BSc Degree in Applied Accounting
Oxford Brookes University

Oxford Brookes University has over 150 years of history. It is a leading UK university for teaching and learning. It is a centre specialising in international business, management, accounting and finance. This university has been elected the best modern university in the United Kingdom for the past seven years. It has an international reputation for innovation, high quality education and research. Hence, by obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Applied Accounting awarded by Oxford Brookes University, students demonstrate to potential or existing employers that they not only have all the skills and knowledge that will enable them to make a successful career in the fields of accounting and finance but that their degree is from a university that has a worldwide reputation for excellence.

The university has a lot to be proud of and some of their recent results and achievements at can be seen by clicking on this link: https://www.brookes.ac.uk/about-brookes/at-a-glance/.

Oxford Brookes University is incorporated by Statute pursuant to the UK Education Reform Act 1988 and was created a University by the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. This is the root power for the University’s ability to grant awards including degrees, diplomas, certificates etc. These powers are granted on the basis of Oxford Brookes University designing and operating appropriate procedures for assuring the quality and standards of its awards. In doing this, the University is subject to review by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) and is subject to regulation by the Office for Students (OfS) in the UK.

So although students don’t physically attend Oxford Brookes University to gain the BSc (Hons) degree in Applied Accounting, the degree programme is of the same rigorous standard as other degrees offered by Oxford Brookes University and meets the standards set for UK higher education. By gaining the BSc (Hons) in Applied Accounting, you will not only demonstrate to potential or existing employers that you possess all the relevant graduate skills to equip you for a great career in accounting and finance, but you will also establish an association with a university that has a reputation for excellence.

The aims of the programme

The BSc in Applied Accounting aims to prepare students for a career as a professional accountant and to equip them to make a wider contribution to their organisations, communities and society. It does this by incorporating students’ professional accountancy studies into an academic programme and by enhancing and extending the knowledge and skills achieved through professional examinations.

The structure of the programme

The full degree comprises eleven elements:

LCA01: Accountant in Business
LCA02: Management Accounting
LCA03: Financial Accounting 
LCA04: Corporate and Business law 
LCA05: Performance Management
LCA06: Taxation  
LCA07: Financial reporting 
LCA08: Audit & Assurance
LCA09: Financial Management
LCA10: Ethics and Professional Skills 
LCA11: Research & Analysis Project (RAP) 
 

Courses LCA01 - LCA10 above are delivered and assessed by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and course LCA11is delivered and assessed by Oxford Brookes University.

IBT is a tuition provider supporting students in their studies to meet the assessment requirements set by the ACCA and Oxford Brookes University. While we will assess students progress and performance on a regular basis and help under performing students to improve via targetted improvement plans, the final assessments for each element is independent of IBT.

IMPORTANT:

Holders of this Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Accounting are encouraged to continue their studies for one more year at IBT to complete ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) examinations to become Chartered Accountants. 

Course objectives 

This degree will allow students at the end of their course to be able to (among many others):

==>> Critically evaluate accounting concepts and principles (OHADA & IFRS) and their    
          application in solutions to practical accounting problems.

==>> Prepare financial statements of entities, using relevant financial information, accounting
          techniques and standards; and to analyse and interpret such financial statements.

==>> Use relevant management accounting techniques with cost information, for planning,
          decision-making, performance evaluation and control, within different business settings.

==>> Apply financial management techniques to issues affecting investment, financing, and
          dividend policy decisions of an organization.

==>> Understand the general legal framework, and apply specific legal principles relating to
          business, including taxation legislation as applicable to individuals, single companies and
          groups of companies in Cameroon and internationally.

==>> Explain the process of carrying out the assurance (audit) engagement and its application
          in the context of the professional (audit) regulatory framework.

==>> Understand the ethical responsibilities of professional accountants, and to reflect on
          ethical dilemmas and potential solutions.

==>> Evaluate and comment on the performance and financial situation of organisations using
          a range of interpretative techniques. 

Course organisation

==>> The duration of this course is twenty-four (24) months with six (06) months of internship
          in a company environment.

==>> Training will be in the form of lectures, tutorials and practical exercises in small groups.

==>> Lecturers are professional accountants, lawyers and auditors, who all have more than ten
          years of solid professional experience in their respective domains.

==>> Students will have access to the IBT e-Learning System where they can download course
          material, test their knowledge online regularly, watch video tutorials of courses, and
          access other relevant materials to support them in their studies. 

