LEEDS BECKETT UNIVERSITY

Course Specification BA (Hons) Business Accounting with Finance

BBAWF

2018-19

www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk

Record of Enhancement No. Detail of modification

(Provide a brief description of the modification and where the Course Specification has been updated)

Date Effective (Indicate the academic year of entry and course level(s) to which the modification will apply)

1-1 Title of optional module H6 Business Ethics, Governance & Social Responsibility updated to H6 Governance, Ethics & Corporate Social Responsibility to run in line with other provision. H6 Management & Leadership Development corrected as per module spec from 100% assignment to 50% report / 50% set exercise. Approved at SAC 15/05/18.

2019/20 (Level 6)

Version Control

For completion by Quality Assurance Services only

Next Re-validation date

Version Control

Version number and date effective

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Target award, course title and programme code: BAH Business Accounting with Finance BBAWF

Level of qualification: H6

Course Rationale and Philosophy:

The BA (Hons) Business Accounting with Finance award provides students with understanding and knowledge of technical business accounting, finance and investment. In addition it incorporates a specific focus on understanding and developing employability skills and attributes. The course will enable graduates to pursue a career either in accounting, finance or business and it will support entry into postgraduate studies within any of these areas.

Overview and Aims: The BA (Hons) Business Accounting with Finance course will run in the Accounting and Finance subject group within the Leeds Business School. The overall aim of courses delivered within the subject group is derived from the QAA subject benchmarks and is:

To enable graduates to make an effective contribution to the financial management and administration of organisations through developing those key skills and abilities considered to be necessary for the financial management of organisations in the future.

The BA (Hons) Business Accounting with Finance syllabus includes accounting, financial management, investments, and employability skills. This syllabus combines with the development of graduate attributes to maximise the breadth of available employment opportunities. It will link with professional bodies and will seek professional body acredditation but it will not seek to maximise the exemptions. Consequently the course will retain more control over both syllabus developments and assessment methods than is otherwise possible. Modules on this Course also have been designed in order to be able to accord with the likely framework of the new Degree Apprenticeship programme and the employability skills those awards seek to develop. This course satisfies a demand from home based and international students who are less focussed on the professional accreditations and prefer the wider range of assessment methods. It also accords with the policy of most of our competitor UK universities who offer such wider courses. In addition, it will provide another

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possible pathway for BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance students who may prefer a wider range of subjects and different assessment methods.

Graduate attributes Graduates of the award have the attributes required for an honours degree at H6 and our University’s graduate attributes of enterprise, digital literacy and global outlook (which are addressed in detail on page 13). The BA (Hons) Business Accounting with Finance course combines factual knowledge and interpretation with the conceptual understanding necessary to deal with future developments in the subject whilst providing employability and personal skills designed to equip graduates for a life-long career. Its content covers enterprises of all sizes and natures (profit making or non-profit making) and it recognises both national and international aspects of accounting, finance and related subjects. To help students as they move towards graduation, a high level of support is offered to them outside the classroom e.g. staff ‘Feedback and Consultation’ (desk time) sessions and Personal Tutoring. Accreditation: While the primary aim of the course is not to maximise professional body accreditation, there will still be several exemptions that will be available for graduates of the BA (Hons) Business Accounting with Finance. In addition, there are opportunities to link up professional non-accounting financial institutes not through accreditation, but by aligning module content enabling students to achieve a professional qualification in addition to the degree.

Course Learning Outcomes: At the end of the Course students will be able to:

1 construct and analyse financial statements and financial information using a range of techniques and appropriate e-tools in order to critically appraise their value in decision making

2 critically appraise current developments in accounting and finance including evaluating contemporary theories and empirical evidence

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3 recognize the contribution of accounting and finance to a diverse range of enterprises and society as a whole and be capable of describing and commenting on accounting and finance research using appropriate data and methodologies

4 engage in the workplace as an ethical professional and develop skills required to contribute in a graduate-level role

Level Learning Outcomes: At Level 4 students will be able to:

1 use double entry bookkeeping and be able to prepare basic sets of financial statements in accordance with accounting regulations

2 explain in detail and make sense of the regulatory and business environment

3 gather and organise data using appropriate tools, quantitative and statistical techniques and demonstrate a fundamental knowledge of management accounting including costing and budgeting

4 apply theory and practice to self-development through appropriate academic and study skills.

