International Accounting and FinanceMSc

Advanced Financial Management

The Advanced Financial Management module develops core financial management knowledge and skills and prepares students to advise management and/or clients on complex strategic financial management issues facing an international organisation.

Students will be expected to demonstrate an integrated knowledge of financial management and an ability to relate the technical understanding of the subject to issues of strategic importance to the organisation. Financial managers are required to look across a range of issues which affect an organisation, its finances and stakeholders; accordingly students will be required to understand case studies focusing on a range of issues and from varying perspectives.

More specifically, this module aims:

1. To provide a detailed examination of the principles of financial management and their links with accounting, economic and organisational theory, highlighting their associations to corporate governance and stakeholder institutions;
2. To explain the role and responsibility of senior financial advisers;
3. To examine sources of finance;
4. To comprehend, analyse and apply advanced mechanisms for financial planning and investment evaluation in a variety of organisations, together with a range of financial management tools and concepts available to managers to facilitate financial decision-making;
5. To improve academic skills including academic reading and writing, oral communication, team working, analysis, critical thinking and research.

Note: If there are not sufficient student numbers to make a module viable, the School reserves the right to cancel such a module. If the School cancels a module it will use its reasonable endeavours to provide a suitable alternative.

Audit and Assurance

The module will develop students’ understanding of the critical aspects of managing audit and assurance engagements: acceptance, planning, managing, concluding and reporting.

Students will apply technical knowledge to support reasoning and conclusions. The module aims to develop the following skills:

• Assimilating and using information
• Structuring problems and solutions
• Applying professional scepticism and critical thinking
• Developing employability and technology skills

Theoretical and practical aspects of the audit process will be considered including recent developments in the organisation of the profession, and the regulatory framework governing practitioners and factors affecting the future evolution of the practice of auditing and other assurance services.

Note: If there are not sufficient student numbers to make a module viable, the School reserves the right to cancel such a module. If the School cancels a module it will use its reasonable endeavours to provide a suitable alternative.

Data Analysis for Global Business

This module offers students a critical understanding of data and different techniques employed for data analysis in relation to the global business.

To provide students with practical skills necessary to undertake data analysis for global business, the aims of the module are:

• to introduce methods for data handling
• to discuss mathematical and statistical foundations for data presentation and analysis
• to develop thorough analysis and synthesis of theory and practice in relation to the subject areas
• to foster a critical awareness and deep interest in global business issues
• to master steps in formulating an econometric model
• to provide an opportunity to students for critical self-reflection, studying and data analysis skills and knowledge.

The module uses Bloomberg for teaching delivery and enables students to join the elite group of Bloomberg users around the world. The module also enables the development of expertise in the use of packages such as SPSS, EViews and NVivo to analyse data.

Note: If there are not sufficient student numbers to make a module viable, the School reserves the right to cancel such a module. If the School cancels a module it will use its reasonable endeavours to provide a suitable alternative.

International Financial Reporting

This module aims to develop knowledge and skills in understanding and applying International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). It will also include the theoretical framework in the preparation of financial statements of entities, including groups, and how to analyse and interpret financial statements. Students will also be exposed to the qualitative characteristics of useful information for users of financial reports.

This module aims to enable students to achieve the following:

1) understand the conceptual framework for financial reporting

2) appreciate the role of regulatory framework for financial reporting

3) develop an interest in the need for International Financial Reporting Standards

(IFRS)

4) prepare financial statements for single companies and for groups in accordance with

generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and relevant International Accounting

Standards (IAS) / International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

5) analyse and interpret information from financial reports

The module also aims to facilitate the development of the following skills:

. academic writing;

. researching

. analysis and presentation of financial data;

. use of accounting packages such as Sage, etc. in financial reporting;

. communication, including oral presentations;

. interpersonal, including effective team working;

. self assessment and reflection.

Note: If there are not sufficient student numbers to make a module viable, the School reserves the right to cancel such a module. If the School cancels a module it will use its reasonable endeavours to provide a suitable alternative.

