Master Curriculm For Acct and Finance
Master Curriculm For Acct and Finance
CURRICULUM
MSc. Degree in Accounting and Finance
yúYNS ¥StRS Ä!G¶ bxµWNtENGÂ ÍYÂNS
August 2014
Table of Contents Page
1. Background of the Department........................................................................3
2. Mission of the Department...............................................................................3
3. Objectives of the Graduate M.Sc. Program in Accounting & Finance.............3
4. Rationale for the M.Sc Program in Accounting and Finance...........................4
5. Graduate Profile...............................................................................................5
6. Program Requirements....................................................................................5
6.1. Admission Requirements..........................................................................5
6.2. Graduation Requirements.........................................................................6
6.3. Degree Nomenclature...............................................................................6
6.4. Duration of the Program............................................................................6
7. Quality Assurance............................................................................................6
8. Resource Requirement....................................................................................7
8.1. Human Resource.......................................................................................7
8.2. Physical Facilities......................................................................................7
9. Course Structure..............................................................................................8
9.1. Course Breakdown (Semester Wise)........................................................8
9.2. Course Descriptions and Objectives.......................................................10
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1. Background of the Department
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Enhance the quality of accounting education and practices through conducting
researches in the areas of Accounting, Finance, Auditing and Taxation.
Save foreign exchange that the country spends in sponsoring graduate students who
will pursue their study in the field of accounting abroad;
Build up the capacity of the staff required for launching MPhil and PhD program in
the department in the long run;
Train individuals who could assume various functional areas related to Accounting,
Auditing, Finance, and Taxation in both the corporate and public sector
Train individuals who will be capable of carrying out business researches in public
and private organizations.
The dynamic nature of our economic and political conditions brought about a
challenge in managing both public and private organizations. As a result, the need
for well-qualified manpower that can play a pivotal role in the development
endeavor is very high.
Recently, following the government's decentralization effort to expand the higher
education system in regional states many more universities were added increasing
the total number of universities in Ethiopia. As a result the opening of graduate
program in Accounting & Finance will fill the gap of shortage of academicians in
such universities.
Similarly, at present many of the public as well as the private colleges and
universities have started to offer undergraduate and graduate programs in
accounting and finance. It is apparent that these institutions will demand
instructors who have qualifications at the M.Sc level.
Currently the demand for postgraduate level of education has made accounting
and finance graduates to opt for distance education from open universities abroad.
Consequently the country’s foreign currency shortage is exacerbated.
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5. Graduate Profile
The graduate profile is the base for designing a curriculum that would lead to the
realization of the desired output. Thus, the graduates with M.Sc. in Accounting and
Finance should have accounting and finance knowledge and understanding that enable
them to:
Assume functional responsibilities in any sector where accountability and transparency
are needed. They can assume positions in the areas of accounting and auditing, financial
management, managerial functions, etc.
Analyze of advanced cost and managerial accounting reports for users and
advising decisions to be made at top-level management.
Carry out tax analysis in public and private firms.
Undertake audit planning and internal control system designs.
Analyze, Design and Installation of Financial/Non financial systems (manual or
computerized)
Undertake advanced treasury management, portfolio analysis, investment
decisions, debt analysis, equity analysis, and financial market analysis.
Execute project proposals, execution, monitoring and evaluation.
Develop and implementing policies and strategies.
Develop and implement strategic information system.
6. Program Requirements
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Candidate(s) Selection Criteria
M. Sc. Degree in Accounting and Finance and the Amharic version is: yúYNS ¥StRS Ä!G¶
bxµWNtENGÂ ÍYÂNS
7. Quality Assurance
The Department will establish a system to monitor the educational quality of the
department by collecting feedback from the employers, academic staff members,
students, and other stakeholders. The Department will also take all the necessary steps to
enhance the quality of education to be in line with international standards by improving
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the student-teacher ratio, student-book ratio, and other requirements. The standard of
exams offered by the department and assessment methods used for each course will be
examined periodically to ensure that the students will meet the graduate profile upon
graduation.