At Level 5 students will be able to:

1 prepare financial statements in accordance with generally applicable financial reporting frameworks and examine more complex accounting problems using a variety of techniques, and be aware of the limitations of these techniques

2 examine business ethics in the decision making process

3 develop effective career planning to maximise future opportunities

4 examine how an organisation’s financial resources are managed and contribute to the attainment of organisational objectives, including their application to realistic scenarios

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At Level 6 students will be able to:

1 construct and analyse financial statements and financial information using a range of techniques and appropriate e-tools in order to critically appraise their value in decision making

2 critically appraise current developments in accounting and finance including

evaluating contemporary theories and empirical evidence

3 recognize the contribution of accounting and finance to a diverse range of enterprises and society as a whole and be capable of describing and commenting on accounting and finance research using appropriate data and methodologies

4 engage in the workplace as an ethical professional and develop skills required to contribute in a graduate-level role

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Course Structure NB The following module clusters should be delivered in the order listed below: Financial Reporting Introduction to Accounting (L4), Introduction to Financial Statement Preparation (L4), Producing/Interpreting Group Financial Statements (L5) and Accounting Issues (L6). Management Accounting Introduction to Accounting (L4), Management Accounting and Data Analysis (L4), Intermediate Management Accounting (L5) and Accounting Issues (L6) Financial Management Financial Management (L5), Finance and Investment Management (L5)

Level 4

The expectations of Level 4 are addressed below in the paragraphs on page 8 in the Learning and Teaching Approaches (Pedagogic Principles).

Semester 1 Core (Y) Semester 2 Core (Y) Introduction to Accounting Y Introduction to Financial

Statements

Y

Corporate and Business Law

Y Management Accounting and Data Analysis

Y

Business Context

Y Business Practice Y

Level 5

The expectations of Level 5 are addressed below in the paragraphs on page 9 in the Learning and Teaching Approaches (Pedagogic Principles).

Semester 1 Core (Y) Semester 2 Core (Y) Business Ethics

Y Financial Management Y

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Employability and Career Planning

Y Producing/Interpreting Group Financial Statements

Y

Intermediate Management Accounting

Y Option module (see list below)

N

Indicative option modules Personal Taxation Finance in Practice Managerial Decision Making Business Journalism Management and Strategy Management of Change Managing in Public and Private Sectors

Level 6

The expectations of Level 6 are addressed below in the paragraphs on page 9 in the Learning and Teaching Approaches (Pedagogic Principles).

Semester 1 Core (Y) Semester 2 Core (Y) Strategic Planning and Control

Y Accounting Issues Y

Finance and Investment Management

Y Applied Finance for Enterprise

Y

Option module:

N Option Module:

N

Indicative option modules Option Modules are approved to run on a course in either semester unless otherwise stated. Currently the options for this course run as per the structure below due to resource implications. There is no academic rationale why these modules could not be offered in a different order subject to resources.

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Semester 1 Semester 2

Cross-Cultural Management & Diversity Cross Cultural Management & Diversity Management & Leadership Development

Management & Leadership Development

Reward Management Reward Management Leadership Strategy & Change Audit and Assurance International Business Finance Leading Innovation & Change Governance, Ethics & Corporate Social Responsibility

Project & Risk Management

Dissertation (40 credits) (year long)

Work Placement (20 credits) (year long) Consultancy Project (20 credits) (year long)

Contained awards available:

Award Title Level Credits

BA Business Accounting with Finance H6 300

DIPHE Business Accounting with Finance H5 240

CRTHE Business Accounting with Finance H4 120

Length and status of programme and mode of study:

Length (years)

Status (FT/PT) Mode (campus based/DL or other)

4 years 4 years SW Campus based

3 years 3 years FT Campus based

4 to 6 years* PT Campus based

*Part time is shown as 4 to 6 years because this provides flexibility for those students

whose circumstances would benefit from spending 2 years completing one or more of the levels.

