MA565 – Foundations of Accounting & Finance
Master of Science in Financial Law and International Taxation
Core Course
MA565 – Foundations of Accounting & Finance
Course Unit Code: MA565
Type Of Unit: Elective
Level of Course Unit: Second cycle
Year of Study: First/second year
Semester: On demand
Number of ECTS Credits: 4.5
Class Contact Hours: 21
Mode of Delivery
Face to Face
Prerequisites
None
Course Objectives
The objective of this course is to allow participants develop and improve their financial intelligence and apply the acquired knowledge and skills to contribute to the successful financial performance of their organization, with an emphasis on economic sustainability.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate awareness of the general principles of ethical financial reporting.
- Interpret and use the key information contained in the financial statements and in the management accounts.
- Analyze the financial performance of an organization employing different financial analysis tools and evaluate its financial position.
- Explain the process of forecasting and budgeting, employ break-even analysis, and use cost information to make sound financial decisions.
- Explain the ‘value-oriented’ principles behind strategic financial decisions and apply the main investment appraisal technique such as the net present value.
Course Content
Course Features
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Lectures in class, pre-recorded video lectures assigned before each class; in-class discussion and debates; in-class exercises & problem sets; Excel-based solutions; online activities via CIIM Moodle such as online quizzes (revision quizzes to help prepare for the exam), discussion forums, case studies, practical workshops using Excel, teamwork.
Assessment methods and criteria
30% participation (course attendance, participation in the in-class activities, including case workshops, participation via Moodle to complete the quizzes and share solutions in the Discussion Forum during the course and especially after the course when preparing for the exam)
70% final exam
Language of Instruction
English
Work Placement(s)
Not applicable
Readings
Handouts with lecture slides, video lectures, problem exercises (including sample exam papers), template Excel files, and case study materials are provided via CIIM Moodle.
We will use Microsoft Excel for the in-class exercises. Each student should have a laptop equipped with Excel.
Recommended Textbooks:
1. Berman, K., Knight, J. (2013). Financial Intelligence: A Manager’s Guide to Knowing What the Numbers Really Mean. Harvard Business Review Press.
2. Brealey, R., Myers, S. & Allen, F. (2019). Principles of Corporate Finance, International ed. McGraw-Hill Education.
3. Elliott, B., & Elliott, J. (2018). Financial Accounting and Reporting, 18th ed, Pearson.
Ross, S., Westerfield, R. & Jordan, B. (2018). Fundamentals of Corporate Finance, 12th ed. McGrawHill Education.
Recommended web resources:
4. Financial Dictionary www.investopedia.com
5. Understanding the Time Value of Money https://www.investopedia.com/articles/03/082703.asp#axzz2ACSiy71z
6. Cyprus Financial News www.stockwatch.com.cy, http://www.financialmirror.com/
7. KPMG web site (latest updated audit and tax information) http://www.kpmg.com/cy/en/pages/default.aspx
8. Khan Academy – Time Value of Money (video) https://www.khanacademy.org/economics-finance-domain/core-finance/interest- tutorial/present-value/v/time-value-of-money
9. International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) web site http://www.ifrs.org/Pages/default.aspx
10. Financial statements and stock research reports https://www.macrotrends.net/, http://finance.yahoo.com
11. US Securities and Exchange Commission database of annual reports https://www.sec.gov/oiea/Article/edgarguide.html
12. Bloomberg http://www.bloomberg.com/
13. CNN Money http://money.cnn.com/ , particularly if you prefer financial news in the video format http://money.cnn.com/video/
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