International Accounting and Finance

Core modules:

• Analytics for Accounting and Business

  The module will guide you understand key descriptive and predictive data analytics techniques that will enable you to perform rigorous and in-depth analysis of business data. The emphasis is on practical application of the methods using computer-based exercises with the real-world data.

• Contemporary Issues in Corporate Finance and Investment Valuation

  The modules teaches core theoretical principles and equips students with practical finance tools. You will learn how to value companies using data from Bloomberg and popular valuation methods employed by investment banks and corporate finance departments.

• Financial Reporting

  The module equips students with critical understanding of the principles and practices of accounting, characteristics and limitations of accounting data. You will learn how to prepare and interpret financial statements, to apply and comment on accounting policies and to use accounting information to assess financial performance of the business.

• Research Methods for Finance Professionals

  Strong research is a key element of development strategy for companies and institutions, large and small.

  This module aims to provide a grounding in financial research, particularly financial modelling and information gathering which you will be able to use to support your learning on the rest of your course.

• Principles of Marketing and Strategy

  This module will equip you with required knowledge and understanding of strategy and marketing established common practices that will support you in acquiring transferable skills necessary for successful careers within and beyond accounting and finance. You will appreciate the complexities involved in strategic decision making, and the role of marketing and strategy in achieving corporate performance.

You'll take two core and two elective modules

Core modules:

• Financial Statement Analysis

  This module leverages many materials from bulge bracket and boutique investment banks to showcase how various techniques covered in the module are used by professionals from the Wall Street, providing you with hands-on experience in analysing and interpreting financial information disclosed by firms listed on major stock exchanges.

• Strategic Management Accounting

  The module teaches how to efficiently use the information on businesses’ products, services, processes, organizational units, suppliers, and customers. You will learn concepts, models, and systems that provide this data for the development, use and control of cost information for decision-making and performance measurement in competitive business environments.

Elective modules:

• International Business Finance

  In this module students will learn about the risks that financial managers face when trading internationally in the global marketplace. You  will acquire knowledge on dynamic tools that will allow them to manage and deal with these risks.

• Accounting Information and Capital Markets

  The module teaches tools and techniques used by financial analysts, corporate managers, accountants and investment bankers to assess the fundamental value of traded securities in global markets. You will become experts in the theory and practice of equity valuation and will gain a critical perspective when valuing companies based on financial statements.

• Financial Management and Corporate Strategy

  The module provides an in-depth analysis of the theory and international practice of capital structure decisions, dividend and cash policy, valuation, and mergers and acquisitions. You will learn how to incorporate real factors in the valuation of companies. Tax reforms, bankruptcy laws, and employment protection regulation have an impact on both business valuation and capital structure decisions.

• Topics in Mergers and Acquisition

  You will learn how companies use M&A transactions to implement their strategic plans and how such transactions are structured and analysed. Emphasis is given to applied financial analysis, case studies are used throughout the module and lectures are complemented by guest presentations given by M&A practitioners.

You may choose from the five options in your final term.

• Option 1: Students can take five specialist elective modules (5 x 10 credits)
• Option 2: Students can opt to write a 10,000-word Business Research Project (40 credits) and take one specialist elective module (1 x 10 credits)
• Option 3: Students can opt to write a 3,000-5,000 word Applied Research Project (20 credits) and take three specialist elective modules (3 x 10 credits)
• Option 4: Students can opt to take

  International Financial Reporting Standards

  The module provides an applied professional qualification that complements the academic program in International Accounting and Finance. You will acquire knowledge and skills to apply complex international financial reporting standards in companies operating globally.

  (30 credits) and two specialist electives (2 x 10 credits)
• Option 5: Students can opt to take

  International Financial Reporting Standards

  PrThe module provides an applied professional qualification that complements the academic program in International Accounting and Finance. You will acquire knowledge and skills to apply complex international financial reporting standards in companies operating globally.

  (30 credits) and write 3,000-5,000 word Applied Research Project (20 credits).

Projects

• Business Research Project

  It is important for aspiring professionals to demonstrate, on an individual basis, their ability to apply concepts and techniques they have learned in an in-depth study of a topic of their choice and to organise their findings in a report, all conducted within a given time limit.

  Business Research Project will train you to undertake individual research and provide you with an opportunity to specialise in a contemporary business or finance topic related to your future career aspirations.

  You are required to submit a project of approximately 10,000 words on any subject area covered in the rest of the programme.

  Typical projects can involve any of the following: extracting data from electronic databases or by hand; statistical analysis of large or small populations; interviews; case studies of an industry or a sector or of a business / finance issue in a particular country setting.

• Applied Research Project

  The aim of this module is to enable you to demonstrate how to integrate your learning in core and elective modules and then apply this to the formulation and completion of an applied research project. You will be required to demonstrate the skills and knowledge that you have acquired throughout your MSc study.

  You will undertake a short piece of applied research on a question of academic and/or practical relevance.

  Guidelines will be provided in order to help you identify the research question. Based on your chosen topic, you must write a report of around 3,000–5,000 words that summarises and critically evaluates your method and your findings.

Electives offered in 2022

• Behavioural Finance
• Ethics, Society and the Finance Sector
• Global Real Estate Markets
• Hedge Funds
• Intro to Python
• Investment Strategy
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Private Equity Investment
• Trading and Market Microstructure
• Visual Basics in Finance.

International electives

• Project Finance and Infrastructure Investment (taught in Madrid, Spain).

Please note that electives are subject to change and availability.