ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE - 2026/7

Module Overview

This module introduces students to the core principles of accounting and finance and situates them within today's global environment. Students develop an understanding of how financial information is created and used to support decision-making in organisations. The module emphasises practical engagement with real-world case studies. Students learn how technology, data and ethical considerations shape financial practices. 

By the end of the module, students will have developed a solid grounding in accounting and finance concepts, strengthened their numeracy and analytical skills, and gained the academic and professional competencies needed to progress successfully to Level 4 accounting and finance modules. 

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

VOIGT Antonia (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 3

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

Indicative content includes:

Foundations of Finance and Accounting

Students will explore the purpose and role of accounting and finance. Core concepts will enable students to build an initial understanding of how organisations represent and communicate their financial activities.

Ethics and Responsible Practices

Students will consider the role of ethics and transparency in shaping accounting and finance practices. The module will introduce students to how organisations balance commercial aims with wider societal responsibilities.

Finance in a Global Environment

Students will learn how organisations respond to increasingly complex global contexts. The module will explore how global innovations, such as digitalisation and AI, can impact finance and accounting practices. 

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate the learning outcomes through a mixture of qualitative and quantitative work. 

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

Coursework 1 - Reflective Piece addresses learning outcomes 1, 2 and 4. This assessment focuses on skills such as application of knowledge, synthesis, and reflective thinking. 

Coursework 2 - Financial Report addresses learning outcomes 1, 2, and 3. This assessment focuses on numerical, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

Formative assessment:

The formative assessment enables students to develop the necessary skills for the summative assessment and offers an opportunity to learn from feedback. Moreover, students will benefit from the support of a dedicated learning developer. 

Feedback: 

Students will receive verbal and written feedback throughout the module and prior to completing their assessments. The feedback will include feed-forward guidance to facilitate their learning and skills development.

Module aims

• To introduce students to key principles of accounting and finance
• To develop students' ability to analyse financial data and communicate findings
• To enable students to cultivate awareness of ethical issues and professional standards in contemporary organisational contexts
• To build students' confidence and digital capability by engaging them with real-world cases

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is focuses on combining theoretical inputs with real-world examples drawn from contemporary contexts. Teaching is delivered through a blend of synchronous learning (e.g., live lectures and seminars), and asynchronous material (e.g., additional reading).

Synchronous/live sessions are used to introduce students to and offer opportunities for the application of key concepts. These sessions are designed to develop students' confidence in handling quantitative and qualitative financial information. Students are encouraged to use lectures and seminars to ask questions, engage in discussions and receive formative feedback.

Asynchronous/on-demand material supports students' independent learning. Online materials are structured to reinforce and extend live teaching and include guided learning activities such as short videos, additional readings, quizzes, and discussion forums. These resources enable students to revisit core content, practise skills, and prepare for assessments.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MAN0008

Other information

The Foundation Year programme is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills, and capabilities in the following areas:

Digital capabilities: Students build confidence in using digital resources such as AI. They learn to navigate digital information sources, evaluate data and apply digital tools responsibly.

Global and cultural capabilities: Students learn about global innovations and are introduced to some of the considerations required in cross-cultural finance and accounting contexts. 

 

Sustainability: Students examine how finance and accounting relate to wider organisational responsibilities. They explore how financial practices influence different stakeholders and sustainability. 

 

Resourcefulness and Resilience: Students engage with financial material that includes uncertainty and incomplete information, which require flexibility and adaptation.

 

Employability: Students develop core professional competencies needed for accounting and finance contexts through working with real-world case studies and assessments that reflect key professional standards of the discipline.

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2026/7 academic year.