Finance and Business with Foundation Year

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This programme gives you the grounding you need if you are interested in the world of business and finance. We’ll help prepare you for a career in business and its operations, as well as develop your entrepreneurial capabilities to run your own business. In the Foundation Year of this four-year course, you’ll build essential academic study skills. This year will help you gain confidence in your abilities. You’ll also identify your strengths and areas for development. Together, these will prepare you for progression to the undergraduate degree.

Why study this course at BNU?

• Professional accreditations: this course is recognised by a number of professional bodies, including the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

• Learn to use industry-standard software: you'll get lots of practical experience using software, including Sage. In addition to the time spent on them in class, you'll have 24/7 access to them to practice in your own time.

• Taught by experts: the degree is led by a dedicated and experienced course team who include accountants and consultants who have worked for some of the most well-known financial organisations in the world. You can learn more about the teaching team on our course webpage.

• Cutting-edge topics: our curriculum is continuously updated to stay relevant to updates in the finance and business industries. You'll learn about the issues which are driving change, such as blockchain in accounting and the use of AI in accounting. You'll also get to hear from guest speakers from professional bodies on specialist subjects. All of this means you can be confident that you'll graduate ready to step into a role; many of our finance graduates go straight into executive level positions rather than assistant level.

• Choose your specialism: your first year modules will all be taken alongside students on BSc (Hons) Finance and Accounting, allowing for wider collaboration and networking with your fellow students. Buckinghamshire New University gives you the opportunity to choose your specialism for your future career after your experience of the core curriculum in year one. Rather than having to make your big decision before you join us, you can choose to transfer from BA (Hons) Finance and Business to BSc (Hons) Finance and Accounting after the first year if you wish.

What will I study
We are focused on providing you with all the building blocks you need to create a solid understanding of the business environment. You may have the opportunity to take part in trips to enhance your classroom learning; previous visits have included the Bank of England Museum in London. You will also hear from guest speakers from professional bodies.

During your second year you will study topics in more detail, as well as advance management accounting, business law and practice. We’ll also introduce you to financial reporting and how to apply accounting standards and the theoretical framework in the preparation of financial statements of entities.

In your final year, you will learn about subject including international finance, corporate governance and ethics.

In addition to your studies, the BNU School of Business and Law regularly holds events to enrich your university experience and enhance your employability, such as a management fair, recruitment events, and alumni networking social meetings.

What are my career prospects?
There has always been a big demand for qualified specialists in finance and business, and you can seek out jobs in any sector. You will also be equipped to develop and manage your own business.

Year one
Preparing for Success Knowledge and Creativity
Preparing for Success Self-development and Responsibility
Inquiry and Research Skills
Introduction to Business Studies

Year two
Core Modules
Management Accounting
Financial Accounting
Business and Technology
Computerised Accounting
Global Business and Sustainability
Introduction to Data and Analytics

Year three
Core Modules
Advance Management Accounting
Financial Management
Consulting in Practice
Financial Reporting 1
Responsible Enterprise and Ethical Research
Business Law and Practice

Year four
Core Modules
Sustainable Strategic Agility and Innovation
Financial Reporting 2
Corporate Governance and Ethics
International Finance
Independent Professional Project

At Buckinghamshire New University we like to foster an interactive and student-focused teaching style where we blend lectures, seminars, one-to-one workshops, tutorial sessions, independent study and guest speakers to enhance the learning experience.

Our lecturers work hard to ensure that you learn the latest industry standard practices and knowledge. To support in the delivery of this we also welcome industry experts and professionals to deliver guest lectures who share their experience of the latest trends and what companies are looking for.

A range of assessment methods will be employed during your studies, including:

essays
reports
exams
oral presentations (individual and group)
dissertation.

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
• Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
• Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales