Micro Master’s Degree in Strategic Financial Management

Learning Outcomes:

Introduction to financial and managerial accounting  its purposes and financial strategy formulation. Cost systems:

Course Coverage: 

• Cost classifications in terms of object;  function, product/service and behaviour; opportunity cost,  recording and analysing costs; job costing; batch costing;  process costing; contract costing; standard costing; variance calculations; variance analysis and management  by exception

Costing methods:

Course Coverage: 

• Absorption, marginal costing, activity based costing (ABC); use in calculating costs and pricing  policy and their relationship to cost controls and pricing. 

Cost control of systems:

Course Coverage: 

• Cost centre; profit centres;  investment centres; accountable management; planning  and control methods. 

Financial statements:

Course Coverage:

• Estimates and assumptions  relating to the profit and loss account; balance sheet and  cash flow statement. 

Financial ratios analysis, interpretation, decisions  and limitations:

Course Coverage:

• Employment of financial ratios internally  and externally; financial profiles of organisations;  calculation of key ratios reflecting business liquidity;  efficiency and profitability. 

Budgets:

Course Coverage:

• Types; flexible and fixed budgets; zero-based  budgeting, budgeting process from subsidiary/functional  to master budget; relationship of budget to cost and  quality control, resource utilisation and profitability.  

Budgets monitoring and evaluations

Course Coverage:

• Budgeted and actual figures, accounting for and investigating different  kind of variances in budgetary controls; corrective action;  human behavioural issues relating to budgeting. 

Sources of financial resources; types of funds:

Course Coverage:

• Short  term and long terms, sourcing funds internally and  externally; venture capitalists, leverages; risk, cost and  control issues with types of funding; techniques of  selecting appropriate sources of funds for different  projects – comparison of costs, risk and controls. 

Managing working capitals and appraisal of  investment options

Course Coverage: 

• Capital and revenue expenditure,  risk, cost and controls; cash flow statements; time value  of money; different methods of project appraisal like:  accounting rate of return; payback period and cash flows; discounted cash flow – net present value and internal rate  of return; and allowance for inflation in money and real  rates of discount, taxation and project appraisal. 

• Impacts of information and communication technology;  global financial management; using excel sheets in  financial analysis, MIS and financial resource plaining  and control.

Indicative reading list 

Core texts: 

• Atrill, P. and McLaney, E. (2006) Accounting & Finance for Non-specialists. (5th edition) Harlow: FT Prentice Hall. 
• Chaffey, D., Bocij, P., Greasley, A. and Hickie, S. (2006) Business information systems: technology, development and management for the e business, (3rd edition), Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall/Pearson Education. 

Additional reading: 

• Atrill, P. (2011) Financial management for decision makers. Harlow: FT Prentice Hall. 
• Atrill, P. and McLaney, E. (2006) Management Accounting for Decision Makers. Harlow: Prentice Hall. 
• Berk, J. and DeMarzo, P. (2007) Corporate Finance. London: Pearson. 
• Brealey, R., Myers, S. and Marcus, A. (2007) Fundamentals of Corporate Finance. New York: McGraw Hill Irwin. • Cox, D. and Fardon, M. (1997) Management of Finance. London: Osborne Books.

• Drury, C. (2009) Management Accounting for Business. 4thEdition. London: Cengage Learning EMEA. 
• Lumby, S. and Jones, C. (2000) The Fundamentals of Investment Appraisal. London: Thomson Learning. 
• Laudon, K. and Laudon J. (2007) Management Information Systems – Managing the Digital Firm. 10th Edition. Harlow: Prentice Hall. • Monden, Y. (1995) Cost Reduction Systems: Target Costing and Kaizen Costing. New York, Productivity Press. 
• Marsh, C. (2009) Mastering Financial Management. Harlow: FT Prentice Hall. 
• Van Horne, J. and Wachewicz, J. (2009) Fundamentals of Financial Management. Harlow: FT Prentice Hall 
• White, G. I., Sondhi, A. C. and Fried, D. (2003) The Analysis and Use of Financial Statements. 3rd Edition. Hampshire: John Wiley and Sons.

Other indicative reading: 

• Peer reviewed academic journals as Financial Management, Journal of International Financial Management & Accounting, International Journal of Financial Management and related. 
• Online resources, corporate industry reports, the Institute of Certified Financial Managers publications and relevant. 

Journals/newspapers: 

• The Financial Times; 
• Management Accounting Quarterly; 
• Financial Management; 
• International Journal of Financial Management; 
• Journal of International Financial Management & Accounting; 
• Management Today; 
• Strategic Finance; 

Websites: 

• Most of the professional accounting bodies in the UK have their own websites (CIMA, ICA, CIPFA, AAT); 
• www.aat.co.uk Association of Accounting Technicians; 
• www.cimaglobal.com Chartered Institute of Management Accountants; 
• www.cipfa.org.uk Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy; 
•  www.companies-house.gov.uk Companies House.

