Programme Structure

Core Courses

ACCT7610 Advanced Financial Accounting

This course presents an in-depth analysis of advanced accounting topics.  It focuses on the exploration of the core technical capabilities to prepare and analyze financial reports for individual entities and combined entities, as well as the rationales behind various accounting principles and standards relating to financial reporting. Topics include non-current assets held for sale, cash flow, impairment, investment property, intangible assets, financial instruments, leases, events after the reporting report, provisions and contingent liabilities, revenue, deferred income taxes, business combination and consolidated financial statements, investment in associates and joint-ventures, foreign currency transactions and translation of statements of a foreign subsidiary. The local business environment and legal requirements are referred to within the discussions.

ACCT7620 Auditing

This course aims to provide students with an understanding of the concepts and principles of auditing, the statutory audit requirements, extant auditing standards recommended by the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants, auditing issues in an Information Technology (IT) environment, internal audit and internal review and non audit engagements.

ACCT7630 Business and Company Law

This course provides students with an understanding of the overall legal framework in which businesses in Hong Kong operate to enable them to analyse and apply the relevant laws and principles applicable to business problems. It starts with an introduction to the overall legal system of Hong Kong such as the court system and sources of law. It then leads into the area of the law of obligations including contract and tort, which underpin business transactions generally. The course then provides a detailed discussion on the Hong Kong company law, which includes the formation and constitution of companies, the financing of companies and types of capital, and the day to day management, the administration and regulation of companies and legal aspects of insolvency and takeovers. It also covers a range of specific legal areas relating to various aspects of business, such as laws relating to employment, consumer protection and agency.

ACCT7640 Cost and Management Accounting

This course introduces the students to the basic concepts, techniques and application of cost and management accounting. It develops students’ ability in using relevant accounting data for management policy determination, decision making and performance evaluation. Topics include cost concepts, cost behaviour, costing systems, cost determination and allocation, standard costing and variance analysis, relevant costs, and budgetary planning and performance evaluation.

ACCT7650 Financial Management

The course provides an introduction to financial theory/management for students to enable them to analyse major financial decisions made by commercial enterprises. Coverage include financial planning, time value of money, stock valuation, capital investment decisions, project analysis, return and risk, working capital management and capital structure policy.

ACCT7660 Taxation

This course covers the laws and practices of Hong Kong taxation system, including property tax, salaries tax, profits tax, depreciation allowance, personal assessment, tax administration and stamp duty. Problem solving with practical examples, tax planning concepts, local tax cases and current developments will be integrated throughout the course. A brief introduction of general tax planning and Mainland China taxation system is also included.

ACCT7860 Accounting Theory

This course aims to provide students with a critical awareness of financial reporting environment and the role of accounting information in the efficient working of economy. It covers important economics and accounting concepts and theories, and contemporary accounting and finance studies testing these theories. The course addresses in detail how financial reporting practices have been shaped by the information needs and interests of major constituencies, and how the standard setting bodies reconcile the conflicting interests of major constituencies in formulating accounting standards. Building on above contents, this course enables practical applications of the theories/concepts in assessing, explaining, and predicting accounting choices. It is expected that students should understand not only the theoretical foundation of accounting policy and practices but also the development of accounting research in general.

Elective Courses

ACCT7510 Advanced Financial Reporting

This course has comprehensive coverage on various aspects of financial reporting, including earnings per share, impairment of financial instruments, hedging, foreign currency transactions and translation, related party transactions, operating segment and interim financial reporting. Additionally, more advanced aspects of consolidation techniques are also covered.

ACCT7520 Advanced Taxation

This course will provide students with an advanced study of the law and practice in Hong Kong tax system for administration and planning. An appreciation of the role of the professional accountant in tax management is included. Also, the international aspects of Hong Kong taxation and the tax system and administration in Mainland China will be discussed.

ACCT7530 Contemporary Issues in Business Assurance

This course aims to provide students with an advanced study and application of the concepts and principles of auditing to conduct assurance engagements in certain special situations and to resolve issues of special topics in compliance with the statutory assurance requirements and standards stipulated by the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Information technology auditing concepts and technologies are also included to address the contemporary assurance issues in computer and online systems.

