Undergraduate accounting lecture in one of Lancaster University Management School's state-of-the-art lecture theatres
Teaching and assessment
A typical ten-week undergraduate course offered by the Department of Accounting and Finance consists of two lectures and one seminar per week.
Lectures
Lectures are designed to introduce you to new material and key concepts. Lectures last 50 minutes and typically take the form of a Powerpoint presentation (with students normally being provided with copies of the slides).
Average class sizes for lectures vary according to the year of study and choice of subject. Lectures for core Part I subjects can contain up to 300 students. Optional third-year courses may contain anything between 20 and 150 students.
Seminars
Seminars are interactive small-group classes designed to enhance your grasp of lecture material.
Questions covering material from that week’s lectures are distributed before the seminar and you are required to prepare answers for discussion in class.
Seminars provide a crucial opportunity for you to strengthen your understanding and clarify any problem areas. Class sizes vary from between 8 and 20 students according to the year of study and choice of subject.
Assessment
The majority of accounting and finance courses are assessed through a mixture of coursework and final exam. Final exams take place in May and June, regardless of whether your course runs in the Autumn (October-December) or Spring (January-March) term. Coursework styles vary from course to course. Commonly used coursework methods include reports, essays, presentations, mid-term class tests, etc.
In Part I, 50% of the introductory accounting and finance course is assessed through coursework and the remaining 50% is based on final exam. The coursework element currently consists of a mixture of a group-based project work, class participation, and a series of mid-term tests. While your Part I results do not contribute towards your final degree mark, they have an important bearing on other factors such as placement and study abroad opportunities, and references.
Assessment for most Part II courses in accounting and finance consists of 25% coursework and 75% final exam. Specific coursework styles vary across different courses. Remember that all assessed work (coursework and final exam) in Part II counts toward your final degree mark, with all accounting and finance courses (i.e., second and third year) receiving equal weighting.
