Financial Management and Accounting BA (Hons)

Study level: Undergraduate
HNC/HND courses
Two students looking at a small screen between them

The BA (Hons) Financial Management and Accounting degree is designed to equip you with the necessary skills and competences to work in finance, the lifeblood profession to all industry.

Year of entry

Location

CU Coventry (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time
Part-time

Duration

3 year - Degree
2 year - HND
1 year - HNC
Flexible part-time

Course code

392N / 393N / 394N

Start date

March 2023
May 2023
July 2023

How to apply
Book an Open Day
Download a prospectus
Contact us

Course overview

The course will enable students to make a valid contribution to managerial and accounting functions of any organisation such as sole traders, firms of partnerships, private and public companies and charitable organisations.

  • Students achieving this qualification could benefit in the workplace by acquiring the skills and knowledge required to enable them to climb the ladder of opportunity for promotion to senior positions in an organisation, for example becoming the Assistant Management Accountant in supporting the Financial Accountant in the preparation of budgets and financial statements.
  • This course also seeks to develop and embed students with a commercial awareness, a key to success in the finance and accountancy sectors, enabling graduates to show that they can understand the work of a finance organisation as well as that of the companies for which the organisation works.

Why CU Coventry

At CU Coventry, we aim to offer a career-focused experience to our students, one that is traditionally academic but is also designed to help you progress in your future career. Our offering is flexible and designed to fit around your life, allowing you to benefit from a modern, forward-thinking higher education institution, reinforced by the quality and reputation of Coventry University. We are dedicated to making higher education accessible and enjoyable for as many people as possible, so we only to cover one module at a time, allowing you to become a specialist in each topic before moving onto the next.

Accreditation & Professional Recognition

ICAEW logo

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales

This course is accredited by The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales for the 2022/23 intake. If the accreditation of this course AND/OR the modules on this course change, we would seek to notify applicants and students as soon as possible. The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) offers qualifications recognised by employers and accountancy professionals. The ICAEW will grant exemption from seven of their units. Students may also obtain the ICAEW Certificate for Finance, Accounting and Business (CFAB) providing the student completes their accounting exam.

What you'll study

The first year of the course is concerned with the application of skills for identifying and recording financial transactions in accounts and ledgers following the principles of double entry bookkeeping, drafting and interpreting the financial statements of sole traders, partnerships and limited companies. Students will also acquire knowledge of information to be presented to users of the financial statements and how to apply the rules and principles established by international accounting standards (IAS and IFRS) to these financial statements.

At the end of year one, students should be able to evaluate the appropriateness of different approaches to solving problems and communicate the results of their study or work accurately and reliably.

Students who successfully complete year one are eligible for a Higher National Certificate (HNC) in Financial Management and Accounting.

Modules

  • The specific aims of this module are to enable you to examine the institutional features of financial systems, as well as identify key issues and problems arising in Finance, both in a UK and international context.

    You will study the history and context of Financial Services in the UK, in addition to the regulatory changes that have come about as a result of recent events in the sector.

    Compulsory

  • You will learn how to apply the fundamental principles to economic problems and propose alternatives for resource allocation in order to meet the objectives of organisation. You will be able to understand the principle of supply and demand in the economy, assess the implication of production and associated costs and revenue under short and long-run production capabilities.

    Compulsory

  • An entirely theoretical module, you will learn how to implement due diligence in both the macro and micro environment. You will gain an understanding of how to operate within the legal remit, affecting precision and reliability to a high standard as an accountant. As businesses constantly enter contracts, you will also learn the basics of contract law and assess how the law impacts you as an accountant.

    Compulsory

  • This module is concerned primarily with competence in drafting and interpreting the financial statements of limited companies and budgeting which is an essential tool in planning, coordinating, authorising and cost control. You will attain competence in drafting financial statements of business entities and acquire an understanding of the fundamental management accounting concepts and techniques.

    Compulsory

Year two of this course is concerned with providing the knowledge and skills of corporate finance, which forms the basis of investment analysis and decisions and enables students to undertake a variety of risk assessments relating to financial matters. The students should understand the models of financial risk management and their application within a range of professional settings.

