Certificate in accounting
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| 3 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| Examination | No residential school |
Register for the course
| Start | End | Fee | Register |
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No current presentation - see Future availability |
| This course is expected to run until September 2009. | |||
Summary
This certificate caters for people without a degree who want a route into the accounting profession, and anyone who needs fundamental accountancy skills. You will investigate the role of accounting in businesses organisations, developing knowledge and understanding of basic financial, cost and management accounting, computerised accounting, systems and spreadsheets. You will also learn how to prepare accounts for audit and use accounting information for decision-making. The certificate is accredited with a range of accounting bodies and will enable you to go straight into professional training or onto our Professional Diploma in Management. You can also count it towards the BA (Hons) Business Studies.
Course content
The aims of the course are to develop:
- knowledge and understanding of the processes of recording transactions;
- knowledge and understanding of the process of maintaining accounting records;
- competence in basic financial, cost and management accounting;
- competence in computerised accounting, including accounting systems and spreadsheets;
- awareness and understanding of the role of accounting in business organisations;
- ability to provide accounting information for decision making;
- ability to prepare accounting statements for planning and control;
- ability to prepare periodic accounting reports;
- ability to work with managers in their use of accounting information for planning and control;
- knowledge and understanding of the audit process;
- understanding of the legal and regulatory environment within which accounting is carried out;
- understanding of the business and economic framework within which accounting is carried out;
- awareness of the social and organisational consequences of accounting information;
- knowledge and understanding of the principles of office management;
- knowledge and awareness of the principles of human resource management.
The course comprises sixteen books, each with accompanying CD-ROM material. The books are arranged in three blocks: Financial Accounting, Management Accounting and Managing Organisations. As well as the text, CD-ROM material and exercises, you will need to access the course website regularly, both for information and to submit your assignments. You will also need to participate in the online forums which will support your learning and where additional course information is provided.
Introductory work
The course starts with a four-week induction in late September, during which you will learn the basics of bookkeeping skills necessary for the course. You will also work on material to get you up to standard with numeracy, and you will also familiarise yourself with the software you will have to use for your assignments. This introductory work is very important to the course and is not optional. During this period tuition is given electronically by your tutor.
Entry
You are likely to be taking this course as a first step towards becoming a qualified accountant, going on from it to the professional stage of the qualifications of the UK accountancy bodies; but it will also appeal to those who are pursuing a management career and who want to acquire basic accounting skills.
Although you do not need any formal entry requirements for this course it is expected that you will have some basic skills in numeracy and literacy. If you would like to get a better idea of what is involved, you can download our Certificate in Accounting self-assessment test. This is a Level 3 course and the skills taught will be specific to the requirements of accounting. It should not be thought of as an access course of a more general nature. If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Qualifications
You will be awarded Certificate in Accounting (C32) on completion.
B680 is a compulsory course in our
- BA (Honours) Business Studies (B04) (with Accounting)
B680 is an optional course in our
This course provides a technician level accounting qualification for intending accountants. In addition, it will entitle you to register for the Professional Diploma in Management (D64).
It can also count towards most of our other degrees at bachelors level, where it is equally appropriate to a BA or BSc. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.
Excluded combinations
Sometimes you will not be able to count a course towards a qualification if you have already taken another course with similar content. To check any excluded combinations relating to this course, visit our excluded combination finder or check with our Student Registration & Enquiry Service before registering.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
The course materials are available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader. The written course material is available in comb-bound format. You will need to make use of a personal computer and the internet. Other alternative formats of the course materials may be available in the future. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
You will need to make use of a personal computer and the internet. If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our booklet Meeting Your Needs which you can download or request from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
You can also find information about accessible course materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Course materials
What's included
Printed materials, CD-ROMs.
You will need
It is essential that you have regular access to a computer. Please note that B680 software will not work on a Mac.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave. Some of your course software will be provided on disk.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new Windows computer since 2002 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual. Please note that you cannot use an Apple Mac or Linux computer unless it is running windows Boot Camp or similar.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor with whom you can communicate by email, telephone or post, and who will mark your tutor-marked assignments (eTMAs), and provide online advice and guidance. Since accounting is a very technical subject, with a lot of mechanistic procedures to be learnt, the course offers more tutorial hours than usual – probably six tutorials and three day schools, although local arrangements may vary. Failure to participate in these, particularly the day schools, is likely to have a serious effect on your examination performance.
As the course is grounded in UK law and accounting regulations, it is likely that there will be only a relatively small number of students from mainland Europe. Consequently, the location of day schools and tutorials in mainland Europe will not be finalised until the number of students registered for the course is known. You should be aware that you may need to travel long distances (possibly to the UK) to attend these important events. Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You will be expected to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) online through the eTMA system unless there are some difficulties which prevent you from doing so. In these circumstances, you must negotiate with your tutor to get their agreement to submit your assignment on paper.
There are three examinations (one for each block), the first in April and the other two in October. You will take your examinations in one of the University's examination centres. You will receive specific mailings to tell you more about your examination, including dates and places.
Professional recognition
The Certificate in Accounting will carry similar status to the ACCA, AAT and IFA technician qualifications. It has been accredited by several accounting bodies, including the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), the Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Ireland (CPA), the Institute of Financial Accountants (IFA) and the Association of International Accountants (AIA), giving holders exemptions from Certificate level examinations of those bodies. The Certificate in Accounting is also recognised by the International Association of Book-keepers (IAB).
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The details given here are for the final course starting date in September 2009.
How to register
We regret that we are currently unable to accept registrations for this course. Where the course is to be presented again in the future, relevant registration information will be displayed on this page as soon as it becomes available.
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The course B680 relys on use of a computer. you cannot read books while travelling etc. you must be near ...
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