Welcome to New Students As Dean of the Cardiff School of Management, I m looking forward to welcoming you to Cardiff Metropolitan University and to the School s state-of-the-art home on the Llandaff campus in Cardiff. This is going to be an exciting start to your academic studies. Joining Chances are that you are going to be exposed to many new things when you arrive. It can be quite confusing. Once you re here, we ll take you through the details. So please make sure to join us during our induction week. The schedule is as follows: Monday 21 st September, 11.00 start Cyncoed Campus, National Indoor Athletic Centre (NIAC) Week One Welcome This is where you ll get the chance to rub shoulders with other incoming students at the university. There s no need to come to our Llandaff Avenue campus on Monday. Tuesday 22 nd September, 10.00 start Llandaff Campus (Room TBC) Cardiff School of Management Induction These events are specifically designed for your programme. Activities are planned for the entire week, getting to know the staff and an introduction to life in the university. You ll be given a more detailed schedule when you arrive, but please plan to spend the whole week with us. Experience suggests that you would miss out on a lot if you didn t. Online Enrolment Enrolment is an important process which confirms your status as a Cardiff Met Student. You can complete the online enrolment process from any computer through our Self Service system. Please note that in order to self enrol; your status must be Unconditional Firm (UF). Please begin your enrolment process by going to www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/enrolment, step-by-step guidance is provided. This process is essential in that it will allow you access to your student loan (if applied for), payment of fees, programme information systems and importantly enable you to obtain your Student ID Card. A scheduled time for collection of your ID card will be given to you during your Induction: Meet Your Tutor session. If you have any questions, please contact our offices at 029 2041 7147 or 029 2041 6408 and they can direct you to the appropriate people. Professor David Brooksbank Dean, Cardiff School of Management
Telephone: 029 2041 6372 Email: mdjames@cardiffmet.ac.uk Dear Student BA (Hons) ACCOUNTING BA (Hons) ACCOUNTING & FINANCE Year 1 Induction Programme Monday 21 September Friday 25 September 2015 A very warm welcome to Cardiff Metropolitan University from all the staff of the Cardiff School of Management. We hope that you will find the time you spend here both enjoyable and rewarding, and a springboard into a successful career. The busy Year 1 Induction Programme starts on the morning of Monday 21 st September at 11am at the National Indoor Athletics Centre (NIAC) on the Cyncoed Campus with an address from the Vice Chancellor, and runs throughout the week. The Freshers Fayre follows the address and provides students with the opportunity to find out about and sign up with the various clubs and societies within Cardiff Metropolitan University. In addition, businesses providing a range of services which you may be interested in will be present. The Induction Programme will cover all the essential aspects of student life as well as introducing you to your specific programme of study. Whilst some of this information is now posted on the Cardiff Metropolitan University website, attendance at the Induction Programme remains compulsory. During the course of the week you will meet your Programme Director and other members of staff, as well, of course, as meeting all the other new students on the BA Accounting and BA Accounting & Finance programmes. A number of sessions will be scheduled to provide information about your programme of study, to issue various important documents, to explain the modules you will be studying and to issue your timetable. You will also formally enrol at the university. All students must attend at the Llandaff Campus at 9.30am on Tuesday 22 nd September for the commencement of the programme-specific induction. You will be advised of the room upon arrival and the programme for the rest of the week. If exceptional circumstances prevent you from attending this important week, please inform the Programmes Administrator Rhianne Critcher as soon as possible on 029 2041 5672 or rcritcher@cardiffmet.ac.uk. We look forward to meeting you Yours faithfully Malcolm James Programme Director BA Accounting and BA Accounting & Finance
JOINING INSTRUCTIONS The purpose of this documentation is to give you information relevant to your attendance on the programme. Please read this carefully. 1. TERM DATES Cardiff Metropolitan University Academic Year consists of three terms: AUTUMN TERM: Monday 21 st September 2015 Friday 11 th December 2015 SPRING TERM: Monday 11 th January 2016 Friday 18 th March 2016 SUMMER TERM: Monday 11 th April 2016 Friday 10 th June 2016 Please note that term dates may change and that there are no half-term holidays. Students should attend throughout the autumn and spring terms, and until the end of the examination period at the end of May or start of June. You will also need to be available, if required, during the resit examination period which will take place over a week at the end of August and the start of September. Please ensure that neither you nor your family make holiday arrangements during these periods. 2. INDUCTION WEEK During the week commencing Monday 21 st September 2015 there will be an Induction Programme for all new students. This will include: 1) An address from the Vice Chancellor Professor Anthony Chapman. 2) Meetings with your Programme Director and other members of staff. 3) Your formal enrolment with the University. 4) Library registration and an introduction to the Library and Information Technology Services. 5) Introductions to your programme of study and academic and administrative support staff. 6) An introduction to Student Services (careers, health and financial advice etc.) 7) Presentations from the Students Union. 8) The Freshers Fayre an opportunity to consider joining the various University clubs, teams and societies. 9) Social activities with other students. 3. PROGRAMME STRUCTURE The central aims of the Programmes are to: 1. develop within students a body of essential knowledge, understanding and skills which will enable them to begin careers as accountants or in the area of finance; 2. develop in students a critical appreciation of the roles undertaken in the areas of accounting and/or finance in the business world; 3. lay the foundation for future and professional development and/or post graduate study.
