Finance and Accounting Course 6 Lessons only £260.00
We may also have an interest free payment plan on this course, please click on the fees tab for more information.
We can define accountancy as: "the identification, measurement and communication of economic information to enable the users of that information to form sensible opinions and make sensible decisions".
Accounting is surrounded by mystique and "jargon", and, as a professional skill, it requires a high degree of technical expertise. However, it is a very "common-sense" activity and addresses some very basic issues and questions about the nature of businesses and the real-life events, people and activities that make them work.
One of the problems with accounting is that many people focus on the "count" component of the word, and believe that it is no more than counting or "doing the numbers". Nothing could be further from the truth! Look at the complete word! Very few people when asked to give an account of themselves, will express themselves in quantitative terms - shoe size, IQ, height and weight.
Rather, they offer information in qualitative terms - where they live, what they do, their background, likes, dislikes, family, occupation and so on. Indeed they will "tell a story" - which is what accounting strives to do for an organisation - albeit, today largely in financial terms.
- Course Syllabus
- Qualifications
- Fees
- Professional Membership
- Support
- Student Community
- Study Options
- Benefits
- Related Courses
- Further Info
Syllabus
Part 1: Financial Accounting
Unit 1: Introduction to Accounting
Introduction
Objectives
1. What is accounting?
2. Organisations, objectives and management
3. Financial and managerial accounting
4. Profit, profitability and cash
5. Accounting conventions, concepts and policies
6. Capital and sources of finance
7. Capital structure - limited liability company
Unit Summary
Unit 2: Financial Statements
Introduction
1. Objectives
2. Content of financial statements
3. The "big three"
4. The balance sheet
5. Measurement of profit
6. The income statement
7. Bookkeeping and books of account
8. The trial balance
9. Judgement
10.The cash flow statement - profit versus cash
Summary
Review activities
Unit 3: Interpretation and Analysis of Published Financial Statements
Introduction
Objectives
1. The analysts
2. Analytical techniques
3. The key issues
4. The principal ratios
Summary
Part II: Management Accounting and Financial Management
Unit 4: Cost and Management Accounting
Introduction
Objectives
1. Introduction to management accounting
2. Costs and historical costing
3. Controlling costs
4. Total absorption costing
5. Marginal costing
6. Break-even analysis
Summary
Appendix: examples of cost units
Unit 5: Budgetary Control
Introduction
Objectives
1. The household budget
2. Benefits of budgeting
3. Rules for budgeting and budgetary control
4. Cash budgets
5. Behavioural implications of budgeting
6. Control though comparative statements
7. Fixed and flexible budgets
Summary
Unit 6: Capital Investment Appraisal and Project Evaluation
Introduction
Objectives
1. Capital investment appraisal
2. What is investment?
3. Evaluation - alternative approaches
4. Judgement
5. Non-financial aspects of capital investment appraisal
Summary
Further reading
Sample Course Materials
Please click on the logo below to view a few sample pages of the course materials we provide. Whilst this is only a few sample pages, we do hope that it will give you some idea of the quality of the materials we provide. If you have anymore queries in relation to the course materials, please feel free to contact one of our friendly course advisors who will be more than happy to deal with any queries that you may have.
Qualifications
On completion of your course, you will receive two qualifications:
Qualification 1: Finance and Accounting Diploma
Finance and Accounting Diploma issued by Stonebridge Associated Colleges, entitling you to use the letters SAC Dip after your name.
Qualification 2: Level 4 Finance and Accounting Award
At the end of this course successful learners will also receive a level 4 NCFE Award certificate of achievement. That means that it is independently accredited at a level of learning equivalent to level 4 on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland (in which case GCSE's are at levels 1 and 2 and A Levels are at level 3).
This award has been designed by Stonebridge Associated Colleges to meet specific learners' or employers' requirements. Accreditation by NCFE is a guarantee of quality. It means that this learning programme has been scrutinised and approved by an independent panel of experienced educational professionals and is quality audited biannually by NCFE.