Entry requirements

To enroll in the Micro Master program, the learner must possess:

• Graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or achieved a Level 6 Diploma according to the European Qualifications
• For a non-global accredited university degree, The learner should have followed the Accreditation of Prior Experimental Learning for Qualification (APELQ) policy of Université Libérale de Paris (Paris-U). 
• Learners must be over 21 years old.

Université Libérale de Paris reserves the highest decision-making power for admission whether to accept or not accept after a specific review of each candidate’s profile to ensure they can comprehend and gain benefits when participating. For the fake university or diploma mills, SIMI shall not be accepted.

English language requirements

If a learner is not from a predominantly English-speaking country, proof of English language proficiency must be provided.

• Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) level B2 or equivalent
• Or A minimum TOEFL score of 101 or IELTS 6.5; Reading and Writing must be at 6.5 or equivalent

After graduating from Micro Master programs, students receive all certified documents from Université Libérale de Paris.

Certified Documents:

• e-Certificate from Université Libérale de Paris. 
• Hard copy certificate from Université Libérale de Paris
• Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning for Qualification (APELQ) certified from Paris-U for credit and tuition fee transfer
• Certification & Recognition certified from Paris-U

Because the program is accredited and recognized, students can easily use permitted in the working environment and have many opportunities for career advancement. In addition, if you want to study for a university degree, students can convert all credits and the full tuition fee when participating in the program Paris-U.

Université Libérale de Paris’s Micro Master Degree means:

Paris-U Micro Master Degree is certified at the master level and is equivalent to:

• Level 7 Certificate of Regulated Qualification Framework (RQF) of the UK
• Level 10 certificate of Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF)
• Level 7 Certificate of Credit and Qualifications Framework (CQFW)
• Level 7 certificate of European Qualifications Framework (EQF)
• Level 9 certificates of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)
• Level 7 certificate of ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework (AQRF)
• Level 9 certificate of the African Continental Qualifications Framework (ACQF)

Students can convert all credits and the full tuition fee when participating in the Paris-U academic programs if they want to study for an academic degree.

Credits transfer:

Learners can accumulate 20 credits from the Micro Master program when participating in the Master of Arts in Education Management and Innovation Pedagogy (MAEMIP) of Paris-U. Please see the credit transfer policy HERE.

Tuition fee transfer:

When participating in the MAEMIP program, students who have graduated from the Micro Master program will receive a discount equivalent with short courses tuition fee for each certified. Please see the tuition fee transfer HERE.

As a crucial component of Liberal Education, Paris-U is the first university in the world to fully implement the APEL.Q approach to acknowledge experience and knowledge. Assist students in becoming rapidly recognized and entering the labour market.

Short Courses Certified programs are completely approved and recognized, according to the same rigorous standards as academic degree programs. Learners might include this qualification in their portfolios when submitting for the APEL.Q examination.

Please note that, the APEL.Q process will lead to only the MLSCM degree of Paris-U, not a dual degree. For more information, read more HERE

Université Libérale de Paris (Paris-U) Certified program is not-for-profit, so the tuition fees are fully supported by Paris-U’s partners. Université Libérale de Paris reserves the right not to accept more students if the number exceeds the quotas.

Apply Policy:

• To participate in Paris-U’s Short courses program, students need to meet the entry criteria corresponding to each level. Please see the “Entry” tab for more details.
• Paris-U will only accept applicants if their entry qualifications are from diploma mill universities or schools/universities that are accredited.
• For Level 7 short courses programs, if an entry bachelor is unavailable, students must demonstrate a minimum of 5 years of work experience in the relevant field. Please note that a bachelor’s degree is required for the Master’s program at Paris-U, so you could take the Micro Master program but could not move to the Master’s program at Paris-U.
• English is not a mandatory entry requirement for short course programs, but candidates must ensure that English is used in reading documents, listening to lectures, and doing assignments. Candidates should note that English is mandatory when switching to an academic program at Paris-U.

Apply Process:

1.  Choose the program that suits your requirements. Note that applicants without a university degree will not be able to participate in the program at Level 7, and applicants without a Master’s degree will not be able to participate in the program at Level 8.
2. Email your application to support@paris-u.fr with all the required documents. You could download the application form here.
3. Our admission department will reach out to you and guide you through further processes if the registration documents need to be supplemented.
4. Université Libérale de Paris will issue the Letter of Acceptant (LOA). You will proceed to the next steps according to the instructions and pay the tuition fee.
5. Université Libérale de Paris will issue a student confirmation letter, login account to the e-learning system and related documents.
6. You have become an official Paris-U student and enjoy your study journey.

The Short Courses Certified program is a fully online program. You can study anytime, anywhere. The final exam will be uploaded to the system and marked by the academic panel of Paris-U. Students must submit assignments on time. Otherwise, the student is considered not to continue the program.