Accountancy and Finance

This course, which is prescribed for level 1 undergraduate students (and articulating students who are in their first year at the University), is studied entirely online, takes approximately 2-3 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across the first 4 weeks of term.

Topics include University orientation overview, equality & diversity, MySkills, health, safety and cyber security, and academic integrity.

Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Transcript as ‘Achieved’.

View detailed information about the Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen course

View detailed information about the Academic Practice for Study course

This course introduces the theoretical and contextual foundation of accounting.  It does not involve any technical aspects of accounting or bookkeeping but provides an introduction to the political, economic, institutional, professional and managerial context of accounting.  The main content includes:

• Socio-political and economic mechanisms of accountability; theories of accountability.

• Constitution of organisations and the role of accounting within organisations.

• Constitution of accounting as a business function: how accounting is organised within organisations.

• Constitution of Accountancy as a Profession:  how accountancy is organised as a profession.

• Sustainability and accounting:  how accounting is reorganised to address sustainability issues.

View detailed information about the Accounting and Accountability course

This course is an introductory course in microeconomics where we study the decision making of individual actors (consumers, employees, firms, governments, etc.) in an economy.  Actors must make decisions about behaviours because they face scarce resources, but often they find that trading with other actors in markets can increase the wellbeing of all parties.  This course models and examines the nature of these interactions, highlighting when they work well and when they fail to increase wellbeing and what might be the solution to these failures.

View detailed information about the Economics of Business and Society course

The aim of this course is to introduce students to the fundamentals of management, the internal structure and processes of organisations. Students will understand the main functions of management, what management is, what managers do and the factors that influence behaviour and performance of managers and other employees within an organisation.

The course will introduce a range of theories, research and real-life illustrations of a diverse range of management practices and organisational behaviour.  The course will cover areas of: Staffing, Groups and Teams, Leadership and Management, Human Resource Management, Organisational Structure, Culture and Change, Communication, Marketing, Branding and Organisational Processes.

View detailed information about the Managing Organisations course

This is an introduction to accounting which aims to provide an understanding of how organisations – particularly small and medium sized businesses – capture, create and use accounting information both to guide their activities internally within the management function and to communicate their financial performance and position to external users of the accounts.  This course allows students to develop practical and analytical skills through a problem-solving approach to accounting-related aspects of business performance reporting and control, particularly in relation to bookkeeping, accounts preparation, budgeting and management accounting.

View detailed information about the Accounting Principles course

This course is an introductory course in macroeconomics  where we study the behaviour of the economy as a whole. Whereas microeconomics focuses on individual markets, macroeconomics addresses the “big issues” such as unemployment, inflation, economic growth, and financial crises. Macroeconomics is a lively subject, full of discussion and debate, as economists and policymakers take different views on macroeconomic issues, their causes and appropriate policy responses.  Issues such as: Is the economy growing? What causes unemployment and how can we reduce it? How can we avoid recessions? When is inflation a problem? Are banks lending too much?

View detailed information about the Global Economy course

The module considers the nature and operation of investment markets, focusing on three asset classes; shares, bonds and real estate. It looks at the characteristics of these investment options in terms of their risks and returns. The module introduces basic financial mathematics: time value of money, calculation of present values and investment rates of return. Finally, it considers the role of financial institutions and regulatory bodies in personal finance, where consumers and financial markets interact.

View detailed information about the Finance 1: Finance, Risk and Investment course

This course provides students with an overview of the underpinning concepts of marketing, and the requirements for the development of a market oriented organisation. Specifically introduces the basic concepts of buyer behaviour, market research, the marketing mix and the strategic context of marketing. The linkages between marketing and other key functional areas of management, notably operations and human resource management are highlighted by this course, encouraging the adoption of a systems perspective.

