Managing Finance in Enterprises for Computer Scientists
Unit code | MCEL30032 |
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Credit rating | 10 |
Unit level | Level 3 |
Teaching period(s) | Semester 2 |
Available as a free choice unit? | No |
Overview
The unit aims to:
1. Allow students to understand and develop the necessary skills to produce a proposal to support a major project within an organisation or a business plan for a new start-up.
2. Introduce essential business finance and business risk management tools.
3. To explore resources required to form, develop and grow a business or a product line within a business.
4. To encourage students to think entrepreneurially as an essential component of their personal development.
Pre/co-requisites
Available to Computer Science students ONLY.
This unit should not be studied with MCEL30001/MCEL30002 or MCEL30011/MCEL30012.
Aims
The unit aims to:
1. Allow students to understand and develop the necessary skills to produce a proposal to support a major project within an organisation or a business plan for a new start-up.
2. Introduce essential business finance and business risk management tools.
3. To explore resources required to form, develop and grow a business or a product line within a business.
4. To encourage students to think entrepreneurially as an essential component of their personal development.
Syllabus
This unit investigates the process of establishing and growing a business and the process of developing a new project within an organisation.
Emphasis is given to the essentials of financial management and risk management in a business or project, such as the research and development of a new product or service introduction. Attention is given to the process of identifying and using information concerning resources required for the proposed business activity.
Topics Include
- Adding Value – How is value created by a company – linking your subject area with the commercial world
- Financial Statements – Cash Flow, Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet and what we can learn form them
- Diagnosing financial problems and what we can do about it – Break Even and Ratio Analysis
- Controlling costs and lean start-up
- Sources of Funding – From Banks, Venture Capital, Grants to Crowdfunding
- Risk – Financial implications of risk
- Exit Strategies for owners and equity investors
- Growing a Business
There is a consultancy session where you can get feedback about your assignments from the lecturer
Teaching and learning methods
The full range of contemporary methods will be used for the delivery of this module including creation of financial statements, the use of case studies, evaluation exercises etc. This programme will be supported by material on Blackboard including online financial exercises, supporting material, unit handouts, assignments other audiovisual resources that may be of interest to the students.
Knowledge and understanding
A1 Explain the essential elements of good business strategies and planning
A2 Describe how business risks are identified and managed
A3 Explain how to create and use the main tools of financial management
A4 Identify and explain the main issues in developing and resourcing a plan to meet given objectives
A5 Describe and explain alternative ways in which organizations may operate and develop
Intellectual skills
B1 Recognise what constitutes effective business/project planning
B2 Design and evaluate basic strategies to meet a given set of objectives
B3 Identify and assess business risks and describe how they may be managed
B4 Compile and manipulate financial statements, cash flow, balance sheet, profit and loss.
B5 Propose a workable plan that could be used to implement a given strategy
Practical skills
C1 Use software tools and packages to research, plan and present information
Transferable skills and personal qualities
D1 Identify, gather and process information from a variety of sources
D2 Utilise problem solving skills and apply to “real world” examples
D3 Utilise IT to aid decision making
D4 Develop, structure and communicate ideas effectively
D5 Develop commercial awareness
Assessment methods
Assessment task | Weighting within unit | Deadlines for submission of coursework | Deadline for return of feedback |
Verbal discussion of the topic selected for brief feedback There is also time set aside for assignment feedback before the hand in date | n/a | Week 1-5 | Week 5 |
Assignment (2000 words) | 100% | Week 11 | Before Exams |
Feedback methods
Formative feedback is the feedback given to help you to develop and improve with the unit of study. In this unit, there will be consultancy meetings with the lecture to get feedback on your work before it is submitted.
Additional formative feedback is available to you through the following means:
Attending lectures, joining discussions about case studies and doing short work tasks set within the lecture session.
Your lecturer will reply to brief individual questions at the end of each lecture session.
Your lecturer will provide brief replies to your e-mailed enquiry.
Your lecturer may feedback messages to the whole class via Blackboard if the point that you have raised could be of benefit to the whole class.
Summative work is any course assessment that contribute to the final mark for the unit
Summative feedback for assignments is provided via Blackboard. You may e-mail the lecturer to ask for further feedback and they might raise the point in the next lecture, reply to you or invite you to attend a brief one to one feedback meeting.
Recommended reading
Main Texts
Financial Management for the Small Business, Colin Barrow, (2001) Published by Kogan Page 5th ed
Financial Accounting for Non-Specialists, Atrill, P. & McLaney, E., (2006) Financial Times-Prentice Hall, 5th Edition, ISBN 0273655876
Study hours
Scheduled activity hours | |
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Lectures | 24 |
Independent study hours | |
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Independent study | 76 |
Teaching staff
Staff member | Role |
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Robert Phillips | Unit coordinator |
Additional notes
Available to Computer Science students ONLY.
For Academic Year 2024/25
Updated: March 2024
Approved by: March UG Committee