Learning and Teaching

Learning and Teaching Approaches

Pedagogic Principles The BA (Hons) Business Accounting with Finance course adopts the School’s and University’s Education Strategy adopted in July 2016. This philosophy promotes The Learning Pathway under which;

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“students will follow a coherent course of study, underpinned by relevant research, which engages them, academically and professionally, builds their self-confidence and develops their expertise in their subject. They will be supported throughout each level of their course (and between undergraduate and postgraduate study) and encouraged to reflect upon their learning experience alongside their academic, professional and personal development. Development of this approach is as much about the way in which we work with our students as about the content of their modules, strengthening a narrative of learning within a coherent course structure.” Level 4: Engagement “Our emphasis at level 4 is upon transition, enabling all students to understand, and meet, the challenges of learning within a University and supporting their success at the next levels of their course. By the end of level 4, students will be oriented and integrated into their learning environment. They will also be fully prepared for the remainder of their courses, with a sound understanding of the key concepts and knowledge required for successful completion. Students will have begun to develop the full range of skills needed to complete their courses and will be engaging confidently both with their course teams and with each other.” Key subject concepts and knowledge are covered in H4. The contextual framework of the subject is studied in semester 1 modules on the legal and business environment, and the core techniques of both financial and management accounting are introduced in ITA. In semester 2 Accounting is then developed and more technical aspects introduced in the modules Introduction to Financial Statements and Mangement Accounting and Data Analysis which provides the quantatitve methods and knowledge required to support the techniques and calculations of other modules. To support the students’ transition to learning within a university and to begin their development towards independent learning, the coursework in semester 1 Introduction to Accounting requires students to reflect upon their own skills and competencies at that point and to generate a plan for their development. Business Context has a presentation assessment that helps to develop the skills needed to engage confidently with others. Through group presentation and individual reflection the module Business Practice develops personal skills and abilities to enable students to tackle real life problems. There is support through the personal tutoring scheme, an early assessment and feedback opportunity in semester 1, and the extended induction initiative. Level 5: Contextualisation “Our emphasis at level 5 is upon consolidation and deeper contextualisation. At this intermediate stage, students will become more immersed in their subject, and able to reflect critically, both upon its nature and place within their future professional and/or academic lives. Students will begin to deepen and extend their awareness of the academic, professional and personal opportunities available upon graduation and will be supported and encouraged to put their knowledge and skills into practice in an employment-related context”.