8. Resource Requirement
To commence the program in the first semester of the next academic year the
department should have the following staffs:
Total 4
In addition to the aforementioned academic staffs, the program must have one program
coordinator and one secretary.
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9. Course Structure
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S. No. Course Code Course Title Credit hr. ECTS
1 ACFN 613 Advanced Taxation 3 7
2 ACFN 615 Advanced Cost and Management Control System 2 4.5
3 ACFN 621 Business Research Methods 2 4.5
Total 7 16
Year: 2 Semester: I
S. No. Course Code Course Title Credit hr. ECTS
1 ACFN 622 Applied Econometrics for Accounting & Finance 3 7
2 ACFN 623 Advanced Auditing 2 4.5
3 ACFN624 Advanced Financial Accounting 3 7
Total 8 18.5
Year: 2 Semester: II
Course Code Course Title Credit hr. ECTS
1 ACFN 625 Financial Markets and Institutions 2 4.5
2 MBA711 Business Policy & Strategic Management 2 4.5
3 ACFN712 Investment Decisions and Portfolio Management 2 4.5
4 ACFN713 Advance Corporate Finance 3 7
Total 9 20.5
Year: 3 Semester: I & II
S. No. Course Code Course Title Credit hr. ECTS
1 ACFN 721 Thesis in Accounting and Finance 3 7
Total 3 7
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There is no longer any such thing as a purely national economy. The rest of the world is
just too big to ignore, either as a market or as a competitor. The global economy is
becoming ever more closely integrated. Thus, the course focuses on the international
business environment and examines the major influencing issues in conducting business
such areas as the international economy and trade issues, legal and political context
differences, governmental actions, cultural and ethical system differences, exchange rates
and international currency markets, international institutions like the world Trade
Organization and the International Monetary fund, and regional agreements like the
European Union, and NAFTA on global decision making.
It also provides an assessment of why firms internationalize their operations, how they
can internationalize, and key areas such as international manufacturing, marketing,
human resource management, and strategy. In addition, the course focuses on the impact
of these topics on various types of international business transactions, production
agreements, counter trade, joint ventures and strategic alliances.
Course objective
Cross border trade and investment have continued to increase. Yet differences in
economic, political and socio-cultural environments around the world challenge business
with opportunities and risks. As new communication technologies and global migration
are becoming more prominent than ever. To help students understand the intricacy of the
global economy,
Learning objectives of this course are:
To understand the current important trade and investment trends.
To develop the ability to comprehend international economic and financial issues.
To understand the role of cultural differences that affect international businesses.
To learn how the foreign exchange market works and to understand the role of the
global monetary system.
To examine the role of international institutions and regional trade agreements.
Course Title : Advanced Financial Accounting
Course Code : ACFN 614
Credit Hours :3
ECTS :7
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Course description:
The course examines selected advanced financial accounting issues and concepts. It deals with
business combinations, preparing consolidated financial statements, ethical issues pertaining to
advanced accounting aspects, accounting for foreign currency transactions, translation of foreign
currency financial statements, bankruptcy, liquidation and reorganization; deferred taxes, cash
flow statements, balance sheet preparation, restructuring of troubled debt, and the intricacies of
comprehensive income. The course also explores criteria for calculating capital changes and
applying concepts of fixed assets and cost determination and recent developments in Accounting.
The course builds on the conceptual framework of financial accounting and explores advanced
financial reporting issues with the objective of providing the collective knowledge of GAAP as a
basis for application in financial accounting and reporting.
Course Objective: The major emphasis of this course is on advanced financial accounting
concepts and on the application of those concepts to problems arising in business organizations.
Course Title: Accounting Information System
Course Code : ACFN 612
Credit Hours :3
ECTS :7
Course description:
Accounting Information Systems is designed to equip graduates a basic knowledge of
computer based information systems and understand the role of information systems in
performing the accounting function in contemporary business organizations. The module
help graduates develop a strong conceptual foundation in Accounting Information
Systems and gain basic working knowledge of Accounting Packages and Technologies.
