GRA 6211 Financial Accounting Theory

GRA 6211 Financial Accounting Theory

Course code: 
GRA 6211
Department: 
Accounting and Operations Management
Credits: 
6
Course coordinator: 
Erlend Kvaal
Course name in Norwegian: 
Financial Accounting Theory
Product category: 
Master
Portfolio: 
Master of Accounting and Auditing
Semester: 
2018 Autumn
Active status: 
Active
Level of study: 
Master
Teaching language: 
English
Course type: 
One semester
Introduction

This course belongs to the major in Business Law, Tax and Accounting as a 1st semester compulsory course. Final class for this major is 2017-2019, and resit examinations will be planned. The course is also offered as a 3rd semester elective for Master in Accounting and Auditing. 

What is the relationship between accounting information and economic realities? This course provides insight into the fundamental functions of financial reporting and its theoretical basis.

Learning outcomes - Knowledge

Students shall learn about the connections between the accounting information of firms and their surroundings. This includes knowledge about how the accounts reflect the reporting firm’s financial conditions and how the accounting information is used and understood by the financial statement users. What is the content of the economic concepts of income and wealth and how do they rate to the accounting concepts of profit and equity? What is the role of financial reporting for participants in the capital market, and to what extent does financial statement information have unintended economic consequences? To what extent is financial reporting biased to meet specific objectives (earnings management)? The course also covers the history of accounting and the reasons for public regulation of financial reporting.

Learning outcomes - Skills

Students shall learn to apply and analyse accounting information in a wider corporate and societal context.

Learning Outcome - Reflection

Students shall learn to consider critically the content of financial reporting.

Course content
  • History of the accounting discipline
  • Relationship with economic factors
  • Accounting models
  • The financial statement as a source of information for the capital market
  • Earnings management and other economic consequences
  • Standard setting
Learning process and requirements to students

A combination of  lectures, discussions and exercises.

Please note that while attendance is not compulsory in all courses, it is the student’s own responsibility to obtain any information provided in class that is not included on It's learning or text book.

All parts of the assessment must be passed in order to get a grade in the course.

Software tools
No specified computer-based tools are required.
Qualifications

All courses in the Masters programme will assume that students have fulfilled the admission requirements for the programme. In addition, courses in second, third and/or fourth semester can have specific prerequisites and will assume that students have followed normal study progression. For double degree and exchange students, please note that equivalent courses are accepted.

Assessments
Assessments
Exam category: 
Submission
Form of assessment: 
Written submission
Weight: 
30
Grouping: 
Group (1 - 3)
Duration: 
1 Semester(s)
Comment: 
Term paper
Exam code: 
GRA62112
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Resit: 
Examination when next scheduled course
Exam category: 
Submission
Form of assessment: 
Written submission
Invigilation
Weight: 
70
Grouping: 
Individual
Support materials: 
  • BI-approved exam calculator
  • Simple calculator
  • Bilingual dictionary
Duration: 
3 Hour(s)
Comment: 
Written examination under supervision.
Exam code: 
GRA62113
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Resit: 
Examination when next scheduled course
Exam organisation: 
Ordinary examination
All exams must be passed to get a grade in this course.
Total weight: 
100
Sum workload: 
0

A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 6 ECTS credits corresponds to a workload of at least 160 hours.