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To consolidate and deepen the contextualisation for accounting and finance, H5 develops the three main academic strands of the award: 1. financial reporting (with more complex and additional challenges in Group Financial Statements); 2. management accounting (progressing to more complex and additional costing and budgeting techniques); and 3. H5 introduces and develops financial management. Until H4 (or its equivalent) knowledge is attained, Financial Management would be too technically challenging for proper study so it is introduced at H5. The Business Ethics module includes examination of business behaviours and responsibilities reflecting on employment-related skills and opportunities. Financial Management incorporates presentations in groups. The Employability and Career Planning module will help students to prepare and prepare themselves as strong candidates for graudate roles in the market place. The Placement option is promoted and supported as well and is a further chance for students to gain valuable work based skills. Level 6: Independence “Our emphasis at level 6 is upon the strengthening and development of independence and the further growth of students as critical thinkers, increasingly knowledgeable and reflective, both about their own academic development and about the research environment of their subject. All students will be offered the opportunity to demonstrate this development, through a sustained piece of work (with a potential for interdisciplinary working) which shows them to be academically and professionally capable. They will be able to demonstrate the application of their knowledge and skills within real-world contexts, as well as exemplifying our University’s graduate attributes.” The H6 modules develop the students’ independence, criticality, and reflection. For example, SPAC uses a business simulation that requires students to apply their subject knowledge and techniques in a business scenario and then to reflect on that experience. Students have to apply accounting within a wider commercial context including areas such as marketing, HR and international trade. Accounting Issues challenges students to critique the core concepts and techniques of accounting and to consider how the subject might develop in the future. A sustained piece of work carries over from SPAC into Accounting Issues. As a supplement and extension to this students may choose the dissertation elective. Strategic Planning and Control requires application of both analytical and reflective skills and Accounting Issues provides the opportunity to demonstrate critical analysis skills at a greater depth. Both Finance and Investment Management and Applied Finance for Enterprise provide opportunities to develop practical planning skills in a business they could start on graduation and a greater awareness of the financial and investment marketplace. Face-to-Face teaching continues to be an integral part of most modes of delivery within this course. This is combined with the use of our VLE which is key part of our curriculum and Learning and Teaching strategy. All modules on the course have an active presence on the VLE.

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Integration of theory and practice Students use live data throughout their studies e.g. Business Context, Employability and Career Planning, Financial Management, Group Financial Statements, Finance and Investment Management, Applied Finance for Enterpirse. Speakers from the professions contribute to the course e.g. representatives from Redmayne Bentley – stockbrokers, Audit Partnership– Haines Watts. Level 5 students are encouraged to complete a relevant work placement and relevant sessions from the Guest Lecture programme and other external speakers are promoted to all students.

Development of and opportunities for independent learning The course moves students from dependence through interdependence to independence in learning. Students are initially guided in the research and tasks required but as they progress through the course students are expected to take increasing responsibility for their own learning. During the course the following assist the development of the independence of learning:

Early assessment in Introduction to Accounting requiring consideration of independent learning.

Desk times

Options provided for H5 and H6

Personal tutoring in the final year to be primarily reactive to the student and supportive rather than proactive or fixed

The Accounting Issues assessment encourages students to develop their knowledge of those parts of the syllabus which most interest them, beyond the material provided by the course team and to develop coherent arguments for and critiques of accounting techniques

Placement opportunities

Within the VLE some modules provide additional activities beyond the immediately assessable material such as web links, online quizzes, podcasts etc.

At level 6 students are expected to be motivated and self-disciplined independent learners, and directed study is reduced. This development is supported by the VLE and tutor consultation and feedback. Reflection which underpins the development of autonomous learning is included in assessed activities at each level: Introduction to Accounting, Employability and Career Planning, Business Practice and Strategic Planning and Control. Education for Employment In a knowledge-based society it is increasingly important to become effective life-long learners. Learning is a central lifelong task that provides the basis for personal development and a successful career. Employability is a central theme of the course as it maintains strong links with the professional accounting bodies and offers a large number of professional body exemptions. The Business Practice and Employability

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and Career Planning modules develop those subject specific skills that are valued by employers. Open and Flexible Approach to Learning The curriculum has been designed to encourage participation and acknowledges the needs of an increasingly diverse student body. The VLE is widely used to support learning for students, for example by providing material on a weekly basis and updating material. It is increasingly used in formative assessment (e.g. through on-line tests and podcasts). Students are able to move from part-time to full-time status and vice versa where necessary. Tutors offer weekly consultation slots outside formal class times and support students through email and telephone communication.