What is NCFE
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NCFE is the UK's longest established awarding body, recognised as a highly professional and responsive organisation, committed to maintaining excellent customer service and a friendly approach.
NCFE is recognised as an awarding body by the qualification regulators ('regulators') for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The regulators are the Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator (Ofqual) in England, the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS) in Wales and the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) in Northern Ireland.
Accreditation by NCFE is a guarantee of quality. It means that the college has been inspected and approved by an independent and experienced education professional and is quality audited biannually by NCFE. The centre delivering the programmes has been licensed by NCFE on the basis of its own quality systems. At the end of an accredited course, successful learners will also receive an NCFE Award certificate of achievement.
For more information on this award, click here
Requirements for Entry
There is no experience or previous qualifications required for enrolment on this course. It is available to all students, of all academic backgrounds.
Fees
| Cash Price | Deposit | Installments | No of Payments |
| £260.00 | £85.00 | £25.00 | 7 |

At the end of the course you will receive an award issued by Stonebridge Associated College, and also gain full awarding body accreditation for the course.
Professional Membership
On completion of this course you will be eligible to join the following Professional Associations(s):

On successful completion of your course your qualification is awarded. You will receive an attractively presented Diploma or Certificate issued by Stonebridge Associated Colleges, this will also allow you to use the letters SAC. Dip. or SAC. Cert. after your name.
Stonebridge Associated Colleges is one of the leading (and biggest) distance education colleges in the U.K and internationally. We have many thousands of students studying with us at any one time from locations all over the world. Our diplomas will always count towards your future, and will improve your prospects of future employment or higher level study etc. by proving that you have studied to a certain level, that you have proficiency in your chosen subjects and that you are interested in your field of choice. Education is always an investment in your future and you will find this to be the case with our qualifications in your jurisdiction.
Tutor Support
With this course you will have unlimited access to your own personal tutor who specialises in their field of study. It is your personal tutor's role to ensure that you receive constructive feedback and to deal with any queries you may have. You are more than welcome to telephone, fax or email your personal tutor.
You will also have access to a dedicated and friendly team of administrators and course advisors who offer sound and professional guidance and advice when you need it. This ensures that you will never feel neglected and that you will always succeed!
Assessment Method
After each lesson there will be a question paper, which needs to be completed and submitted to your personal tutor for marking. This method of continual assessment ensures that your personal tutor can consistently monitor your progress and provide you with assistance throughout the duration of the course.
Student Community
We understand that studying from home may be a new experience for you. You could even be excused for feeling a little dauntedsince you will not be studying in a traditional "classroom environment". To help our students overcome these concernswe have developed the Student Zone. The Student Zone encourages a high level ofinteraction with your tutor and other like-minded students.
All of our students receive access to the Student Zone,within this area you can:
- Access the student forum which allows you to share ideas and chat with other students.
- View your tutor's feedback on your marked assignments.
- View optional reading lists for your course (where available).
- Access free online games, for when you need a break from studying.
- View the study guide with plenty of useful hints and tips on how to get the most out of your course.
- Access free courses such as: Improving Learning Skills, Job Interview Skills, The Effective Learner, Goal Setting and Time Management, Ten Tips to Complete a Good Test Paper.
- Find details on our generous Referral Programme.
Study Options
In order to offer our students the most convenient and flexible distance learning courses, Stonebridge Associated College offers you the option to study for your course via two methods:
- 1. Via the traditional paper-based method.
- 2. Through the online method via ElearnUK.
When you study through ElearnUK you can quickly access your course material online and submit all of your question papers to your tutor online, using your unique student account. You have access to all of your course material immediately, and when you submit question papers, your tutor sends you an email containing your results and feedback.
Elearn Prices
Please note that payment by installments is not available when studying via Elearn.
| Cash Price | Deposit | Installments | No of Payments |
| £240.00 | x | x | x |
Study Hours
This is only an approximate figure and is dependant upon how much time you can dedicate to your studies and how well you grasp the learning concepts in the course material. Furthermore, at the end of each lesson there is a question paper that needs to be completed and returned to your tutor. You should allow at least 1 - 2 hours of study to complete each question paper.
