Courses

Programme Specification

DIP-IDA International Year One in Accounting

Academic Year 2023/24

A programme specification is required for any programme on which a student may be registered. All programmes of the University are subject to the University's Quality Assurance processes. All degrees are awarded by Queen's University Belfast.

Programme Title

DIP-IDA International Year One in Accounting

Final Award
(exit route if applicable for Postgraduate Taught Programmes)

International Diploma in Accounting

Programme Code

NTO-IDA-AC

UCAS Code

HECoS Code

100105 - Accounting - 100

ATAS Clearance Required

Mode of Study

Full Time

Type of Programme

Undergraduate Diplom

Length of Programme

Full Time - 1 Academic Year

Total Credits for Programme

120

Exit Awards available

Institute Information

Teaching Institution	INTO Queen's
School/Department	INTO
Quality Code https://www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code Higher Education Credit Framework for England https://www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code/higher-education-credit-framework-for-england	Level 4
Subject Benchmark Statements https://www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code/subject-benchmark-statements The Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/quality-code/qualifications-frameworks.pdf
Accreditations (PSRB)
The British Council	Date of most recent Accreditation Visit 11-05-18

Regulation Information

Does the Programme have any approved exemptions from the University General Regulations
(Please see General Regulations)

None.

Programme Specific Regulations

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
English Language Requirement:
For the International Year One in Accounting, candidates will normally be required to have an English Language test score, taken within the last two years, of IELTS 5.5 or equivalent, with a minimum of 5.5 in the reading and writing components and no other component below 5.0.
For the Extended International Year One in Accounting, candidates will normally be required to have:
One term extended:
an English Language test score, taken within the last two years, of IELTS 5.0 or equivalent, with a minimum of 5.0 in the reading and writing components and no other component below 4.5
Two terms extended:
an English Language test score, taken within the last two years, of IELTS 4.5 or equivalent, with a minimum of 4.5 in all components.
NB. Students who require a Tier 4 visa to study on the programme must comply with UK Border Agency requirements and hold a Secure English Language Test (SELT) at CEFR Level B1 or above with a minimum of B1 in all components, reading, writing, speaking and listening.

Academic Requirement:
Internationally Recognised Examinations:
Two D Grades from a UK A-Level board or equivalent.
First Year pass at an overseas university with good grades.
Students with SAT: 2 APs at Grade 3 or higher.
Completion of the International Baccalaureate (IB) with a minimum of 24 points.
All students must hold an (I)GSCE grade B Mathematics or equivalent.
Progression from Foundation Programmes
Students who achieve two D grades in the Queen’s International Foundation Programme in Business, Humanities and Social Sciences may progress on to the Diploma programme.
Other similar foundation programmes may be acceptable and will be considered on an individual basis.
All students must hold an (I)GSCE grade B Mathematics or equivalent.
Entrance requirements are kept under review and are subject to change
Applicants are advised to check the latest information online at
http://www.intostudy.com/en-gb/universities/queens-university-belfast/courses

There will be two intakes each academic year, in September and in January.

Award:
To be eligible for the award, all students must take and satisfactorily complete (pass) academic subject modules to the value of 100 CATS points.
Students must also satisfactorily complete (pass) the English Language and Study Skills (ELSS) Module, which comprises 20 CATS points.
Students who obtain an academic subject average that is higher than 40% in all academic subject modules with passes in all subject modules will be awarded a PASS.
Students following the extended programme must take and satisfactorily complete one or two terms of Academic English before taking any of the academic subject modules.

The pass mark for all academic modules is 40%.
The pass mark for the ELSS module is 50% overall (IELTS 6.0), with a minimum of 40% in each sub-skill (IELTS 5.5).

Re-sits:
A student who fails a module at the first sitting shall be permitted one further attempt to achieve a pass for that module. The module will normally be retaken at the next available opportunity.
The module pass mark is normally 40% and any re-sit mark is capped at 40%. However, where the module is a specified pathway module (and therefore essential to student progression) the pass mark is 50%. In such cases, eligibility to resit the module is determined by a first mark lower than 50% and any re-sit mark is capped at 50%. With such modules, the progression mark becomes the de facto pass mark.

The ELSS resit mark is not capped.

Students who fail any module at the second attempt will be reviewed and may be required to withdraw from the programme.

