GRA 6219 Auditing, theory and methodology
GRA 6219 Auditing, theory and methodology
The course is mandatory and provides the students with the necessary basic theoretical and methodological tools that an auditor should possess to perform an audit of financial statements in a time where accounting data and information increasingly is digitized.
The course covers the basic auditing concepts and methodology as well as the International Auditing Standards (ISA). The students learn how to plan an audit of financial statements in accordance with international auditing standards and practices of professional accountancy based on current theoretical knowledge including the main methodological concepts such as materiality and risk based audit planning, understanding internal control, identifying audit procedures and designing audit programs, gathering of audit evidence, as well as reporting on the audit.
After finishing the course, the students should possess the knowledge to:
- plan and conduct an audit of financial statements in accordance with international auditing standards and practices of professional accountancy based on current theoretical knowledge, including developing the overall audit plan, judge and employ materiality guidelines, developing risk based audit programmes, perform audit procedures, and know how to gather audit evidence. The students should be able to evaluate the results of the audit and conclude by identifying inputs to the audit report.
Upon completion of the course the students should understand how audit professionals conduct an audit of financial statements and understand the challenges of being an auditor in terms of identifying potential misstatements in financial reporting and reporting on them to the board and general assembly.
- Understand the objective of the audit of financial statements and assurance services in an international perspective
- Economic demand for financial audits legal regulation vs. market mechanisms
- The role of auditing in a corporate governance perspective
- Acceptance of audit engagements, content and formulation of engagement letter
- Understanding the business, industry, legal aspects with consequence for the audit
- The audit process
- Audit planning, auditing of business processes
- Considering materiality and risk assessments, business risk and the audit risk model
- Considering internal control and judging control risk
- Considering the risk of fraud, consequences for the auditing and reporting
- Audit evidence and analytical auditing
- Auditing of the main transactions cycles
- Audit sampling, test methods, including the use of statistical methods
- Review for contingent liabilities and subsequent events, going concern assessments
- Audit of the board of directors' report, management reports
- Reporting on the audit
The course has 36 hours of plenary lectures and the students are expected to read the literature before the lectures and digest the material lectured afterwards.
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.
| Exam category | Weight | Invigilation | Duration | Support materials | Grouping | Comment exam |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exam category: Submission Form of assessment: Written submission Exam code: GRA 62191 Grading scale: ECTS Grading rules: Internal and external examiner Resit: Examination when next scheduled course | 100 | Yes | 3 Hour(s) |
| Individual | Written examination under supervision. |
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.