Durham University
Programme and Module Handbook

Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2009-2010 (archived)

Module BUSS3061: FINANCIAL PLANNING AND CONTROL

Department: Economics, Finance and Business (Business) [Queen's Campus, Stockton]

BUSS3061: FINANCIAL PLANNING AND CONTROL

Type Tied Level 3 Credits 20 Availability Available in 2009/10 Module Cap None. Location Queen's Campus Stockton
Tied to N200
Tied to N420
Tied to NN43

Prerequisites

  • Management Accounting (BUSS2061).

Corequisites

  • None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

  • None.

Aims

  • Developing students' understanding of the financial control processes of a business.
  • Providing students with the ability to evaluate alternative mechanisms to deliver information for management control and decision making.
  • Providing students with a critical understanding of the centrality of management accounting information to effective control.

Content

  • Understanding Cost behaviour.
  • Short term Budgeting.
  • Resource Allocation and Capacity Costs.
  • Activity Based Costing Systems and Activity Based Management.
  • Financial Measures of Performance, International Dimensions.
  • Balanced Scorecard.
  • Incentive Measures and Performance.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:
  • A knowledge of the behaviour of costs.
  • A critical understanding of the context of the information needs of management.
  • An appreciation of recent academic literature and its implications for current management practice.
  • A critical understanding of the impact of management accounting on key strategic issues faced by organisations.
  • An appreciation of the limitations in application of wealth creation models.
Subject-specific Skills:
  • The ability to critically evaluate the role of budgeting in effective management control.
  • The ability to undertake, with appropriate guidance, independent investigation of defined topics within the field of Financial Planning and Control, and to report the findings effectively.
Key Skills:
  • Written communication - through summative assessment
  • Computer Literacy - by word-processing the summative assignment/report

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • Teaching is by lectures and seminars. Learning takes place through attendance at lectures, preparation for and participation in seminars, and private study. Formative assessment is through a formative essay. Summative assessment is by means of a written examination and a written assignment.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity Number Frequency Duration Total/Hours
Lectures 22 1 weekly 1 hour 22
Seminars 8 4 in term 1, 4 in term 2 1 hour 8
Preparation and Reading 170
Total 200

Summative Assessment

Component: Examination Component Weighting: 70%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
One written examination 2 hours 15 mins 100%
Component: Assignment Component Weighting: 30%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
One written assignment 1500 words max 100%

Formative Assessment:

Formative essay.


Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University