Learning and Teaching Activities

The delivery of the course is based on a standard model of lecture (typically 2 hours) followed by seminar (typically 2 hours). (Total = 4 hours). Lectures deliver key knowledge. Seminars facilitate enhancement and application of knowledge through use of case studies, simulations, projects, critical readings, and so on. Seminars also bridge the gap from module content to module assessment, helping students to prepare for and engage with summative assessment tasks. Finally seminars offer guidance on additional independent learning, for example by extension tasks, guide for further reading and additional resources. Throughout the course students experience a range of learning and teaching activities e.g. lectures, seminars, supervised computer lab workshops, supported by on-line resources. Seminar preparation is also supported by the use of VLE tools e.g. document and web links will direct students to reading materials and additional activities in a range of modules such as Introduction to Accounting (H4), Business Practice, Employability and Career Planning, Applied Finance for Enterprise and Accounting Issues (H6). Students are able to self-check their understanding by completing online quizzes. Additional module support is provided by tutors in their weekly consultation drop in sessions. Students are guided and encouraged to develop independent study skills. Students are encouraged to value the contributions of their peers, for example in the preparation of a group presentation in the Business Context module and Business Practice at level H4 and in Financial Management in H5. Strategic Planning and Control level H6 involves students working in groups to manage and carry out a business simulation project synthesizing, applying, and reflecting on the knowledge and skills developed throughout the award. The Award’s subject benchmarks, graduate attributes and the university’s Education Strategy combine to generate a broad syllabus. Four key subject themes are however identifiable, and are developed within the Award.

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Financial Reporting is introduced at a basic level in Introduction to Accounting. It is further developed in Level 4 in Introduction to Financial Statements Preparation where students are expected to understand key accounting statements such as the Income Statement. In level 5 students are expected to be able to produce and analyse more complex financial statements for a group of companies in the Producing / Interpreting Group Financial Statements. In Accounting Issues students are expected to critically evaluate current financial reporting and professional ethics.

Management Accounting is introduced at a basic level in Introduction to Accounting. It is further developed at Level 4 in Management Accounting and Data Analysis where students are expected to apply management accounting principles and statistical techniques to simple planning and decision-making scenarios. In level 5 they will be expected to solve more complex planning and decision-making problems using a wider range of techniques in Intermediate Management Accounting. They will also be able to use a range of techniques to measure and critically evaluate organisational performance. In Accounting Issues students will identify and critically evaluate recent developments in management accounting theory and practice.

Financial Management is introduced in Level 5 once the necessary underpinning knowledge has been gained. In the H5 Financial Management module students are expected to develop an understanding of the structure of business finance and its application to the decision making processes within organisations. At Level 6 in Financial and Investment Management students will investigate corporate financing from both strategic and global perspectives and be able to critically appraise corporate financial performance.

Employabilty skills and attributes are a key focus of the course and specific modules target these from H4 Business Practice, H5 Business Ethics and Employablity and Career Planning, and H6 Applied Finance for Enterprise.

Graduate Attributes The Graduate Attributes of Enterprise, Digital Literacy and Global Outlook have been identified by the University as the three overarching features that will distinguish Leeds Beckett graduates and make them attractive potential employees of leading businesses. Enterprise H4

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In Business Context at Level 4 students consider the environment in which businesses operate and how an ethical culture can be promoted within organisations. Enterprise is also assessed in this module as students have to present (30%) on a real business. In Corporate and Business Law students investigate and are assessed on the legal requirements involved in setting up different types of business organisation. In Management Accounting and Data Analysis students develop enterprise skills by calculating and appraising different approaches to both short and long term Managerial Decision Making. These skills are also assessed through examination in this module. H5 Business Ethics requires students to reflect on real business problems relating to decision making. Employability and Career Planning requires students to review businesses of all sizes and consider their suitability for the enterprises. The lecture programme offered by the Placement Office which is included in students’ timetables encourages them to consider different opportunities. H6 In SPAC students are required to run a business within a simulation which includes the preparation of a long term business plan and strategic decision making. It is assessed via coursework. This module also provides students with the opportunity to use and develop their group working and communication skills. In H6 Appied Finance for Enterprise students are required to develop their own plan, including marketing and production strategies for a real business they could set up. Digital Literacy H4 Digital literacy is enhanced from induction onwards through the introduction to and use of university e-services e.g. VLE, portal, library and email. Throughout the course students are expected to use appropriate e-tools to locate, access and utilise information that facilitate learning e.g. library e-catalogue and search engines. In particular Level 4 students use Excel spreadsheets to create, manipulate and analyse data in the Management Accounting and Data Analysis module. In this module students classroom based learning is supported by podcasts and multiple choice formative feedback tests on MyBeckett. Business Practice requires online research on companies. Feedback is provided online for both students and staff to determine progress and areas for further development. H5 Digital literacy is further developed in Level 5. Students have to extract and manipulate information from financial statement databases, such as FAME, in order to prepare for the pre-seen question in the Group Financial Statements exam. The analytical work in Employability and Career Planning requires students to research