View detailed information about the Marketing course

This course extends the operational tools and techniques introduced in AC1514. It develops more complex problem-solving techniques in the planning, control and decision-making process. It shows how quantitative methods and analytical techniques can be applied in management accounting solutions to management problems. It also emphasises the diverse industrial, commercial and not-for-profit settings in which management accountants work. It seeks to develop in students an understanding the organisational context as well as the nature of management accounting information. The focus is to enhance students' problem-solving and communication skills, and develop their ability to select and apply appropriate techniques in specific contexts.

View detailed information about the Management Accounting 2 course

The aim of this course is to provide an introduction and overview of contemporary business issues. Contemporary business issues are cultural, economic, political or technological factors in the business environment which have emerged as having an important impact on contemporary organisations. These may vary, over time, as new business issues emerge and become important.
Currently the course will focus on two contemporary issues: (1) environmental sustainability and climate change, and (2) the impact of new information and communication technologies such as mobile technologies (smartphones, computers etc) and artificial intelligence (algorithms, AI) technologies on work.

View detailed information about the Contemporary Issues in Business course

The main aim of this course is to develop a sound understanding of fundamental principles underlying the theory and practice of finance, thereby providing a strong basis for further study of advanced finance theory and cognate disciplines. The course introduces students to important concepts in finance: principles of assets pricing, concept of risk and return, theory of interest rates and pricing fixed income securities, evaluation of investment project with a focus on embedded real options. It equips students with good analytical skills in order to understand the implications of financial decisions by understanding the fundamentals that govern them.

View detailed information about the Finance 2: Business Finance course

This course provides students with an understanding of the financial system, primarily from a UK perspective, introducing students to the reasons for, and nature of, financial markets and institutions before moving on to explore the need and importance of financial regulation, and investigating the causes and consequences of the recent global financial crisis. The course will introduce students to a variety of topics including the role of wholesale and retail banks, non-bank financial institutions, the debt and equity markets, and the derivative markets; market efficiency, UK and international regulation, consumer protection and market abuse.

View detailed information about the Financial Markets and Regulation course

The objective of FA2 is to build upon material introduced in first year in order to develop students' technical skills in financial statement preparation. Students will gain an appreciation of the regulatory framework for financial reporting. They will examine the usefulness of financial statement information, by looking at the form and content of accounts produced by partnerships and public limited companies. Students will explore how to account for basic transactions through the implementation of current accounting standards and apply their knowledge in both the manual and the computerised environment, the latter through the SAGE accounting package.

View detailed information about the Financial Accounting 2 course

This course is designed to provide non-LLB students with an understanding of the main issues in business law. Topics will cover elements of the Scottish law and legal system concerning Contract Law (including the unfair contract terms), Agency, Delict Employment Law, Intellectual Property, Trusts, Partnership and Company Law.

View detailed information about the Business Law course

This course aims to provide students with an understanding of statistical concepts and methods relevant to accounting, management, finance, real estate and economics.

View detailed information about the Understanding Statistics course

This course builds upon the material in Financial Accounting 2. The aim of the course is to strengthen practical and analytical accounting skills through the study of accounting problems and to develop the ability to critically appraise conventional accounting practice through an understanding of alternative accounting theories and their application to topical issues in financial accounting.

View detailed information about the Financial Accounting 3 course

Building upon the material in Management Accounting 2, the course examines in greater detail behavioural, managerial, and strategic aspects of management accounting and management control.

View detailed information about the Management Accounting 3 course

This course introduces students to a number of areas of corporate finance including examining capital structure theory, project valuation models, the financing decisions of the firm, and corporate restructuring (including reorganisations and mergers and acquisitions). The main aim of the course is to equip students with good analytical skills in order to understand the implications of corporate financing decisions by understanding why companies behave the way they do with respect to financing choices and how this interacts with the real world financial markets, and to enable students to understand the theoretical underpinnings of corporate finance theory.

View detailed information about the Finance 3: Corporate Finance course

Applied Corporate Finance provides students with the knowledge about the fundamental theories and emerging issues in corporate finance. The course introduces the issues facing a corporate manager and equip students with the analytical skills necessary for evaluating corporate financial policies. Important issues covered by the course such as cost of capital, value of debt and its associated risks, leasing, credit risk analysis, management of working capital, will be explored from both theoretical and practical perspectives.

