Advanced Financial Accounting
| Module title | Advanced Financial Accounting |
|---|---|
| Module code | BEAM024 |
| Academic year | 2025/6 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Christina Dargenidou (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 70 |
|---|
Module description
Summary:
This module aims to equip students with the necessary skills for critically evaluating financial reporting information as well as the underlying accounting standards from the perspective of the user of financial statements.
Additional Information:
Internationalisation
The module’s content relies on International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) which apply to more than 100 countries around the world, as well as U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, and, therefore, prepares students for an international career.
Sustainability
Presentations, PowerPoint slides and tutorial notes are all made available on the ELE (Exeter Learning Environment).
External Engagement
This course aligns with the CFA (Chartered Financial Analysts) Institute curriculum.
Employability
Students learn to synthesize information from multiple sources and make decisions based on their own analysis of information and its context.
Module aims - intentions of the module
To equip you with knowledge and skills in key financial reporting topics relevant to contemporary practice and research. Particular attention will be paid to the application of this knowledge towards analysing companies’ financial reporting information.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Appraise various aspects of accounting standards and their relevance to the measurement of key dimensions of company operations and performance;
- 2. Assess the financial position and performance of a company under different accounting systems.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Critically appraise the usefulness of financial reporting information in light of accounting research;
- 4. Use relevant databases and existing research literature to conduct a detailed investigation of problems;
- 5. Develop rigorous conclusions based on financial reporting information and a variety of other data sources.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Plan and manage his/her own study both individually and within a group;
- 7. Make appropriate use of information resources, including sophisticated computer datasets and the financial press;
- 8. Critically address problems arising in both academic, accounting standard setting and practical contexts;
- 9. Present effectively results and achievements of collaborative projects as developed through the mode of instruction using group assignments.
Syllabus plan
- Financial reporting and analysis: Balance sheet and income statement
- Financial reporting and analysis: Cash flow statement
- Shareholders’ equity and employees’ compensation
- Liabilities and provisions
- Financial & intangible assets
- Business combinations
- Tangible assets and inventories
- Deferred tax
- Revenue recognition issues
- Accounting standard setting and financial reporting quality
- Corporate sustainability reporting
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 39 | 111 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activities | 22 | Lectures |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activities | 17 | Tutorials |
| Guided Independent Study | 111 | Reading and preparation for tutorials, workshops, and assessments |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online self-test | 5 hours | 1-3, 5, 8 | Correct answers |
| Seminar: Mini-case studies and other practical exercises relevant to group and individual assessments | 17 hours | 1-9 | Class discussion and indicative solutions posted after the class. Student engagement in developing solutions is encouraged. |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 80 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | 80 | 2 hours | 1-3, 5-8 | Written |
| Group assignment | 20 | 3000 words | 1-9 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group assignment | Individual assignment (1000 words, 20%) | 1-9 | Referral/deferral period |
| Examination | Examination (2 hours, 80%) | 1-3, 5-8 | Referral/deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 50%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 50%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Financial Statement Analysis, CFA PROGRAM CURRICULUM Level I
- Stolowy, H., & Ding, Y. (2024). Financial accounting and reporting a global perspective. (Seventh edition / Herve Stolowy, Yuan Ding.). Cengage Learning.
- Assigned research papers and articles (these will be made available through ELE)
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- ELE
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
Other useful websites:
- IAS Plus: https://www.iasplus.com/en
- The IFRS Foundation: https://www.ifrs.org/
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None, but students are expected to have undertaken some financial accounting studies at the undergraduate level. |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 01/09/06 |
| Last revision date | 08/04/2025 |