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the corporate and career sectors and also to present themselves professionally on social media tools such as LinkedIn. H6 Students continue to demonstrate digital literacy at Level 6 e.g. In the Strategic Planning and Control module students are required to prepare a set of final accounts using Excel and to run ’what if’ scenarios using IT. In Accounting Issues students use a variety of online research resources to develop their thoughts. Applied Finance for Enterprise requires the use of excel spreadsheets and what if scenarios for their plans. Global Outlook H4 In Level 4 students are introduced to the International Accounting Standards as well as UK regulations in the Introduction to Financial Statements. Also in Business Context – imlpications for strategies and decision making in multinational organisations. H5 In Group Financial Statements students will be more aware of the global perspective as they evaluate the impact of diverse global contexts upon business risk and also consider practical accounting issues associated with international business operations. In Intermediate Management Accounting will evaluate performance within divisionalised organisations including multi-nationals is evaluated. Business Ethics will deal with global ethical and social responsibility issues. H6 Global outlook is further developed at level 6 e.g. in Strategic Planning and Control module students will run a business simulation within a global market, and in Finance and Investment Management global financial issues will be studied as they influence the markets. The highly discursive nature of seminars at Level 6 means students will be encouraged to share perspectives e.g. discussion of development of tax regulation in different countries and corporate governance, financial reporting and audit arrangements within a global context. In Accounting Issues students consider many international aspects of MNCs and global business activities. Use of the Virtual Learning Environment At induction students are introduced to a VLE accessed through the university portal. Announcements are made on the portal to inform students of university-wide events, and group announcements are made to both students across the course, and to all, or to students at specific Levels, as appropriate. Students’ individual

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timetables are provided through the VLE. Modules all provide a “MyBeckett” site designed to meet at least the minimum VLE design expectations of the university. All lectures are recorded on the Panopto system and these are accessible through the VLE. This aids revision and allows students who are not able to attend the lecture to catch up. This practice appears not to have an impact of the levels of attendance. All module leaders on the course are expected to post learning materials and full course documentation, including assessment specifications and criteria, on MyBeckett, and we aim to increase the use of MyBeckett facilities for submission of work and to provide assessment feedback, both generic and to individual students. These practices are already commonplace on the course. Turnitin is also employed extensively for the purpose of assignment submission and feedback, and its use will be further expanded on the proposed version of the degree. Communication enhances students’ experience and allows greater levels of student satisfaction to be achieved. As professional educators the university staff use and endorse tools such as those above in order to promote their use in the workplace by our graduates as a part of their daily routine.

