This course will introduce students to the complexity of financial decisions making and help them appreciate the nature of the assumptions that are implicit in the methods used in making financial decisions. It will also enable them to write about complex financial and accounting issues in a coherent manner and to think critically in the presence of accounting and financial information. In addition, a focus of the course is on wealth maximization, This module will encourage students to collaborate and challenge each other in arriving at team outcomes during non-graded case study activities. Students will consider how accounting information meets the needs of a wide range of stakeholders.

Learning outcomes

a. subject specific knowledge and skills

• Understand the importance of stock market ratios that are used to judge the performance of companies that are quoted on a stock exchange
• Understand the key role of the time value of money in financial decision making
• Acquire the ability to structure and evaluate decision rules for investment and financial proposals
• Acquire the ability to evaluate capital budgeting proposals
• Understand the links between financial decision rules and the use of accounting information

b. cognitive abilities and non-subject specific skills

• Appreciation of the nature of the assumptions that are implicit in the methods used in making financial decisions
• The ability to write about complex financial and accounting issues in a coherent manner
• The ability to think critically, especially in the presence of financial information
• Improved team-working skills through group work