Business Consultancy Project-portfolio assessment

This module provides you with the opportunity to work on specific business issues that organisations are facing. Utilising your competences of handling and managing business challenges, starting from problem identification and concluding with solution-related recommendations, thus encouraging research into real world business issues impacting organisations.
Useful and applied business research, like useful reflection, leads to change. To that end, students will be encouraged to take a pragmatic approach to their research, seeking always to create actionable conclusions of value to business managers, owners and entrepreneurs.
The aims of the module are to:
1. Foster a critical awareness and deep interest in a management/business issue or topic associated with their subject specialist area and to combine knowledge and analyses acquired in modules to explore that topic in depth
2. Enable students to produce a full business research report and a management summary on an appropriate topic to a professional and engaging standard that provides the basis for action.
3. Encourage reflection to critically evaluate the success of a business-related project and assess personal competence in the light of current knowledge and skills.
4. Build each student’s knowledge and confidence in their chosen subject to facilitate employability.
The expectation is that students will undertake research in areas of interest to them that is in context to their chosen programme and that develops knowledge and skills that support employment. Examples of possible areas of research include:
• Evaluation of an opportunity to enter a new market e.g. is it feasible for a low cost airline to enter the market in Brazil?
• Evaluation of a specific firm’s strategy and performance e.g. how is Ford responding to the advent of electric vehicles, driverless technology and ride sharing?
• Analysis of the impact of technology change on a company, industry or sector e.g. how will driverless technology and ride sharing impact on car ownership?
• Analysis of trends to create potential strategic scenarios for a firm or industry e.g. what are the future scenarios for law firms in the light of the adoption of AI?
• Analysis of competition in a specific market or industry e.g. global competition in the rapidly growing e-bike industry
• Identifying solutions to a specific business problem e.g. with a small or medium sized business e.g. what needs to be done to grow the business to the next level
• Analysis of disruption in an industry and the implications for a specific incumbent e.g. how should a black cab driver respond to Uber and other ride sharing platforms?
• Analysis of the effect of government intervention in a particular industry e.g. the current trade dispute over subsidies to Boeing and Airbus
• Response from Banks and FIs to the changing customer interaction and business landscape in the post pandemic era

Dissertation

This module provides students with the opportunity to undertake research projects on specific research questions related to their course.

Students will critically investigate issues cognate to their programme of study. The aim will be to make proposals or recommendations for the future and / or a contribution to extant theory.

Students are expected to utilise appropriate investigative techniques and standards of data collection and analysis as they write their postgraduate research-based dissertation.

The dissertation will be 10,000 words in length.

The dissertation module has the following aims:

1. To facilitate a detailed investigation of one area or topic within the subject field;

2. To develop a thorough analysis and synthesis of theory, policy and practice in relation to the chosen topic;

3. To provide an opportunity for critical reflection on the research topic.

The expectation is that students will undertake research in areas of interest to them that is in context to their chosen course; the research supervisor will be allocated by the subject area within which the course is located.

Business Work Placement Project

This module is designed to enable postgraduate students the opportunity to gain a minimum of 30 days work experience relevant to their course, to evaluate the activities of the host organisation, to carry a work-based project or piece of research, to identify and articulate skills and knowledge developed during the placement and to obtain employer feedback.

Commercial and Investment Banking

The module examines the theoretical and applied aspects of the role and functioning of domestic and international commercial and investment banks. Relevant theories, models and empirical evidence are used in the analysis of banking operations and strategies across the globe.

This module aims to develop:

1. awareness, understanding and appreciation of the theoretical and applied aspects of the role of commercial and investment banks in the financial system.

2. a reflective approach to the analysis of structures, strategies, current issues, activities and research relating to commercial and investment banking.

3. academic skills including academic reading and writing, oral communication, team working, analysis, critical thinking and research.

4. preparedness for the intellectual, analytical and interpersonal challenges of management and leadership positions in commercial and investment banks.

Note: If there are not sufficient student numbers to make a module viable, the School reserves the right to cancel such a module. If the School cancels a module it will use its reasonable endeavours to provide a suitable alternative.

Economics of International Trade

This a core one semester module delivered on MSc International Trade and Finance course and as an option on other courses in the subject area. The focus of the module is on the international trade and economic theory. The topics that will be covered in the module include the benefits and reasons for international trade, patterns of international trade, reasons for protectionism, trade barriers, welfare effects of international economic policies, forms of regional economic integration, balance of payments, and determinants of exchange rates. The module will draw on the current research and empirical studies, and examine theoretical and contemporary policy issues and current debates in the international economy. It will also consider the issues and controversies that surround these activities, and illustrate the links between the theoretical concepts and practical realities.

The module also aims to develop a number of transferable skills of students, e.g. strategic thinking, problem solving, oral and written communication skills, subject research, quantitative and analytical skills.

Note: If there are not sufficient student numbers to make a module viable, the School reserves the right to cancel such a module. If the School cancels a module it will use its reasonable endeavours to provide a suitable alternative.

Environmental Economics and Investment

Environmental Economics and Investment is a Level 7 module which is core to MSc Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability. It is one of the optional Economics modules studied on other courses.