The module provides essential knowledge and skill required for analyzing transaction
cycles, documenting business process and AIS data, identifying internal control risks,
using accounting applications, designing and evaluating AIS, and understanding e-
business/e-commerce business models. As part of the module, students will have some
hands on in accounting packages and database applications.
Learning Outcomes: Upon completion of this course, students shall be able to:
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Develop basic insight about the challenges and opportunities firms would face in
adopting e-business/e-commerce technology;
Identify AIS control and security threats and recommend preventing/mitigating
strategies;
Develop strong understanding about fundamental concepts of database technology
and data modeling and apply the knowledge gained to develop AIS data model;
Understand the models, techniques, and tools for Information Systems Analysis
and Design in general and AIS in particular;
Understand the roles of AIS system development manager, AIS system designer,
AIS system evaluator (auditor), and AIS system user; and
Develop working knowledge about general ledger software packages and
database applications.
Curse Title: Advanced Cost & Management Control System
Course Code : ACFN 615
Credit Hours :2
ECTS : 4.5
Course description:
Advanced Cost & Management Control System describes the techniques of nourishing
and employing management control systems to enhance the executive’s competency in
attaining the competitive advantage. It extensively covers the complete management
control process that comprises of strategic planning, responsibility centers, transfer
pricing and performance evaluation. Activity Based Costing, as a tool for providing
information for strategic planning, and pricing decisions, as a part of the cost-related
control system, are also adequately described in this course.
Course Objectives
The course aims at equipping the students with gaining knowledge, insights, and
analytical skills related to how an organization’s senior executive go about designing and
implementing those ongoing formal systems used to plan and control the organization’s
performance.
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Learning Outcomes: On completion of the course, the students will be able to:
Establish and strengthen management control system with all its techniques
embodied to avoid control problems
Design strategies and implement them in such a way that the competitive
advantage can be enhanced
Use Activity Based Costing information in strategic planning process
Employ financial measures, including Transfer Pricing, and non financial
measures in performance evaluation
Analyze costs for controlling costs and taking pricing decisions
Use Responsibility accounting in a decentralized system of responsibility centers.
Recognize current developments and issues in cost and managerial control system
Course Title: Advanced Taxation
Course Code : ACFN 613
Credit Hours :2
ECTS : 4.5
Course description:
Advanced Taxation module is designed to provide students with a sound understanding
of taxation in general and the Ethiopian tax system in particular. It will consider the
problems and options in theory while at the same time providing some insight into the
practical implications of taxes. Furthermore, this course intends to create awareness
among students about the role of taxation in the financial management of businesses; and
also to enable students appreciate the role and significance of taxation in economic
development. The course will thus provide the skills necessary to appreciate the concepts
and principles underlying the various aspects of a tax system.
Learning outcomes: Upon successful completion of this module, students should be able
to:
to identify the characteristics of taxes and taxation in general;
understand the objectives and principles of a tax policy proposal and conflicts
among some of them;
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explain the problems in the application of the principles of a tax policy proposal
like equity principle;
comprehend the types of taxes and tax system and practical problems in deciding
on tax bases (income, value added and other tax bases);
explain the various issues in international taxation regime including issues of
taxation of foreign source incomes, international double taxation and international
tax avoidance through subsidiaries and transfer prices;
comprehend on the role of taxation in financial decision makings such as
investment, dividend and finance decisions;
Distinguish between tax avoidance and evasion; and
Examine the Ethiopian tax system in the context of the theoretical underpinnings
of taxation.
Course Title: Applied Econometrics for Accounting and Finance
Course Code : ACFN 622
Credit Hours :3
ECTS :7
Course description:
Applied Econometrics for Accounting and Finance intends to introduce advances in
financial econometrics during the last two decades, which has resulted in an increasing
number of sophisticated models, which characterize stock market prices and returns. This
course provides students with the opportunity to develop specialized quantitative skills
and gain an understanding of these financial econometric models.
Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this module, students should be
able to:
Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of financial econometrics;
Demonstrate basic knowledge and understanding of the Classical Linear
Regression Model;
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the assumptions and properties of
the Classical Linear regression Model;
Demonstrate an ability to formulate and evaluate testable statistical hypotheses
using the linear regression model and econometric software;
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Demonstrate an ability to carefully interpret regression results;
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the effect on regression results
when the assumptions of the Classical Linear Regression Model are violated
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the econometric procedure to
measure the stock price impact of an event.
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the techniques needed to perform
econometric analysis in a non-stationary world.
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the techniques used to model the
volatility of financial asset returns.
Course Title: Advanced Corporate Finance
Course Code : ACFN 623
Credit Hours :3
ECTS :7
Course description:
The main aim of this module is to provide a rigorous grounding in the theory and practice
of corporate finance at an advanced level, and a thorough synthesis of the most important
current research in corporate finance, with an emphasis on the applications of the
principles. Both normative and positive aspects of the theory are examined, together with
supporting descriptive and empirical evidence.
Learning Outcomes: Upon completion of the module, students should have:
Advanced knowledge and critical understanding of essential components of
modern corporate finance and associated current research;
Explored, understood and appreciated the complexity and contradictions of the
current academic literature and its implications for professional practice, and be
able to identify open questions for their own research;
Demonstrated ability to learn and work independently in corporate finance,
exercising critical judgment and discrimination in the resolution of complex
problematic situations;
Used highly specialized and advanced technical, professional and academic skills
in the analysis of relevant specific problems in corporate finance;
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Had the opportunity to apply problem solving and analytical skills to issues in
corporate finance in a complex specialized context.
Course Title: Business Research Method
Course Code : ACFN 621
Credit Hours :2
ECTS : 4.5
Course description:
Business Research Methods is designed to provide students with a sound understanding
of the use of scientific approach in business research fields. It introduces students to the
research process and analytical skills with particular reference to business research.
Learning outcomes: Upon successful completion of this module, students should be able
to:
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The course is designed to portray the process of analyzing decisions relating to
investment in different securities or financial assets. Investments can be thought in two
branches; security analysis and portfolio management. It is to be begin by looking at the
financial markets and the concept of risk/return; then, modern portfolio theory is to be
examined, including market efficiency and behavioral finance. The nature of investor
objectives, their risk tolerance, asset allocation decisions and performance evaluation
issues are to be explored.
The second half of this course delves into security analysis, which is concerned with the
selection and timing of financial and real securities. The course will be involved with the
analysis, selection and trading of different instruments/ securities. Issues concerning
macroeconomics, industry and sector analysis, alternate (qualitative and quantitative)
methods of valuation, the timing of buy/sell decisions etc are to be explored.
Course Objective:
Generally, the objective of the course is to help one identify what relevant information’s
are required to take proper investment decisions in, mostly, developed economic setup. It
is also geared towards the imparting of important considerations used in selection and
managing of combination of holdings under different investment strategic
objectives/policies.
Upon completion of the course, graduates will be able to;
Understand the functioning of stock exchange markets developed economic setup.
Advise investors on which security or financial asset to invest or divest.
Conduct economy, industry and company analysis to identify potential investment areas.
Module Title: Financial Markets and Institutions
Course Code : ACFN 625
Credit Hours :2
ECTS : 4.5
Course description:
In a market economy, the allocation of economic resources is driven by the outcome of
many private decisions. In this process, the discovery of price is critically important.
Prices are signals that direct economic resource to their best use. The course is, therefore,
designed to discuss matters of financial decision in a financial market, where optimal
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price is expected to be discovered. The course does relate the role financial resources to
the macroeconomic development of a nation. Financial intermediaries and their role in a
market led economy will be assessed. Moreover, the controversy on the extent of
financial market regulation will be discussed. The course is also about Global Finance.
