Accounting

The Accounting programme aims to provide students with the theoretical, technical and empirical background necessary for financial problem solving and financial decision making within the complex and changing business environment.

This programme has been designed for students intending to pursue a career in accounting, or in any other area where financial accounting information and decisions are a central element. The students will have the opportunity to acquire a broad-based education which will provide a good starting point for the students’ later professional work and studies. In addition, students will receive an academic base to which problems arising in their later professional work can be referred, and a way of thinking which will help them to meet the challenges of new ideas and problems.

This course seeks to provide students with the skills employers in the field are looking for: detailed knowledge of financial accounting, financial reporting, auditing, taxation, cost and management accounting, financial statement analysis which, together with information technology skills, give you the confidence to use a wide range of accounting and business software. International developments in accounting are also emphasized.

On completion of this programme, the student will be able to:

– Critically evaluate accounting concepts and principles and their application in solutions to practical accounting problems, and prepare financial statements of entities, including groups of companies, using relevant financial information, accounting techniques and standards.
– Analyze and interpret financial statements of entities, apply and evaluate financial reporting principles and practices in a range of business contexts and situations.
– Use relevant management accounting techniques with cost information, for planning, decision-making, performance evaluation and control, within different business settings, and apply relevant knowledge, skills and exercise professional judgement in selecting and applying strategic management accounting techniques in different business contexts and to contribute to the evaluation of the performance of an organization and its strategic development.
– Apply financial management techniques to issues affecting investment, financing, and dividend policy decisions of an organization.
– Explain the general legal framework, and apply specific legal principles relating to business, including Cyprus legislation as applicable to individuals, single companies and groups of companies.
– Evaluate and explain the importance of taxation to personal and corporate financial management, and apply further knowledge and understanding of the Cyprus tax system through the study of further capital taxes, and identify and evaluate the impact of relevant taxes on various situations and courses of action, including the interaction of taxes.
– Explain the process of carrying out the assurance (audit) engagement and its application in the context of the professional (audit) regulatory framework.
– Describe the organizational context of the accountant and of the development of accounting information systems; to understand the need for the efficient use of resources within an organization.
– Apply relevant knowledge, skills, and exercise professional judgment as expected of a senior financial executive or advisor, in taking or recommending decisions relating to the financial management of an organization.
– Define governance and explain its role in the effective management and control of organizations. Evaluate the accountant’s role in internal control, review, and compliance and explain the role of the accountant in identifying, assessing and controlling risk.
– Explain the need for international accounting standards and how country-specific institutional, cultural and external factors influence accounting systems.

Assessment

Course assessment usually comprises of a comprehensive final exam and continuous assessment. Continuous assessment can include amongst others, mid-terms, projects, and class participation.

Letter grades are calculated based on the weight of the final exam and the continuous assessment and the actual numerical marks obtained in these two assessment components. Based on the course grades the student’s semester grade point average (GPA) and cumulative point average (CPA) are calculated.

Career Prospects