Student Support Network

If you have a question or a problem relating to your course, your Course Administrator is there to help you. Course Administrators works closely with academic staff and can make referrals to teaching staff or to specialist professional services as appropriate. They can give you a confirmation of attendance letter, and a transcript. You may also like to contact your Course Rep or the Students’ Union Advice team for additional support with course-related questions. If you have any questions about life at our University in general, call into or contact the Student Hub on either campus to speak to our Student Experience Team. This team, consisting of recent graduates and permanent staff, are available to support you throughout your time here. They will make sure you have access to and are aware of the support, specialist services, and opportunities our University provides. There is a Student Hub on the ground floor of the Rose Bowl at City Campus and one in Campus Central at Headingley. You can also find the team in the Gateway in the Leslie Silver Building at City Campus. The telephone number is 0113 812 3000, and the e-mail address is StudentHub@leedsbeckett.ac.uk. Within MyBeckett you will see two tabs (Support and Opportunities) where you can find online information and resources for yourselves. The Support tab gives you access to details of services available to give you academic and personal support. These include Library Services, the Students’ Union, Money advice,

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Disability advice and support, Wellbeing, International Student Services and Accommodation. There is also an A-Z of Support Services, and access to online appointments/registration. The Opportunities tab is the place to explore the options you have for jobs, work placements, volunteering, and a wide range of other opportunities. For example, you can find out here how to get help with your CV, prepare for an interview, get a part-time job or voluntary role, take part in an international project, or join societies closer to home. Induction The course induction welcomes students and introduce their peers and university staff such as the Student Liaison Officer, Course Administrator, Personal Tutors and Course Leader. Students are introduced to the university ICT environment for communication, and encouraged to participate in school, student union and university welcome activities. At induction to each year, tutors, administrative support, library, and student liaison staff speak to the students about the support that is available. This includes matters relating to course specific issues, mitigation processes, and wider issues, such as finance and accommodation. The course will adopt the extended induction processes that are currently being piloted under a module entitled ‘Study Essentials’ which is proposed to be adopted in some form from 2017/18. Personal tutor system Each student has a Personal Tutor who they are required to see individually twice a year in scheduled meetings, and in addition students are encouraged to seek advice from Personal Tutors when required throughout the year. In scheduled meetings the Personal Tutors main focus is as follows: Level 4: Adjustment to University life and study; this may include academic skills; student performance (grades per module); advice on non-curriculum issues affecting studies; H5 option selection; monitoring and support. In order to encourage attendance at the first personal tutor meeting in Semester 1, the student is informed that the feedback on their first Coursework assessment (in Introduction to Accounting) will be provided in this meeting. Extra time is programmed for the meeting to facilitate this. Level 5: Contextualising the student’s performance which may include: academic skills; student performance (grades per module); advice on non-curriculum issues affecting studies; work placement and related vocational skills issues; monitoring and support. Students undertaking the study abroad option at level 5 are supported

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and monitored utilising established links with the International Placement support team and ERASMUS placement teams. Level 6: The focus is on encouraging the student’s independent learnings and critical analysis skills and the support may include: academic skills; student performance (grades per module); advice on non-curriculum issues affecting studies; career/job market preparation and related vocational skills issues; degree classification issues; monitoring and support. Where possible, students will retain the same personal tutor for the 3 academic years of study. All placement students have a personal tutor during their year. Where for whatever reason, a student prefers to seek support from other than their personal tutor, they may ask for support from any tutor, depending on the tutor’s availability and other commitments. Further support is also available from the PL Student Experience, the Course Leader and level leaders.

Assessment Strategy

Assessment is part of the learning process and as such supports and complements the learning and teaching strategy. Though the course is an accountancy based award, there is less focus on the professional examination exemptions that BA Accounting and Finance provides for graduates wanting to pursue a professional career. Therefore there is less focus on examination based assessments which the PSRBs require and there is an opportunity for other forms of assessment in addition to examinations. The objectives of the assessment strategy therefore are to:

show clear constructive alignment at module and course level

set the number, timing and form of assessment so that the student experience is as varied as possible;

determine as accurately as possible the extent to which students have achieved the outcomes of each module, each level and the course as a whole;

provide appropriate and timely feedback to students in line with university policy.