 Potential Job opportunities

Holders of this qualification go on to hold a variety of positions in different industries across the world. These includes but not limited to:

==>> Senior finance or accounting roles
==>> Management accountant
==>> Auditor (Internal or external)
==>> Business reporting roles 

This degree will open the door to an international career to who ever wants to pursue that route. Please contact IBT for guidance if you are interested.

The RAP is designed to take about 4-6 months to complete. The finished project is submitted to Oxford Brookes University for assessment and grading. It can only be submitted after you have completed all the other elements of the degree programme and are therefore eligible to submit.

Eligibility to submit a RAP

To submit a RAP, you must be registered with Oxford Brookes University i.e. have met the English language requirement (see below under admission criteria), registered and be accepted as a student of IBT and have completed and passed all exams (elements LC01 to LC10).

What the RAP is designed to achieve

The purpose of the RAP is to allow students to demonstrate important graduate-level understanding and skills that are not otherwise tested in the examinations of elements LC01 to LC10 (see about the degree).

Students undertake a research-based project related to a single organisation and complete the two components of the RAP: the Research Report (RR) and the Skills and Learning Statement (SLS).

Learning outcomes

The RAP module will enable students upon completion to be able to:

1. Critically evaluate accounting concepts and principles and their application in solutions to
    practical accounting problems.

2. Select and apply appropriate accounting and financial management techniques to
    organisational business planning, decision-making and control.

3. Understand the limitations of accounting techniques and the implications of such
    limitations.

4. Communicate analysis of accounting and financial information and recommendations to a
    variety of different audiences.

5. Communicate appropriately in writing and through an oral presentation.

6. Solve problems through the identification of key issues, synthesis of information and
    analytical tools, and the presentation and critical evaluation of a range of options.

7. Undertake an independent Research Report relating to a single organisation or industry
    sector.

8. Prepare a written report which meets academic requirements of information collection and
    referencing of information sources.

9. Complete a programme of study through independent and self-managed learning.

10. Reflect on the learning attained through completing the programme and its impact on
     future professional development and employment roles.

11. Use information technology to record and analyse financial data, to collect information
      from a range of sources and to present research findings.

RAP Assessment

The Research and Analysis Project consists of two separate documents; a 7,500 word Research Report (RR) and a 2,000 word Skills and Learning Statement (SLS).

Students are also required to give a presentation on the project to their Mentor and to submit the accompanying slides used for their presentation with the RAP. Students will be given one of three Pass grades (A, B or C) or a Fail grade (F) for the performance in the RR.

Students will be given either a Pass grade or a Fail grade for the performance in the SLS. If they achieve one of the three Pass grades for the RR and the Pass grade for the SLS, then a pass in the RAP will be awarded.

The grade awarded for the performance in the RAP will be that awarded to the student for the RR i.e. A, B or C. Once the student have been awarded one of the three Pass grades for the RAP, they can no longer make any further RAP submissions.

What is the Research Report (RR)? 

The RR requires students to conduct an investigation and write a report of at most 7,500 words, which addresses one of 20 topics slected by Oxford Brookes University. These topics are available to our students on demand from the IBT office. Note that the 7,500 word count includes everything from the start of the title page, to the end of the conclusions but does not include appendices or the list of references.

What is the Skills and Learning Statement (SLS)? 

The Skills and Learning Statement (SLS) is the opportunity for students to demonstrate that they have developed the key 'graduate' skills of self-reflection and communication. Students are required to provide evidence of self-reflection by answering a number of questions. Their communication skills will be developed through the preparation and delivery of a presentation to their Mentor. Students are required to submit a copy of the PowerPoint presentation that they used in their presentation to their Mentor as evidence of their skills development.

Students wishing to enrol for this degree course MUST have at least one of the following:

==>> 2 subjects passed at the Cameroon GCE A Level (grades A-E ) or the Cambridge Overseas
          Higher School Certificate (grades 9-4) PLUS 3 subjects passed at the Cameroon GCE O
          Level (grades A - C) or the Cambridge Overseas School Certificate (grades 1-6). These
          passes MUST be in 5 separate / different subjects across the two exams which MUST
          INCLUDE English and Mathematics.

==>> Brevet de Technicien Supérieur (Higher Technicians Certificate)

Students who meet the above criteria and who wish to enrol will need to complete an application form that can be obtained from the IBT office (email: accounting@ibtonline.net). They will need to submit their completed applications in person to our office in Akwa Douala or via email (accounting.applications@ibtonline.net) along with the following documents:

==>> proof of your qualifications, such as award certificates
==>> proof of identity, such as a copy of their passport or birth certificate
==>> a passport-style photograph.

For official documents such as award certificates and passports, we do not need the originals - copies are all we need.