At the end of year two, students should be able to critically analyse, propose solutions from analysis and communicate information to specialists and non-specialists.

Students who successfully complete year two are eligible for a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Financial Management and Accounting.

Modules

  • You will be able to examine the key elements and range of investment theories; apply a range of techniques for determining the working capital management; analyse the Capital Asset Pricing Model in relation to the Arbitrage Pricing Model; and evaluate the behavioural finance and how it affects investor behaviour.

    Compulsory

  • On completion of the accounting module, you will also be proficient in the use of double entry accounting techniques and the maintenance of accounting records. You will be able to specify the components of financial statements and prepare and present non-complex accounts for a range of different business structures including sole traders, partnerships and limited companies.

    Compulsory

  • The module will widen your knowledge on corporate governance and explore the role of financial regulation and legal mechanisms in averting financial crises. The module will focus on UK/European corporate governance, financial regulation, and practices, including international developments in the Financial Industry.

    Compulsory

  • This module provide an understanding of equity-based and fee-based contracts. You will also learn how to describe Intermediation contracts in Islamic Finance, and be introduced to the framework for the Islamic Financial System and investment, the Islamic Banking System and its Financial Products.

    Compulsory

Sandwich years and placement years give you the opportunity to gain further insight into the industry or career you are seeking to follow. This enables you to contextualise the theoretical models and concepts discussed in the classroom in the work place. Furthermore, if you choose to take advantage of a placement or sandwich year, this version of the degree will help to increase your employment prospects by acquiring skills and gaining an understanding of what employers expect of graduates.

To progress to the placement year/study abroad year, a student will normally have accumulated 240 credits, 120 at level 4 and at least 90 at level 5. Students who have failed one level 5 module may be eligible to progress to their placement/year abroad but must resit their outstanding Level 5 assessment in the next available block.

The final year of this course is concerned with students being able to evaluate the concept of compliance and assurance, why compliance is required and the reasons for assurance engagements being carried out by appropriately qualified professionals.

At the end of the final year students should be able to critically discuss tax and ethical issues relating to it, evaluate the organisation’s strategic operations and evaluate incomplete data to make judgements.

Modules

  • This module will prepare you with the necessary knowledge and skills, so that you are able to contribute to the assessment of internal controls and gathering of evidence on an assurance engagement. You will also develop a critical understanding of the importance of ethical behaviour for a professional accountant and be able to assess issues relating to integrity, objectivity, conflicts of interest, conflicts of loyalty, confidentiality and independence.

    Compulsory

  • This module assumes some basic knowledge of taxation and will enable you to develop knowledge in this area to include the processes for calculating income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, taxation of trust, stamp taxes, corporation tax and Value Added Tax (VAT) in a variety of scenarios.

    Compulsory

  • You will be introduced to the application of models use for strategic planning, controlling, and monitoring of organisational performance, assess the impact of risk and uncertainty on business entity performance, incorporate technology to performance management information systems, and advice business entities on how to recognise susceptibility to corporate failure.

    Compulsory

  • This module will provide you with the opportunity to explore a topic in Accounting or Finance that is current and relevant to the Financial and Accounting sector. You will be able to demonstrate the ability to use research and enquiry skills and to know how to conduct the research project from designing it through to writing up the research proposal.

    Compulsory

How you'll learn

This course is available as a full-time or part-time course.

Our teaching methods are varied, offering a number of teaching styles to suit the needs of all our students, so in addition to lectures, we also utilise a blended learning approach, including online aspects, workshops and group work. Additional support is available via email and our online learning platform, Aula.

Progression through the modules develops knowledge and skills, including communication (written and oral), study skills, research methods, project management, presentation and career development. We will also encourage you to consider your employability and/or entrepreneurial development.

Assessment

The learning outcomes of modules, assignments and projects will be clearly stated. Your work will be marked according to how well you achieve these learning outcomes and your final feedback will refer to each outcome, as well as providing an overall percentage grade.

