Welcome to your Accounting and Finance course

We are excited to meet you on our BSc Accounting and Finance course that you are soon set to start at Staffordshire University. Let us cover some information that you will find useful before starting your adventure with us.

Your staff team

We want to make sure you know some of our team before you arrive. Hopefully this will help you recognise us and ensure you know who you can contact if you need any additional help and guidance.

Dr Mayowa Akinbote

Senior Lecturer

Mayowa, a Chartered Accountant with 17+ years of experience in public and private sectors, holds an ACCA Fellowship and a PhD in Finance. He brings extensive expertise and is particularly interested in financial markets and investor behavior.

Mayowa's profile

Dr Syed Zaidi

Senior Lecturer

Syed is the Award Leader for BA (Hons) Finance and Business Enterprise. He teaches across undergraduate, postgraduate and professional programmes and also supervises postgraduate taught and research students.

Syed's profile

Karl Mccormack

Senior Lecturer

Karl has experience teaching on Apprenticeship and Foundation Degrees, BA accounting programmes, MBA modules. He has also taught as a subject specialist in forensic accounting, computerised accounting and management accounting.

Karl's profile

First activity

In your first few weeks on our BSc Accounting and Finance at university, you will be engaging in the following modules

Professional Accountant Toolkit

Professional Accountant Toolkit enables you to learn important digital and contemporary skills. This module is tailored toward your chosen career path and the expertise you gain will ensure that you are effective and efficient in the workplace.

Introduction To Financial Accounting

You will learn how to record the accounting entries, record entries to t-accounts, prepare trial balance, and prepare a statement of financial positions and Income Statement.

Introduction To Management Accounting

All those who work for, or deal with businesses need to understand accounting. This module aims to look at the nature of accounting, exploring the main concepts underpinning management accounting. The main branches of cost accounting and decision making as well as cost minimisation and revenue maximisation are explored using a blend of theory and practice.

Course Delivery

You will be taught through a combination of lectures and seminars every week. Typically the lectures will be a talk or presentation and demonstration of the topics. Seminars are in smaller groups of around 15-30 students enabling you to discuss and develop an understanding of topics covered in lectures. You’ll often be given homework that’s designed to push what you learnt. This is what we refer to as self-study time.

You will be taught in our state-of-the-art learning spaces throughout your course. The course is eligible for exemptions from professional accounting examinations provided by ACCA and CIMA. In addition, you will have timetabled meetings with your academic mentors at least twice a year.

The course will provide you with opportunities to test your understanding of your subject. Each module normally includes ‘formative’ assessments, for which you receive feedback from your tutor. There is a ‘summative’ assessment at the end of each module. This includes a range of coursework assessments, such as essays, reports, portfolios, presentations, independent projects, and written examinations. The grades from formal assessments count towards your module mark

Pre-learning

Online Resources

Check out these online resources for up-to-date information; they are easily available and can be read on your phone or laptop.

Financial Times or the YouTube channel The Financial Times – The Financial Times is an excellent source of news and commentary; it is one of the world's major news organisations, and its credibility, honesty, and authenticity are respected internationally.
The Economist – Check out the finance articles published in the Economist's section for the most recent news and stories.
BBC Ideas – The BBC Ideas YouTube channel strives to fuel your interest and expose your mind to innovative views, which is significantly more important to an accounting award than you may imagine.

Books

These books will enhance your knowledge of some terminologies and theories that you may encounter throughout your study.

The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing. Author Benjamin Graham
Business Adventures: Twelve Classic Tales from the World of Wall Street. Author: John Brooks. An enjoyable read that will open your eyes to what corporate and financial life is all about.

Films

These films are an excellent way to get you excited about all aspects of your Accounting and Finance degree and to introduce some complex ideas enjoyably.

Wolf of Wall Street – A Jordan Belfort's real-life events of downfall amid criminal activity, corruption, and involvement with the government after his ascent to the status of affluent stockbroker enjoying the good life.
Moneyball – Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A's, used computer-generated information to successfully put together a baseball club on a tight budget.

Useful Software

Microsoft Office 365 Pro Plus
Adobe Creative Cloud
NVivo
SPSS

Download software

Groups and Societies

There are multiple clubs and societies at Staffordshire University which you can get involved in

Find out more

Academic skills

Whether you're joining us from school or college, or you're returning to education after some time away, everyone can benefit from the Academic Study Skills resources provided by the University library.

The Academic Skills team is here to support you throughout your academic journey and to help you gain the skills you need to reach your full potential. They can assist with academic reading and writing skills, give advice on how best to plan assignments, and help improve your time management.

The library's Academic Skills Guides offer the key information to make studying easier and give a comprehensive guide to the learning resources and services we offer.

Staffs CampusConnect

Staffs CampusConnect is our student-led community app for new students. Connect with other people from your course, hometown or country, and even those with similar interests.

To register, please ensure you use your Applicant ID (Student Number) that you received in your offer letter, and the email address you used in your application to us.

Register for CampusConnect

Welcome website

Our welcome website will provide you the link to your new student life. It's all about how you find your place at university, including everything from how to meet friends, feel confident in doing your academic work, being a member of your Student Union and getting involved in Union Societies, Academic Societies, Sports, Volunteering or representing your peers in your School.

Part of this Welcome Week - we have an exciting program of University and course level activities planned for you for your first week in September. We are also building an extended program for you to join a series of events throughout the first half of the autumn term. Further details will be shared with you via the Welcome website and Students' Union pages over the coming weeks.

Welcome website

Campus map

Use our campus map to familiarise yourself with our campus before you arrive.

Campus map (PDF)

Check your email

Please make sure you check your personal email account regularly over the next few weeks. We will be sending you lots of information about Welcome Week.