View detailed information about the Applied Corporate Finance course

This course aims to develop the students' knowledge, understanding and critical awareness of the audit techniques, judgements and practical skills associated with a financial statement audit. The context of the course reflects both the UK and International legal, regulatory and ethical framework.

View detailed information about the Audit Practice course

The aim of this course is to provide knowledge and understanding of the UK tax system and its administration. Students will gain an appreciation of direct taxes payable on income, profits, and other gains by both individuals and by corporations, and indirect taxes on spending. Knowledge application of the different taxes within the UK taxation system will be achieved by solving tax problems and computing tax liabilities.

View detailed information about the Taxation course

This course explores the application of asset pricing models in security valuation and portfolio management. It bridges finance theory with quantitative analysis for students pursuing careers in investment and asset management. Prerequisites include a good foundation in economics, finance, statistics, and calculus. The course demands a 10-15 hours’ weekly commitment with a focus on quantitative methods.

View detailed information about the Empirical Asset Pricing course

Multinational corporations face a range of risks in an international setting, including exchange rate, political and financing risk. The course considers the complexities of financial management in these settings. It aims to develop students understanding and ability to apply finance theory to international financial management.
This course will develop student skills in the analysis of issues including globalisation and the multinational corporation; foreign exchange markets and exchange rate determination; international capital markets, debt and banking; risk management and foreign currency derivative securities.

View detailed information about the International Financial Management course

The main aim of the course is to equip students with good analytical skills in order to understand the

The main aim of the course is to equip students with good analytical skills in order to understand the implications of corporate financing decisions and to enable students to understand the theoretical underpinnings of corporate finance theory.

After completing the course students should acquire not only a sound knowledge about corporate finance theory but also practical skills of using that knowledge for solving practical problems within the corporate finance theme.

Special attention in this course is given to Oil&Gas companies and the discussed topics are referred to the companies from this sector.

Sustainability, both in its ecological and social dimensions, has now become a challenge that concerns all types of organisations across the world. The media coverage has raised awareness among the general public on different aspects of sustainability and new regulations are emerging on this issue. Thus, a well-structured accountability system capable of managing and disclosing sustainability impact of organisational practices is an essential element for the successful sustainable organisation. Disclosure is an important part of the accountability process. Social and environmental accounting explores how organisations can disclose information to various stakeholders pertaining to issues such as: socially responsible investments, human rights, climate change and other environmental matters. Reporting and auditing of information on sustainability issues are a relatively new practice in the accounting field but rapidly growing in relevance. Managers will be required to deal with these issues on a frequent basis. Thus, this course will build up strong employability skills.

View detailed information about the Accounting and Sustainability course

This course builds on the knowledge and understanding gained in Audit practice in year 3. It will explore the historical context and current professional, regulatory, ethical and societal challenges and developments facing the audit and assurance profession. As such it contextualises financial statement audit within the expanding audit universe. A main objective of the course is to provide an opportunity for students to think critically about the state and future direction of audit as a profession.

View detailed information about the Audit Theory and Evolution course

All Accountancy and Finance students must undertake a dissertation. Students taking a joint degree may undertake the dissertation in either discipline, but not both.

View detailed information about the Dissertations in Accountancy course

All Accountancy and Finance students must undertake a dissertation. Students taking a joint degree may undertake the dissertation in either discipline, but not both.

View detailed information about the Dissertation in Finance course

This course is about business strategy and covers a broad range of topics that come under the general heading of “Business Strategy” or “Strategic Management”. The course has been designed to help you gain an understanding of the key areas of strategic management including an understanding of: what strategic management is and why it is important; the different types of strategic analysis tools available; the difference between corporate, business and functional strategy; the complex issues associated with the implementation of strategy; the concept of strategic fit; and the role for strategic leadership in shaping and implementing strategy.

View detailed information about the Business Strategy Accounting History course