Progression:
Students who successfully complete (pass) the International Year One in Accounting programme and are awarded the International Diploma in Accounting may progress to Year Two of degree programmes only if they have achieved, as a minimum requirement, the level of performance in both academic modules and English Language and Study Skills as specified in the following progression requirements:

English Language Module:
A minimum of 60% overall (equivalent to IELTS 6.5) with minimum of 40% (equivalent to IELTS 5.5) in all components

Subject Modules:
In order to progress to Queen’s University, students must satisfactorily complete (pass) all academic subject modules to the value of 100 CATS points.
They must also achieve a 50% overall average in academic modules.
In addition, they must achieve the minimum requirement of 50% in the following specified pathway modules:
Statistical Methods for Business
Introduction to Financial Accounting
Introduction to Management Accounting
Introduction to Legal Study and Basic Contract Law.

Students who successfully complete (pass) the International Year One in Accounting programme and are awarded the International Diploma in Accounting but who do not meet the specified progression requirements for entry to Year Two will be considered for entry to Year One of degree programmes in the Queen’s University on a case by case basis.

Students on the extended programme must satisfactorily complete Academic English with a minimum of 55% overall, a minimum of 55% in the writing and reading components and no other component below 50% before progressing to study the academic and English Language and Study Skills modules.

Students with protected characteristics

The programme does not contain any barriers to access or progression for any protected group.

Are students subject to Fitness to Practise Regulations

(Please see General Regulations)

Educational Aims Of Programme

The specific objectives of the programme are to:
1. Provide international students with a high quality education and learning experience at undergraduate Year One level within which the measured and validated outcomes are of a quality to secure progression to Year Two (Level II) undergraduate study in Accounting and related disciplines in Queen’s University Management School.

2. Provide a qualification that is of a quality to secure progression elsewhere for those students who either do not meet the entry criteria for Queen’s or wish to pursue their undergraduate study at another university.

3. Enhance the English language ability of students to enable them to communicate and study effectively and confidently at undergraduate level at Queen’s or in another English medium university.

4. Assist international students to acclimatise and become accustomed to student life in the UK and to provide practical experience of the learning, teaching and assessment methods found in Queen’s and in other UK universities.

5. Develop the students’ subject knowledge and the learning, intellectual, practical and linguistic skills required for successful study at undergraduate level.

6. Inculcate a commitment to good practice in academic work and provide students with the necessary personal, interpersonal and key skills to enable them to develop as independent, self-directed learners.

7. Provide students with an understanding of Accounting and how it is concerned with the provision of economic information for both internal and external organisational stakeholders.

8. Prepare students who intend to progress to university with a view to entering the accounting profession where they will require practical content, as well as essential theory in the various specialisations of Financial Accounting, Management Accounting, Auditing, Taxation and Finance.

9. Provide students with the opportunity to achieve professional exemptions at the same level as those studying Accounting at Level One at QUB Management School.

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes: Cognitive Skills

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

1. Critically analyse, evaluate and interpret information, utilising up-to-date academic literature
2. Understand the relationship between argument and evidence
3.Apply creative thinking, critical thinking and problem solving skills in a variety of contexts
4.Demonstrate logical reasoning, independent enquiry and the comprehension of abstract concepts.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Cognitive skills are developed across first and second term modules and focus particularly on problem solving and logical reasoning. Critical analysis of up-to-date academic literature develops students’ cognitive ability.
Independent enquiry, critical evaluation and interpretation, abstraction and assimilation are key elements in all modules and are further reinforced in the Study Skills component of the English Language and study Skills module.
Self-assessment and reflection are developed by formative feedback particularly on tutorial presentations.

