2019/20: No
Value: Half Unit
Personal development skills
- Self-management
- Team working
- Problem solving
- Application of information skills
- Communication
- Application of numeracy skills
- Specialist skills