The Environmental Economics and Investment module considers in depth the issues faced by governments and businesses in the face of climate change and other global trends in relation to the environment and the economy. It extends their understanding of the complex and critical relations between man and nature in the processes of economic reproduction.

The module assesses the standard economic principles in their use as tools to investigate the causes, consequences and the possible solutions to problems of environmental degradation and climate change. The three major themes in the module are (i) the determination of the ‘optimum’ levels of environmental resource usage (ii) the analyses of alternative ways of attaining those targets and (iii) the impact of these actions on business decision making.

The crucial notion of 'sustainability' is a key to the investigation. So are the proximate and underlying causes of environmental problems. The main aim of the module is to introduce students to the established economists’ way of analysing environmental problems, and to explore the evolving methodologies prompted by the environmental crisis now upon us.

Note: If there are not sufficient student numbers to make a module viable, the School reserves the right to cancel such a module. If the School cancels a module it will use its reasonable endeavours to provide a suitable alternative.

Financial Regulation and Compliance

The module examines the theoretical and applied aspects of regulation and compliance in the financial services industry. Relevant theories, models and empirical evidence are used in the analysis of regulatory and compliance issues across the globe.

This module is aimed to present a set of principles that enable students to understand better the scope of substantive regulation and compliance from local and global perspectives. This module provides the opportunity to students for assessing regulatory choices on specific policy issues and encourages critical reflection on the design of regulation. Students also have the chance to study the forces which have shaped financial regulation and to probe the purpose and nature of financial regulation. As regulation increases and changes are ongoing, the demand for clear guidance on navigating daily compliance issues is greater than ever. Students have opportunities to discuss regulatory concepts and their practical applications including the latest compliance strategies and regulatory information.

This module aims to develop:

1. awareness and understanding of theory and practice of the role of the financial regulation and compliance in the financial services industry.
2. a reflective approach to the analysis of issues relating to prudential regulation, conduct of business, compliance functions, customer due diligence and dispute resolution.
3. problem-solving skills for addressing regulatory and compliance challenges of surveillance and combating of money laundering, terrorism, corruption, insider dealing, and other forms of financial crime at a local and global level.

Note: If there are not sufficient student numbers to make a module viable, the School reserves the right to cancel such a module. If the School cancels a module it will use its reasonable endeavours to provide a suitable alternative.

Fundamentals of CSR and Sustainability

The field of corporate social responsibility has practically transformed our world and reoriented the way corporate entities conduct and perceive their operational activities. Corporate managers and those who represent corporate entities are expected to always behave ethically. Modern societies now expect that solutions to our social and environmental problems cannot only be the prerogative of nation governments, businesses of the 21st century have a lot to contribute when finding solutions to these problems. The demands modern stakeholders put before corporate entities have continued to increase; tomorrow’s managers need to know how to meet these demands. Some scholars have in fact argued that corporate social responsibility has drawn our attention to some of the excesses which globalisation has brought unto the corporate scene in the 21st century. We have seen some unacceptable practices which have accompanied globalisation and consequently made the job of CSR and what it advocates much more difficult. Many things have been made a lot more challenging for everyone because of this. We cannot ignore the adverse impacts of these excesses. There are several unacceptable practices in the form of injustices and human rights abuses, extreme poverty in several nation states both - emerging and even some advanced nations, environmental degradation, some irresponsible and reckless practices by some corporate leaders and terrorism on a very large scale. In recent years, a number of social, economic and environmental problems have continued to cause concern to us all, for example, climate change, waste management and irresponsible use of our depletable resources just to mention a few. Sustainable Development is a buzzword in CSR; both corporate and individual citizens still need to demonstrate that we are serious in executing what sustainable development means to us, what it requires from us all and how the needs of future generations of all inhabitants of this planet would be sustainably met; these are issues tomorrow’s managers would need to know how to embed in corporate strategies. This module aims to lay the foundation on how modern managers should address these and other CSR related issues.

Note: If there are not sufficient student numbers to make a module viable, the School reserves the right to cancel such a module. If the School cancels a module it will use its reasonable endeavours to provide a suitable alternative.

International Corporate Finance

This module explores the theoretical underpinnings and empirical evidence concerning the activities of corporate finance from an international perspective. The module offers students the opportunity to develop their knowledge in a range of areas related to the international financial system, theories explaining foreign exchange rate behaviour, hedging currency risks, sources of finance for international trade and investment projects for both large and small firms, the effect on international capital structure of investment decisions, risk exposure and risk management, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, and multinational working capital management. These topics will be dealt with the overall framework in relation to international corporate activities.

