Accounting and Finance - MSc

Compulsory Modules

Financial Markets

This module aims to explore and formalise the fundamental relationships between investors’ decision-making in the presence of uncertainty (“risk”) and the cross-sectional and inter-temporal properties of the prices and returns of financial assets. The module is focused on making important links between financial theory and practice.

Corporate Financial Management

Gain an introduction to the principles of corporate finance. This module will illustrate how the basic tools and techniques of modern finance theory can be applied to analyse and improve the investment and financing decisions of the firm.

Management Accounting & Control

Gain an in-depth analysis of several key issues relating to the control of managerial performance. The module takes a critical stance and draws heavily on the latest research material, both theoretical and empirical, to examine topics of contemporary interest in the field of management accounting and control.

Financial Reporting & Financial Statement Analysis

Learn to interpret financial statements in context and apply appropriate models and techniques for company valuation and related business issues. Explore how accounting provides data for corporate finance analysis.

Financial Accounting: Theory and Context

Develop awareness of the contingent and powerful nature of technical accounting. This module helps advance critical understanding of financial reporting quality and its role in generating trust in the capital markets.

Research Methods in Accounting

Gain an overview of the various dominant research methodologies in accounting research, ranging from econometrics through to interviews, case studies, experiments and various forms of textual analysis. This module will provide you with a good understanding of how accounting does, and should, work in practice.

Example Optional Modules

Practice of Investment Management

This module aims to give students a realistic experience of the responsibilities involved in managing money for clients. It provides an introduction to practical investment management techniques, encouraging students to engage with current topics in the financial news and understand what effect such news may have for the securities they manage.

Accounting Information & Markets

Develop your understanding of how reported accounting numbers affect firm value. Learn how firms’ disclosure choices may be perceived by market participants and how this affects the values assigned to those firms.

Financial Risk Management

Understand the need for financial risk management, the techniques to measure financial risks according to the regulatory framework, and tools for the management of risk exposure. You will also be introduced to quantitative methods of risk measurement and risk management.

International Financial Markets

You will be provided with an advanced survey of the theory and evidence relating to international financial markets, and in particular the foreign exchange market.

Auditing & Assurance

Understand the social importance, nature and objectives of the audit function. You will also appreciate the issues and complexities of the audit process and the principles of audit practice.

Corporate Governance and Financial Reporting

The aim of the module is to discuss the position of governance in corporate contracting and how it helps align the actions of managers with the interests of shareholders

Fixed Income & Credit Risk

Get to grips with the tools for the assessment and management of fixed income and credit risk.

Mergers and Acquisitions & Corporate Control

This module is designed to introduce you to the basic issues in mergers and acquisitions from a corporate finance point of view and is based on the main research papers in the field.

Advanced Financial Reporting

Build on your accounting knowledge by developing an integrated and critical understanding of the major 'themes' of accounting, examining in depth current topics in financial reporting. You will develop your technical knowledge and skills adopting a critical perspective on recent developments and ideas in financial reporting.

Derivative Securities

Develop an in-depth understanding of the characteristics of different classes of derivative securities such as forwards and futures, swaps and options; the markets in which these securities are traded; their potential use as instruments for managing risk; methods for valuing these securities; and the application of these methods in other areas of finance.

Judgement & Decision-Making

This module will introduce you to the psychology of human judgement and decision making. You will gain a broader understanding of decision-making throughout the finance industry, including strategic and managerial decision-making.