Financial Statement Analysis
Syllabus, Master's level, 2FE793
- Code
- 2FE793
- Education cycle
- Second cycle
- Main field(s) of study and in-depth level
- Business Studies A1F
- Grading system
- Fail (U), Pass (G), Pass with distinction (VG)
- Finalised by
- The Department Board, 8 February 2023
- Responsible department
- Department of Business Studies
General provisions
Master's Programme in Accounting and Financial Management - specialisation 'Accounting, Governance and Financial Analysis', 'Strategic Management Control'.
Entry requirements
Strategy and Contemporary Issues, 15 credits. A Bachelor's degree, equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen, from an internationally recognised university. Also required is 90 credits in business studies. Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6. As all teaching takes place in English, very good language skills in English are a necessity to be able to partake in the course.
For incoming exchange students an introductory course at Master's level from previous studies is required. Exceptions can be made from the requirement of 90 credits in business studies, provided that special reasons are considered to exist.
Learning outcomes
The course covers the analysis of companies using financial statements. After completion of the course, a student should be able to:
- score the credibility of companies' financial statements and disclosed accounting policies,
- select adjustments of accounting items and policies for purposes of evaluating companies,
- formulate regrouping of financial statements for analytical purposes,
- compose an accounting-based ratio structure and evaluate how it can be used in strategic financial evaluation of companies, and
- evaluate how to use financial statement analysis in the assessment of central financial aspects of companies.
Content
For performing the analysis of companies, the following parts are covered:
- appraisal of accounting items and procedures of companies, which includes necessary understanding of financial reporting standards,
- adjustments of accounting items and procedures,
- undertake adaption and regrouping of financial statements,
- development of useful accounting ratios and their interrelations in a coherent system, and
- the relationship between financial statements and accounting ratios for strategic analysis.
Instruction
The in-class teaching consists of lectures, seminars, and tutoring. Seminars are carried out in smaller groups and contain team work assignments with both written and oral elements. Tutoring is given for the team work assignments. The course is taught in English.
Assessment
The student will get one single grade, equivalent to 7.5 credits.
Course examination includes a written test and team work assignments. Attendance is required on scheduled examination activities, and absence motivated by particular reasons requires complementing assignments to be handed in within two weeks after the complementing requirement has been given. The grade for the entire course is based on an assessment of all parts of the examination.
Grading criteria are presented in the study guide that applies to the course section. The following grades will be used: pass with distinction (VG), pass (G), and fail (U). Examinations handed in late will not be assessed except under special circumstances. Any remaining supplemental work must be completed and handed in by the deadline specified in the study guide. Otherwise the entire course (all examinations included) must be retaken during subsequent course sections.
If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University's disability coordinator.
Uppsala University does not accept cheating or plagiarism. Suspected incidents of cheating or plagiarism are reported to the Vice-Chancellor, which may issue a formal warning to the student or suspend the student from studies for a certain period.
NOTE: Only completed courses can count toward a degree.
Other directives
The course overlaps Advanced Accounting Analysis 2FE835, Financial Statement Analysis (Contract Education) 8FE873 and Financial Statement Analysis 2FE873.