Business Finance Professional

Unit 1 - Cost and Management Accounting

In this unit, you review the important role played by management accounting in the business world, for example, helping management in decision-making, policy formulation and the achievement of objectives. We contrast historical costing with predetermined costing and look at how costs are classified. This unit provides you with a brief introduction to cost and management accounting with particular attention being paid to absorption costing and marginal costing.

By the end of this unit you will have:

• Explored costs and historical costs.


• Investigated the methods employed by management to control costs.


• Discussed the principles of marginal costing.


• Defined the marginal cost equation.


• Described the uses and limitations of break-even analysis.

Unit 2 - Budgetary Control

Budgetary control is a technique that is essential to the success and survival of any organisation, large or small. In this unit, we illustrate the principles, and what is considered to be good practice. We then consider the benefits of budgeting and follow with a concise appraisal of the rules for effective budgeting. We also produce budgeted profit and loss accounts and budgeted balance sheets, which, together with the cash budget, make up what many companies call the master budget.

By the end of this unit you will have:

• Introduced the household budget.


• Explored the benefits of budgeting.


• Identified the rules for budgeting and budgetary control.


• Examined cash budgets.


• Discussed the behavioural implications of budgets.

Unit 3 - Introduction to Accounting

In this unit, we begin by looking at the background to accounting. We identify different types of business and organisations, and how accounting can serve their needs. We clarify the different areas of financial accounting, management or managerial accounting, and financial management. We consider the basic concepts, conventions and policies adopted when preparing financial statements. We explore the vital differences between profit, profitability and cash flow.

By the end of this unit you will have:

• Introduced the accounting concept.


• Explored the differences between financial and managerial accounting.


• Identified the characteristics of accounting information.


• Investigated the relationship between profit, profitability and cash.


• Examined the fundamental accounting conventions and concepts.


• Described the capital structure of a limited liability company.

Unit 4 - Working Capital Management

In this unit we look at the structure of working capital, the role of working capital management within corporate financial objectives. The significance of the production cycle and the financing cycle and their roles in the working capital cycle are investigated. We look critically at the traditional accounting approach to working capital management and specifically the concepts of solvency and liquidity.

For a more detailed syllabus on this course, click here

Qualifications

On completion of your course, you will receive two qualifications:

Qualification 1: Business Finance Professional Diploma

Business Finance Professional Diploma issued by Stonebridge Associated Colleges, entitling you to use the letters SAC Dip after your name.

Qualification 2: Level 3 Business Finance Professional Award

At the end of this course successful learners will also receive a level 3 NCFE Award certificate of achievement. That means that it is independently accredited at a level of learning equivalent to level 3 on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland (in which case GCSE's are at levels 1 and 2 and A Levels are at level 3).

This award has been designed by Stonebridge Associated Colleges to meet specific learners' or employers' requirements. Accreditation by NCFE is a guarantee of quality. It means that this learning programme has been scrutinised and approved by an independent panel of experienced educational professionals and is quality audited biannually by NCFE.

Study Options

This course is an online course. With online study you have access to your entire course from the start of your studies. You can access your course materials, and submit all of your question papers to your personal tutor, online from anywhere in the World using your unique student account.

If you do not have Internet access, or would prefer to study this course via the traditional paper/postal based study method, you can find more information on the course by clicking on the link below.

Fees