Assessment methods vary and include, practical class and project performance, written practical reports, project thesis, laboratory experiments, tutorial tasks and assessments, which take place at the end of each six-week block.

Course Breakdown:

  • Coursework
  • Phase Tests
  • Presentations
  • Research/reports

Entry requirements

Typical offer for 2022/23 entry.

Entry level What we're looking for
HNC 64 UCAS tariff points. Minimum 5 GCSEs graded 9-4 / A*-C including Maths and English. Minimum two A2 levels or BTEC equivalent qualification. Appropriate Foundation/Access qualification where the standard achieved is deemed equivalent to the above.
HND 80 UCAS tariff points. Minimum 5 GCSEs graded 9-4 / A*-C including Maths and English. Minimum two A2 levels or BTEC equivalent qualification. Appropriate Foundation/Access qualification where the standard achieved is deemed equivalent to the above.
Degree 104 UCAS tariff points. Minimum 5 GCSEs graded 9-4 / A*-C including Maths and English. Minimum two A2 levels or BTEC equivalent qualification. Appropriate Foundation/Access qualification where the standard achieved is deemed equivalent to the above.

If you do not have the typical entry requirements, we offer a number of programmes to help you secure a place. Successful completion of one of the below programmes guarantees you a place on a degree course with us, subject to meeting specified criteria.

Foundation Year
This degree programme has an integral stage 0 attached to it, so if you do not meet the entry requirements you may enter at the foundation level. Successful completion of our Accounting and Finance Foundation Year will guarantee you progression onto this degree programme.

Access to HE course
Access to HE courses aim to bring your academic skills and topical knowledge up to optimal standard for higher education study. If you undertake an Access to HE course and then successfully complete a degree programme, the remaining balance of your Advanced Learner Loan will be written off. Successful completion of our Business Studies Access to HE course will guarantee you progression onto this degree programme.

We recognise a breadth of qualifications, speak to one of our advisers today to find out how we can help you.

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Are you eligible for the CU Support Scheme?

We believe every student should have the opportunity to dream big, reach their potential and succeed, regardless of their background.

CU Support Scheme

Entry level What we're looking for
HNC 64 UCAS tariff points. Minimum 5 GCSEs graded 9-4 / A* - C including Maths and English. Minimum two A2 levels or BTEC equivalent qualification.
HND 80 UCAS tariff points. Minimum 5 GCSEs graded 9-4 / A* - C including Maths and English. Minimum two A2 levels or BTEC equivalent qualification.
Degree 104 UCAS tariff points. Minimum 5 GCSEs graded 9-4 / A* - C including Maths and English. Minimum two A2 levels or BTEC equivalent qualification.

If you do not have the typical entry requirements, you may want to consider studying this course with a foundation year. Upon successful completion our Accounting and Finance Foundation Year will provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to progress onto this undergraduate degree.

Alternatively, visit our International hub for further advice and guidance on how to apply and travelling to and living in the UK.

English language requirements

  • IELTS: 6.0 overall, with no component lower than 5.5.

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course. 

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Tuition Fees

We pride ourselves on offering competitive tuition fees which we review on an annual basis. Course fees are calculated on the basis of what it costs to teach each course and we aim for total financial transparency.

Student Full-time Part-time
UK £6,800 per year Not available
International £15,300 per year Not available

  • We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Your fee status determines your tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available to you. The rules about who pays UK (home) or international (overseas) fees for higher education courses in England are set by the government's Department for Education. The regulations identify all the different categories of student who can insist on paying the home rate. The regulations can be difficult to understand, so the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) has provided fee status guidance to help you identify whether you are eligible to pay the home or overseas rate.

    If you meet all the criteria required by any one category, including any residence requirements, your institution must charge you the home rate. You only need to find one category that you fit into.

