Dr Lisa Goh, OLD 2.13

This course is intended for students on MSc Management and Strategy, MSc Management, MSc Development Management, MSc Management Science (Operational Research), MSc Law and Accounting, MPA Public and Economic Policy/MPA Public Policy and Management/MPA International Development/MPA European Public and Economic Policy/MPA Public and Social Policy, MSc Management and the Diploma in Accounting and Finance. It is also intended for MSc students who are not specialising in Accounting who have not previously studied these subjects to a significant extent but only with the agreement, in writing, of the MSc (Accounting) Course Tutor. Students who have previously studied Accounting are asked to seek advice before selecting this course.

Note: this course also forms the first half of the full-unit course AC464 Management Accounting and Financial Accounting: Decisions, Control, Reporting and Disclosure. Students wishing to take both the half-unit courses AC490 and AC491 would be required to take AC464 instead. Students cannot take AC491 in conjunction with either AC464 or AC490.

This course provides students with an introduction to financial accounting, and highlights aspects of reporting that are important to users of financial information.

The course covers the preparation of key financial statements and the frameworks of accounting regulation. The course will also cover accounting issues related to depreciation, goodwill, and intangible assets, equity, debt, and consolidation. Students will be introduced to financial statement analysis and research on the use of accounting information in financial markets.

10 weekly lectures of two hours each in MT. Classes: eight one-hour classes MT.

Students are expected to produce several pieces of written work, including accounting exercises and essays.

A detailed reading list will be made available at the start of the course. Illustrative text: J Kothari, E Barone, Financial Accounting: an International Approach (Prentice Hall, 2006).

A two-hour unseen examination in the ST (100%).  Students answer four questions (one compulsory question; two from four questions; and one out of two essay questions).