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ACC-10005 - Module Specification
Keele Business School
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

For academic year: 2025/26 Last Updated: 04 December 2025

ACC-10005 - Foundations of Business and Economics
Coordinator: Rosa Maria Fernandez Martin
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 4
Credits: 30
Study Hours: 300
School Office: 01782 733094

Programme/Approved Electives for 2025/26

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2025/26

This module sets the wider context for the study of accounting, finance and banking, providing a comprehensive introduction to the essential principles of economics, exploring their impact on business operations and strategy. You will gain an understanding of organisational functions and the broader business environment. This foundational knowledge sets the stage for more specialised studies in accounting, finance, and banking, offering insight into the economic contexts that influence these fields.

Aims
This module aims to provide students with foundational understanding of a range of core business functions within a contemporary organisation. This will demonstrate how these functions are interrelated and contribute to performance. The economics element of the module aims to introduce a range of key economic objectives and topics.
Both business and economic areas of study will aspire to expose students to news articles and case studies to support learning and facilitate assessment.

Intended Learning Outcomes

examine the core functions within contemporary organisations and their roles in achieving organisational objectives: 1
analyse how core business functions interact to support overall organisational performance, using examples or case studies: 1
outline the basic theoretical principles that guide economic decision-making: 2
demonstrate an understanding of how economic principles apply to real-world situations and economic policies: 2
identify the relevance of economic concepts in understanding current economic issues: 2

Study hours

Lectures / Interactive Sessions: 24 hours
Workshops / Seminars: 24 hours
Directed reading and research: 60 hours
Preparation for workshops and case study tasks: 40 hours
Engagement with online resources, videos, or simulations: 20 hours
Assessment preparation and completion: 100 hours
Assignment research, planning, writing, and editing
Reflection, consolidation of learning, and note review: 32 hours

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Essay weighted 50%
Individual Essay (1000 words)
Choose a real organisation you are familiar with (e.g., a retail brand, tech company, or local business) and produce a short report describing how its main functions—such as marketing, finance, operations, and HR—work together to support its overall objectives. Use specific examples to show how these functions interact in practice. Your report should demonstrate your understanding of how coordination across departments helps the organisation succeed. You may include diagrams or case study material to support your analysis. Word count: 1,000 words.

2: Assignment weighted 50%
Economics in the Real World: Applied Case Analysis
Students will select a recent news article that highlights a contemporary economic issue and analyse it using core economic principles. The assessment will require students to demonstrate understanding of relevant concepts such as supply and demand, decision-making, incentives, and the application of policy measures. Students will connect theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios, showing how economic thinking informs both individual and institutional responses to economic challenges. Word Count: 1,000 words

The University undertakes a continuous review of its teaching and research provision to ensure programmes are of a high quality and changes may be made to modules where it is necessary and reasonable to do so. Please be aware that minor changes to modules, such as a change to an individual assessment, can occur up until enrolment, although we endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes. Details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/legalgovernancecompliance/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/studenttermsconditions/

Last Updated: 04 December 2025