The approximate amount of time required to complete the course is: 90 hrs.
Benefits
What's Included
- All study materials
- Study Guide
- Full Tutor and Admin support
- The course fee includes the awarding body registration and certification fee (valued at up to £30.00).
Additional Benefits
This section is designed to help you with your study. It will help you to work more efficiently, manage your study time, improve your presentation of work, increase your ability to remember facts and concepts, and get the most out of your chosen course.
Studying is more than gathering information and reproducing it in assessment tasks such as essays and examinations. Studying involves knowing how to approach a problem, analysing the problem, identifying what you already know, deciding how to gather more information, and much more. This section will help you gain and improve your skills in studying.
Course outline
Studying is an active process. Open learning materials enable adult learners to take responsibility for their own learning. This course has been prepared as an open learning resource for people who wish to undertake a learning programme that involves them preparing for a period of studying. It is designed either to form part of any course of study or may be used as a freestanding guide by students.
You can use this course, as an active learner, to identify:
- what you know already
- what you need to know
- what interests you
- how to use your knowledge to enhance your critical awareness.
This course will enable you to improve your study skills and it is designed for students, practitioners and other people involved in learning and/or being assessed.
Syllabus
- Introduction and Objectives
- Learning to Learn
- Setting Aside Time for Study
- Concentration
- Effective Reading
- Effective Note-taking
- Preparing to Write
- Planning and Writing the Assignment
- Assessment
- Basic Research
- Introduction to Computers
- Spreadsheets and Excel
- Using Databases and Access
- Word Processing with MS Word
Cost of course: FREE to Elearnuk students
Cost to non-Elearnuk students: £125.00
Getting the job you want is not about following rules or giving the 'right' interview answer. It is about presenting yourself in the most authentic way that takes care of you and the interviewers at the same time. So many people throw their chances away: they do not take enough care and interview preparation time so that the whole process is enjoyable, stimulating and informative for both parties. This section aims to show you how.
This section will consider the importance of study skills and how we can identify and enhance our current skill set. We will then take a closer look at different learning styles and how knowledge of our own preferences in this area can make our learning more effective. Finally we will look at some basic time management techniques to enable you to plan and organise your studies and stay motivated.
Our friendly tutors are ready to help with any queries you may have. You need never feel stranded or cut off from help!
A collection of games to sharpen your concentration or just take time out from studying.
A collection of reference materials, links to e-journals, and reading lists compiled by our tutors
Looking for a second opinion? The forum is the place for students to share their thoughts and information with each other.
Regularly updated links to the latest news items!
Related Courses
Below you will find a list of courses that previous students have taken to complement their course. We hope that this list will give you some idea of the types of progression courses we offer, or alternative course options that may be of interest to you.
- Business Accounting - Accounting has become an essential part of business life, and the knowledge and skills that you will learn in your studies will give you a broader and more experienced view of business life.
The course ...
Read More » - Accounting - Accounting is designed to help those with an interest in a business, or other organisation, to assess its financial position and performance. It aims to communicate relevant economic information to interested parties and, as a result, ...
Read More » - Accounting With Computers (Skills Course) - This course requires no previous knowledge of accounting or finance.
This course is a guide to how computers can help you with your accounting. ...
Read More » - Annual Accounts and the Inland Revenue (Skills Course) - How your accounts are prepared. What they mean to you, your creditors and the Inland Revenue. ...
Read More » - Book-keeping (Skills Course) - The aims of this Business Skills Bookkeeping Course are to:
understand why book-keeping is important
examine a wide variety of book-keeping options and select the
...
Read More » - Business Finance -
This programme is designed for people seeking to understand and apply the principles of finance and financial control of a business. The course is particularly suited to the general manager with responsibility for a small organisation ...
Read More »
Further Information
Course Text
For this course you will be required to purchase the textbook:
Atril & Mclaney: Financial Accounting for Non-specialists 2nd Edition (1999)