The module aims to:

• provide a framework for students to explore corporate strategies and decisions in an international perspective.
• Offer a conceptual framework for students on corporate strategies and decisions from an international perspective.
• a study on the application of relevant theories, models and empirical evidence for the analysis and evaluation of major corporate activities and decisions made by global firms.

The module uses Bloomberg for teaching delivery and assessment and enables students to join the elite group of Bloomberg users around the world.

Note: If there are not sufficient student numbers to make a module viable, the School reserves the right to cancel such a module. If the School cancels a module it will use its reasonable endeavours to provide a suitable alternative.

International Logistics

This module will enable you to understand the actual processes of the exchange of goods and services between partners in global trade, and the logistical arrangements within transnational corporations across state and regional boundaries. The focus will be on the economic imperatives which have influenced the development of global supply chain management, the micro-economic dynamics affecting the transport and logistics sector and the disruptive trends which are transforming the industry. It will include increasingly relevant concerns such as ethics and sustainability in global supply chains and the importance of understanding risk, especially in developing markets.

The module aims to introduce you to the different theories, methodologies and data sources which will allow you to monitor and understand the logistical strategies developed by the major global producers and consumer goods intermediaries. These connections and processes are part of the development of global trade and economic growth, and have profound consequences for economic and social development.

The aims of the module are:

1 To provide you with an understanding of the nature of logistics studies.

2 To ensure that you are able to explain the different theories and techniques applied to the study of logistics

3 To enable you to understand the types of logistics companies and the processes they use in moving goods around the world.

4 To define and explain to you supply chain management concepts, such as the trade-off between inventory and transport costs, which have influenced the production strategies of multinational enterprises.

5 To outline the types of technologies used to provide visibility in the supply chain and increase efficiency.

6 To provide an overview of the disruptive innovations which are being developed to make international logistics more efficient, and the impact these will have on supply chain strategy.

7 To explain the increased level of risk, which has evolved through the relocation of production processes to developing countries and how multinational enterprises should deal with it. Global waste recycling issues.

8 To provide a background to the increasingly important role which ethical and environmental factors play in the development of sustainable and economically viable supply chains. The circular economy.

International Project Management Practice

Project management practice in the US and Europe is set out in a number of methods and bodies of knowledge (BOK) including the:

• US Project Management Institute’s PMBOK
• UK Association of Project Managers APMBOK
• best practice guides published by the UK Government that have built on the PRINCE method and now include Programme Management, Risk Management and Agile,
• Dynamic System Development Method (DSDM) Project Management developed by the Agile Business Consortium.

This module deals with the core activities of project management as set out in the APM BOK version 7, making comparisons with the PMBOK and PRINCE. The focus is primarily on managing a highly predictive project where the output is clearly defined and understood, for example a building construction project. Consideration is also given to projects where the solution emerges in an iterative or evolutionary way and so Agile methods are also introduced.

Students will develop the ability to create, manage and close projects effectively, and to make use of project management software. The module will introduce relevant theories and research in relation to projects as temporary social organisations, the categorisation of project types, the nature and management of risk, and the importance of stakeholder communication and management.

Practical Sustainability

This module enables the student to have the opportunity to become familiar with the award-winning practical achievements of the University in the area of environmental protection.

This will incorporate an introduction to the practices and achievements of the University’s Sustainability Department. It will lead to a one-day practical training to undertake an environmental audit, organised by the University Estates Department, followed by a Practical Audit exercise conducted among University employees. Completion of this exercise will lead to the award of the Certificate in Environmental Auditing

During the semester the students will be addressed by professional environmentalists and managers involved in changing their industries to meet and raise environmental standards.

Students will also have the opportunity to work with staff organising the ‘Green Week’ held in the spring in the University, contributing to the talks’ series, and be invited to listen to the attendant outside speakers.

Students will have the opportunity to receive environmental auditor training which is accredited by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment. After receiving the training, students will undertake a practical exercise to audit University staff including those who may have completed the National Union of Students Green Impact scheme.

Site visits may be made. Past visits have included Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Islington Borough Bunhill Combined Heat and Power site, and Cancer Research-UK. This will allow students to become familiar with different technologies and techniques that can be used to reduce the environmental impact of buildings.

Subsequently the students will be required to prepare a three thousand word proposal for a sustainability report.

The proposal may be a function of a work experience, or the result of independent research. Students will investigate a sector, an organisation, an industry or issue with the aim of making clear recommendations from the research carried out. Each student will agree a topic for the report with the module leader.

Note: If there are not sufficient student numbers to make a module viable, the School reserves the right to cancel such a module. If the School cancels a module it will use its reasonable endeavours to provide a suitable alternative.