The module introduces you to core management accounting and international financial concepts within organisations for decision-making purposes. It will enable you to understand management accounting, providing managers with essential information for effective planning, evaluation, and control. The second part will enhance your skills in financial management for a highly integrated business world.
What you will study
Building upon some of the concepts highlighted in the OU level 1 and 2 accounting modules, this module uses different perspectives to engage you in learning about management accounting and international finance. You'll gain a varied and interesting toolkit of theories and techniques to apply in organisations.
The first part of the module covers management accounting which is concerned with providing information and analysis to managers to help them plan, evaluate and control activities in order to achieve an organisation’s objectives.
The international perspective of the second part of the module will help you gain a deeper understanding and skills in the field of financial management, reflecting closely on a highly globalised and integrated real-world business environment.
Entry requirements
No prerequisite study is required, although we recommend studying Financial analysis and decision making (B294) first, as it provides foundational knowledge, which this module builds on. Financial accounting in context (B293) will also be helpful.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the module, please speak to an adviser.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You’ll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module.
They’ll help by:
marking your assignments and offering detailed feedback to help you improve
providing individual guidance, whether that’s for general study skills or specific module content
guiding you to additional learning resources
facilitating online discussions between your fellow students in the dedicated forums.
Online tutorials run throughout the module. While they’re not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to participate. Where possible, we’ll make recordings available.
Assessment
Course work includes:
2 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs)
End-of-module assessment
What's included
You’ll have access to a module website, which includes:
a week-by-week study planner
course-specific module materials
audio and video content
assignment details and submission section
online tutorial access.
Computing requirements
Primary device – A desktop or laptop computer with at least 8 GB of RAM and a quad-core processor (2.4 GHz minimum speed). It’s possible to access some materials on a mobile phone, tablet or Chromebook; however, they will not be suitable as your primary device.
Peripheral device – Headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone for online tutorials.
Operating systems – Windows 11 or the latest supported macOS.
Internet access – Broadband or mobile connection.
Browser – Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are recommended; Mozilla Firefox and Safari may be suitable.
Our OU Study app operates on supported versions of Android and iOS.
Software – Any additional software will be provided or is generally available for free.
If you have a disability
The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone, and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying B391 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.
To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our Disability support website.
Future availability
Management accounting and international finance starts once a year – in October.
This page describes the module that will start in October 2027.
We expect it to start for the last time in October 2028.