ACCT7540 Corporate Financing

This course covers the theory and applications of advanced corporate finance issues. Coverage includes initial public offering, corporate leasing, options, derivatives, mergers and acquisitions, financial distress, etc. Regulatory environment and ethical standards for professional accountants will be discussed.

ACCT7550 Integrated Project

This is a three-unit elective course that can be selected under special circumstance while application and approval in advance is required. The integrated project is designed only for students who have obtained appropriate prior training on research (proof is needed) and would like to take an individual graduation project concentrating on the integrative application of accounting knowledge as the alternative for only one elective course for Master’s award.

ACCT7760 International Taxation

The course introduces the students to the international aspects of income tax law. It provides a comprehensive overview of the global landscape of income tax law and policy. The course discusses the taxation of resident individuals and legal entities on income arising in foreign countries and the taxation of non-residents on income arising or sourced in the country. It also covers the current international tax regime operating in selected jurisdictions, including Hong Kong and Mainland China.

ACCT7810 Securities Regulation

This course articulates to students the regulatory framework for listed companies with a special focus on the listing regimes, compliance with the Listing Rules and the codes on takeovers and related matters, the protection of minority shareholders, and also the roles of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong and the Securities and Futures Commission as the major regulators. The rise of shareholder activism and its impact on corporate governance will be explored. The course will focus on securities regulations of Hong Kong but where appropriate securities regulation of other major jurisdictions will also be discussed.

ACCT7850 Contemporary Strategic Management Accounting Issues

This course aims to examine contemporary strategic management accounting issues in international settings. This course further develops students’ analytical and problem solving skills learnt from basic cost and management accounting to solve strategic and control issues by using case studies and discussion methods. This course also adopts contemporary management accounting techniques to facilitate and evaluate business strategies from international perspectives. In particular, this course focus on business decision making based on performance measurement and management control system. Behavioral and ethical aspects, corporate social responsibility and corporate sustainability of management control system are also considered.

Pre-core Programme Courses

P.C.7001 Accounting

This course is designed to provide students with a basic understanding of financial accounting principles, practices and its underlying theories. In this course, we will emphasis on fundamental financial accounting concepts and principles, and discuss how to measure company’s net income, assets, liabilities and shareholders’ equity using generally accepted accounting principles.

P.C.7002 Economics

This course is a general introduction to the concepts and theories in economics. Topics include basic economic concepts, the theories of demand and supply, production and cost, operation of firms in different market structures, and some market economy issues from a marco perspective. Applications of concepts and theories on practical business problems will be emphasised.

P.C.7003 Information Systems

This course provides students with an understanding of information as a key resource and asset of all kinds of organizations and to appreciate how information management and use of the appropriate technologies can create value and improve the competitive advantage of organizations.

P.C.7004 Management

This course introduces the philosophy of business operations and the framework of decision-making process and provides students with fundamental knowledge about management and organisation. Topics include various aspects of organizational management, including human resources management, production management as well as planning, supervision and control in organisational settings. Applications of these concepts and theories to case studies and real life situations will be emphasised.

P.C.7005 Statistics

This course provides students a working knowledge of fundamental statistical techniques. Major topics include descriptive statistics, probability, statistical inference from large and small samples, F test for equality of variances, tests using Chi-square in categorical data analysis, and simple regression. Particular attention is given to applications of these techniques in business decision analysis.

P.C.7006 Marketing for Accountants

This course is designed to introduce students with a basic understanding of marketing concepts and their application in contemporary business environment. Specifically, this course examines the significance of marketing concepts in an entity, the marketing functions of planning, organizing and control as well as satisfying consumers through the development of effective marketing mix. Emphasis will be placed on developing skills required to make optimal marketing decisions.

P.C.7007 Intermediate Accounting

This course examines the principles and problems of valuation of individual items in assets, liabilities and equity. Topics include overview of the whole accounting cycle in reporting, reporting of financial position and cash flow, valuation of current assets, non-current liabilities, acquisition, depreciation and disposition of property, plant and equipment and accounting for equity. As a whole, this course provides students with an understanding of analysis and interpretation of financial statements.