The course tries to link domestic and international finance activities and processes.
Learning outcomes: On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
· understand financial market and its place in an economy
· explain the main players in the financial market
· describe the wide range of instruments of financing available in financial market
· Explore financial market trading mechanisms
· Describe investment alternatives, instruments and risk exposures
· Describe financial institutions & their operations
· Understand the financial regulatory environment of financial market
Corse Title: Advanced Governmental and Not-for-Profit Accounting
Course Code : ACFN 624
Credit Hours :2
ECTS : 4.5
Course description:
Course Description: Government organizations; General Principles, financial Reporting,
Specific Balance Sheet and Operating Statement Items, Stand-Alone Reporting
Specialized units and activities, Accounting for NFP organizations, and Unique
Accounting Characteristics of Ethiopian Governmental and Not for Profit Organizations.
Course Objective: To explain the unique principles, accounting standards and financial
reporting formats & practices of governmental and NFP organizations in general and
particularly in Ethiopia.
Course Title: Business Policy and strategic Management
Course Code : ACFN 711
Credit Hours :2
ECTS : 4.5
Course description:
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This course is designed to bring together, at general management level, the other business
functions such as production, marketing, finance and accounting. It is concerned with the
strategic decisions faced by senior management such as establishing objectives,
formulating alternative strategies and achieving successful implementation of the chosen
strategies. The course is structured under file headings; setting corporate objectives;
analysing the company, setting business policy; choosing a strategy; and implementing
the strategy. The course is offered through a mix of lectures, reading and writing
assignments, case analysis and business games and project.
Course objectives: The objective of this course is to acquaint students with the
viewpoints of top managers in complex organizations. It will help students integrate how
specific analytical approaches and viewpoint of functional fields into the larger view of
the overall organization’s purpose and thereby develop a framework for analysis of
significant managerial problems. Moreover it introduces them to certain strategic
activities, like long range planning and acquisitions and mergers, which are dealt with
primarily at the top management level.
Course Title : Advanced Auditing
Course Code : ACFN 713
Credit Hours :2
ECTS : 4.5
Course description:
This course expands on the subject matter covered in the introductory auditing course and
also considers certain specialized areas. External auditors attest to information, or provide
reasonable assurance as to the fairness and dependability of that information. This course
focuses on Advanced Auditing Principles as related to publicly traded organizations, the
general public, and the audit firm in general. This course is a case based course that has
selected key real-life cases and these cases can be collectively discussed in three broad
areas; (i) ethics and audit litigation, (ii) audit planning and internal control structure, and
(iii) substantive testing and external reporting. For each case, the presentation and class
discussion will incorporate the related accounting principles, the appropriate auditing
standards and applicable professional standards, in Ethiopia as well as internationally.
Course objective
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Upon completion of the course, graduates will be able to:
examine the role of auditing and other assurance services in our society and the
public's expectations for these services,
Recognize certain circumstances when the auditor must consider ethical issues.
Develop a reasonable knowledge of current issues facing the auditor today.
Prepare solutions to a wide range of auditing problems and cases by applying the
techniques acquired in this course.
Explore the direction of auditing standards in Ethiopia compared to international
standards.
Consider some of the risks of material misstatement in financial statements and
other financial information.
Conduct preliminary research on certain auditing topics. Prepare for the realities
of Auditing while proceeding towards a professional designation.
Thesis in Accounting and Finance
Students are required to prepare Thesis in Accounting and Finance based on the field
work and studying the current trends under the guidelines of his/her thesis guide. The
Thesis is also compulsory for all students and they will have to submit the reports of the
Thesis as per the following:
A) Thesis should be done individually by the candidate in consultation with thesis
guide.
B) Student should take guidance from guide and prepare a Report on Thesis.
C) The Thesis should be of such a nature that it could prove useful or be relevant
from the Accounting and Finance fields. Thesis observations, suggestions and
conclusions shall form an inevitable part of the Thesis.
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