4. STUDENT HANDBOOK During the Induction Programme you will be issued with details of how to access the on-line Student Handbook. This important document includes detailed information relating to University, School and Programme Procedures and Regulations that you will need to refer to throughout your time at Cardiff Metropolitan University. 5. PROGRAMME DURATION The two programmes are normally of three years duration (four years if you are doing a sandwich degree), although it is possible to take a year s work placement between the second and third years if you are doing the three-year programme. 6. MODULES Over the study period, you are required to successfully complete 360 credits (120 each year) to qualify for the BA (Honours) Degree. In order to achieve this you will study a number of 10 and 20 credit modules at each of the levels. Central to the course is a backbone of compulsory modules, which represent an appropriate level of knowledge and skills required to work in the accounting and/or finance. By choosing optional modules which interest you, you are able to tailor your course to meet your own specific interests, however, due to the demands of the programme, there are very few options on the BA Accounting. Modules are assigned to a particular level. Level 1 concentrates on the basic aspects of a subject, laying the foundation upon which later modules are based. Modules at Levels 2 and 3 add greater academic depth to the subject and are more applied, practical, investigative or analytical in nature. At Level 1, both modular programmes comprise the following modules. All modules are compulsory. Financial Accounting Management Accounting Academic Skills for Business Business in Context Quantitative Methods Business Applications Financial Services Environment Digital Accounting Personal Development Planning Students who wish to transfer between programmes may do so at the end of the first year and should seek advice from the programme director.
7. PROFESSIONAL ACCREDITATION AND EXEMPTIONS Students who complete the BA Accounting programme will obtain a substantial number of exemptions from professional accountancy examinations. For example, you can obtain exemption from the entire Fundamentals stage of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) examinations. Students on the BA Accounting & Finance will obtain a number of exemptions from professional accountancy examinations, which will depend on the option modules studied at levels 2 and 3. For full details of exemptions available please go to: Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA): http://www.accaglobal.com/en/qualifications/applynow/exemptions.html Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA): http://www.cimaglobal.com/en-gb/study-withus/exemptions/exemption-search/ Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW): http://www.icaew.com/en/qualificationsand-programmes/aca/aca-training-in-the-uk/exams/credit-for-prior-learning/apply-for-credits-academicqualification 8. TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT Delivery of course material is by a blend of lectures, tutorials, seminars, workshops and case studies. Lectures are the main method of conveying information; the proportion of contact time accounted for by lectures is greatest in Level 1 and lowest in Level 3. Tutorials are meetings of small groups of students with a member of staff. They can be used to expand on material covered in lectures, discuss subject areas, provide remedial support, and academic and pastoral counselling. Seminars involve a student or students presenting previously prepared work to their peers and a member of staff. Seminars give students valuable experience in communication and student-centred learning. Workshops involve group discussions of topics or demonstrations and are interactive problem solving exercises. Case Studies are real or simulated complex problems which students analyse and present their own solutions. Most modules are assessed by a combination of coursework and examination. The balance will be 30% coursework and 70% examination in modules which have been accredited by the professional accounting bodies and certain other core modules. Otherwise the balance will generally be 50/50. Where examinations are considered inappropriate by module tutors, assessment is by coursework alone. You will be issued with an assessment schedule detailing the dates of issue and completion of coursework assignments and examination dates.
9. COUNSELLING AND GUIDANCE One of the advantages of modular schemes is that they allow considerable flexibility in the choice of programme. However, the complexities of student choice offered in modular schemes require increased academic counselling. You are likely to require guidance to ensure your choice of modules is appropriate, that your course is balanced and coherent, that your choice is suitable for a particular award and that it reflects an award suitable for your ultimate academic and vocational goals. Guidance will be provided in three ways: i) Through a modular handbook listing all the available fields of study, modular regulations and brief details of all modules; ii) Prior to the commencement of the course, during the induction period, you will be advised of the names of staff that are able to provide academic counselling to assist you in your choice of modules throughout the programme of study. iii) Through a Personal Tutor 10. TEXT BOOKS We appreciate the financial constraints on students in Higher Education, however the purchase of certain textbooks will be compulsory and a number of these may be used at more than one level of study. All textbooks which you are expected to purchase will be available from the Blackwell s bookshop on the campus. 11. STUDENT SUPPORT During induction week you will have the opportunity to learn of the support available to you through Cardiff Metropolitan University s Student Services. Cardiff Metropolitan University has a Disability Adviser who is able to provide advice on disability issues. The School s modules have been audited to identify issues relating to various disabilities. Should you experience problems relating to specific modules as you progress through the course, please let us know so we can deal with them. 12. USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS The course team are willing and able to help with any queries that your may have about the programme. However, other departments within Cardiff Metropolitan University may be more ideally suited to answer your queries. Listed below are a number of people who may be able to help. Admissions Queries (All UCAS enquiries) 029 2041 6010 Admissions@cardiffmet.ac.uk Accommodation Enquiries 029 2041 6188 accomm@cardiffmet.ac.uk Courses Administrator: Rhianne Critcher 029 2041 5672 rcritcher@cardiffmet.ac.uk Programme Director: Malcolm James 029 2041 6372 mdjames@cardiffmet.ac.uk Matriculation enquiries: Academic Registry 029 2041 6400 AcademicRegistry@cardiffmet.ac.uk