Dr Jacob Ott & Dr Saipriya Kamath

Accounting has been defined as 'the language of business'. In a global business environment, transparent accounting plays a critical role in helping businesses track their performance and ensure regulatory compliance.

Without accurate accounting, senior managers and investors are unable to access critical quantitative information which informs the strategic direction of the business.

This course is designed to provide you with an introduction to the basic concepts, methods and practices of good accounting. Beginning with a consideration of accounting as an information system, you will explore the structure of the double-entry bookkeeping system, the periodic measurement of profit by businesses, and the preparation of the statement of financial position. You will also tackle important topics like the problem of accounting for groups of companies and basic techniques for preparing group accounts.

By the end of the course, you will have engaged with the preparation of the three most important financial statements: the income statement, balance sheet and the statement of cash flow. Through the active application of the content and the use of real-world examples, you will understand how investors and others use financial statements and market information to assess a company’s investment potential.