Methods of Assessment

Assessment of cognitive skills, both summative and formative, occurs in the form of course assignments, oral presentations, project work and examinations

Learning Outcomes: Transferable Skills

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

1. Present knowledge and demonstrate expertise in a coherent, effective and meaningful form.
2. Construct and evaluate arguments, and to reach conclusions.
3. Present quantitative and qualitative information together with analysis, argument and commentary in a form appropriate to different intended audiences.
4. Apply and use appropriate ICT: including PowerPoint, excel, word-processing, e-mail, internet and subject -related software.
5. Prepare and communicate ideas in written, presentational and graphical forms.
6. Work both independently and in groups and to demonstrate organisation and time management skills.
7. Be aware of the professional context in which business is conducted.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Transferable skills development permeates teaching and learning on the International Year One programme. Successful completion of projects and coursework across modules requires students to gather additional information from a range of sources, select and assimilate relevant information and to complete tasks within deadlines.
ICT skills are consolidated throughout the course as an aid to report writing, visual presentation, literature searching and data handling. Although not formally assessed, qualities such as self-reliance, good time management and the ability to undertake independent study are fostered and encouraged throughout the course.

Methods of Assessment

Assessment of coursework requires students to use a range of media (e.g. essays, PowerPoint or similar presentations, case studies) to demonstrate their learning.

Learning Outcomes: Knowledge & Understanding

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

1. Apply mathematical and statistical methods to economic, financial and business data to solve a range of practical problems in business
2.Understand fundamental economic theory, the role of economics in business, public and private decision making and be able to apply the theory to real world problems
3. Know the principles and practice of Financial and Management Accounting and Accounting Information Systems.
4. Understand the cultural and historical context to English law, its institutions and practices, including the fundamentals of basic contract law, together with an introduction to tort law.
5. Engage with academic texts using effective reading and note-taking strategies; produce academic writing that is accurate at both discourse and sentence level; understand policies and expectations related to academic integrity; listen and react to lectures & other types of classroom discourse; participate confidently in seminars, presentations and classroom discussions

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Knowledge-based subject-specific learning and teaching is provided through lectures, seminars, tutorials, group work, directed reading, independent learning activities and computer-based learning materials.
Students’ knowledge and understanding will be assessed through a combination of unseen examinations, formal essays, class tests, individual and group projects, as well as individual and group oral presentations.
Tutor moderated peer-informed assessment will contribute to the assessment of group work components.
Both summative and formative assessment is used throughout all modules.

Methods of Assessment

Summative assessment takes a variety of forms. In all modules formal examinations are used to gauge and assess understanding and the acquisition of knowledge. Work required for summative assessment (whether in the form of examinations, individual essays, individual or group presentations) will be judged against the Level 1 criteria in the University’s published marking guidance.
Formative assessment will take three main forms; (i) regular assignments in most of the modules aimed at promoting subject-specific understanding, logic, accurate written and (where required) graphical representation of information, and good presentation (ii) frequent and regular discussion of key theories and academic readings to develop understanding, logical argument and critical assessment and (iii) timely feedback on the content and performance of student presentations.

Learning Outcomes: Subject Specific

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

Perform a range of subject specific skills – mathematical computations, statistical analysis, financial analysis, the analysis of legal theory and its application to facts – consistent with students studying the same designated degree programme in Year One (Level 1) at Queen’s University Belfast

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures, seminars, tutorials, group work, directed reading, independent learning activities and computer-based learning materials

Methods of Assessment

A combination of unseen examinations, formal essays, class tests, individual and group projects, as well as individual and group oral presentations

Module Information

Stages and Modules

Module Title	Module Code	Level/ stage	Credits	Availability		Duration	Pre-requisite			Assessment
				S1	S2			Core	Option	Coursework %	Practical %	Examination %
Accounting Information Systems	NTO1048	1	10	YES	YES	12 weeks	N	YES	--	25%	0%	75%
Principles of Economics	NTO1034	1	20	YES	YES	12 weeks	N	YES	--	40%	0%	60%
Statistical Methods for Business	NTO1060	1	10	YES	YES	12 weeks	N	YES	--	40%	0%	60%
Introduction to Legal Study and Basic Contract Law	NTO1059	1	20	YES	YES	12 weeks	N	YES	--	25%	0%	75%
Introduction to Management Accounting	NTO1006	1	20	YES	YES	12 weeks	N	YES	--	25%	0%	75%
Introduction to Financial Accounting	NTO1005	1	20	YES	YES	12 weeks	N	YES	--	25%	0%	75%
English Language and Study Skills	NTO1030	1	20	YES	YES	24 weeks	N	YES	--	40%	0%	60%

Notes

Please note that the British Council accredits the ELSS module for this programme.

Please note, students on the Extended version of this programme may do 4 or 5 terms.