Facilities

All our facilities are located at Mile Lane. Our building has been designed to enable collaboration, creativity and innovation to flourish, and includes (subject to availability):

  • Indoor and outdoor social spaces, including a café
  • A library that includes loan laptops, over 115,000 eBooks and a silent study area
  • Open access IT suites and 83-inch teaching screens
  • Engineering lab, science lab and a moot courtroom
  • Student support and careers advice teams

Careers and opportunities

On completion, you should be able to:

  • Evaluate the legal, ethical and social context, in which accounting can be seen as operating in the accountancy profession; business entity; the capital markets; and the public sector.
  • Apply the main current technical language and practices of accounting in regard to recognition, measurement and disclosure of financial statements; managerial accounting; auditing and taxation on a national and international basis.
  • Critically evaluate the main current technical language and practices of accounting in regard to alternative recognition rules and valuation bases, accounting rules applicable nationally and internationally, different managerial accounting methods used in management control and decision making.
  • Apply the relevant skills in recording and summarising transactions and other economic events; preparation of financial statements using international standards; performance measurement of managers and business entities; management control; analysis of financial ratios or performance indicators, discounted cash flow analysis, budgeting and forecasting, and financial options and associated risks. These skills must be in the contexts in which accounting data and information is processed and provided within a variety of organisational environments.
  • Critically evaluate contemporary theories and empirical evidence, concerning the operation and effects of accounting, in the contexts of accounting and accountability; accounting and corporate governance; accounting and capital markets; accounting and sustainability; and auditing.
  • An appreciation of the nature of the contexts in which finance can be seen as operating, including knowledge of the institutional framework necessary for understanding the role, operation and function of markets and financial institutions (for example, the economic, ethical, legal, political, regulatory, social and tax environment, both national and international; the firm; the capital markets; and the public sector).
  • An understanding of the financing arrangements and governance mechanisms and structures of business entities, and an appreciation of how theory and evidence can be combined to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of such arrangements (for example, decisions as to sources of finance and financial structure; the pricing of corporate securities; the market for corporate control; corporate governance; financial planning; and international dimensions of finance).

You should be able to:

  • Demonstrate critical thinking on the accounting and financial management conceptual, theoretical frameworks and assumptions behind them.
  • Exercise sound judgments in the selection of different methods and approaches available to deal with complex accounting and financial management problems in modern business world.
  • Develop logical and coherent arguments.
  • Demonstrate diagnostic and decision-making skills in dealing with accounting and financial management problems.
  • Work out the implications of emerging accounting and finance issues and debates.
  • Design and conduct research in accounting and financial management using appropriate methodologies to advance knowledge in these areas. 

This course is designed to prepare you for all types of personal and professional financial management and could be a catalyst to future careers in financial services as professional accountants, financial analysts and financial consultants.

It provides the opportunity to confirm your passion for this field before committing to study more intensive professional accounting and finance qualifications.

You could also benefit from a wide range of desirable professional skills including, team working, critical evaluation, problem-solving, action planning and organising, written and oral communication, questioning and listening.

You will have the opportunity to further develop your transferable skills in areas such as, achievement orientation, initiative and creativity, decisiveness, adaptability and flexibility.

How to apply

  • Student Contract

    By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the CU Group. A copy of the 2022/23 contract can be found here. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the CU Group will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at CU Coventry.

    Tuition fees

    The tuition fee for the course that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For UK and EU students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation. Following the UK’s exit from the European Union, EU students should be aware that there may be a change to UK laws following the UK’s exit, this may change their student status, their eligibility to study part time, and/or their eligibility for student finance. We will act in accordance with the UK’s laws in force in relation to student tuition fees and finance from time to time.

    For International students the tuition fee that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For international students, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation.

    Accreditations

    Many of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the CU Group maintaining the same high standards of course delivery. 

    Facilities

    Facilities mentioned on this page may not be relevant for every course. Due to the ongoing restrictions relating to COVID-19, some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) and some non-academic offerings (particularly in relation to international experiences), may vary from those advertised and may have reduced availability or restrictions on their use.

    Placements and study abroad opportunities

    Please note that we are unable to guarantee any placement or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (e.g. travel, visas and accommodation etc.), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the requirements in this regard, please contact the International Office for further details if you are an EU or International student.

    Additional costs

    This course may incur additional costs associated with any field trips, placements or work experience, study abroad opportunities or any other opportunity (whether required or optional), which could include (but is not limited to), equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas.

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