Feedback on Assessed Work In line with University policy, staff use MyBeckett to disseminate assessment specifications and criteria. In addition it is disseminated in hard copy Module Handbook guidelines and through taught sessions. MyBeckett and Turnitin are also increasingly employed for electronic submission of student work, and for return of work with feedback and grades to students.

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All modules adhere to the University’s target of a four-week turnaround on student work. All modules offer formative feedback opportunities through seminars and other regular access to tutors. Examples include: all tutors have weekly drop-in ‘Feedback and Consultation’ times; ongoing feedback in weekly seminars; mock exams with peer review; provisional marks are provided to students usually within a period of 3 weeks of the assessment date; generic feedback will be provided via the VLE. Following the publication of marks all students have the opportunity for individual face-to-face feedback on exam and coursework performance. The first coursework assessement in Level 4 on Introduction to Accounting gives feedback to every student through the first personal tutor meeting thus reinforcing the personal tutor system.

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Module Assessment Methods (core modules only, please tick () all which apply)

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Level 4

Introduction to Accounting

Business Context

Corporate and Business Law

Management Accounting and Data Analysis

Introduction to Financial Statements Preparation

Business Practice

Level 5

Business Ethics

Employability and Career Development

Intermediate Management Accounting

Financial Management

Producing/Interpreting Group Financial Statements

Level 6

Finance and Investment Management

Applied Finance for Enterprise

Accounting Issues

Strategic Planning and Control

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Work Related Activities

Due to the strong relationship of the tutors with the professional bodies and buisnesses, most of the material within the course deals with simulated business situations and scenarios, thus replicating work related activities. Additionally, students have the opportunity of spending a year on a paid work placement, in the UK or abroad, between Levels 5 and 6. The School’s Placement Office will help them find a place in accounting or business in private, public or voluntary sector organisations. Students who have gone on placement return with excellent references and greatly enhanced employability skills. If students elect to do this it is a level 6 option module. Students undertaking a placement will attend an additional job search programme delivered by the School Placement manager. Placement or Work Related Activity Level: 6 Placement or Work Related Activity Length in Weeks: 48 weeks

Type of Placement or work related activity: Industry related. Placement activities include work that has a financial bias including working within a financial function of the employer or utilising financial tools in the placement.

Reference Points used in course design and delivery: All our courses leading to Leeds Beckett University awards have been designed and approved in accordance with UK and European quality standards. Our courses utilise the Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications (FEHQ) and where relevant subject benchmarks (where these are available) and professional, statutory and regulatory body requirements (for professionally accredited courses). We review our courses annually and periodically, responding to student feedback and a range of information to enhance our courses. Our University is also subject to external review by the Quality Assurance Agency. Our latest report can be found on the QAA web site at http://www.qaa.ac.uk/reviews-and-reports We appoint External Examiners to verify that our University sets and maintains standards for awards which adhere to relevant national subject benchmark statements and the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (UK), ensure standards and student achievements are comparable with other Higher Education Institutions in the UK, with which they are familiar, and ensure that assessments measure achievement of course and module learning outcomes and reach the

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required standard. External Examiners may also provide feedback on areas of good practice or potential enhancement.

Staff Teaching on the Course: Details of our highly qualified permanent teaching staff are on our website, including those who are involved in teaching, research and administration associated with the course.

Regulatory Exemption details: Use of the word ‘with’. Approved 26/01/2017

Scheduled Non-Modular Contact Hours

All academic staff hold scheduled consultation and feedback sessions (usually 2 hours a week) where they are available for students to drop in and discuss their academic studies. From 2017/18 there will be an additional timetabled 12 hours in each semester for extended induction. This is being piloted during 2016/17 in a module called Study Essentials and the topics covered may include:

Excel skills

Presentation skills

Academic integrity

Learning resources

Regulations

Degree classifications

Quality processes

Study techniques and support

Course representatives and student voice

Volunteering and extracurricular activities

Employability, CV writing and interview techniques

Report writing and showing workings for assessments

Course structures