Laurea (First cycle degree/Bachelor - 180 ECTS) in Economics and Accounting

Graduates in Economics and Accounting will have accounting skills with a solid grounding in Business Law enabling them to deal with the many diversified issues concerning business and quantitative subjects and legal studies.
The career opportunities currently open to graduates are (1) external auditor, (2) accountant, (3) assistant accounting manager, accounting manager or internal auditing manager in for profit and non-profit organizations. The following specific learning outcomes are identified for each profile:
1) External auditor – will be able to check accounts and accounting documents. As indicated in Article 2409, paragraphs of sub-section three, of the Italian Civil Code, students will check the regularity of company accounts, accounting records of company practice throughout the running of the company, and at intervals of no more than three months; check that the financial statements, and, where present, the consolidated financial statements, verify the validity of the accounting records and make sure that checks carried out are in conformity with the regulating norms; draft reports on the financial statement evaluation, and, where present, an evaluation of the consolidated financial statement, perform a series of activities in order to draft this report, of which the main ones are: procedure analysis; analysis of the financial statements; the study and evaluation of internal audits; the evaluation of the levels of responsibility within the business. These functions may also be performed on the accounts of public bodies.

2) Accountant – will be able to carry out the activities indicated in article 1 of the Italian legislative decree n° 139/2005 (paragraphs 2 and 4), including: administration and liquidation of companies; the organisation of surveys and technical consultancy; the keeping of account and tax books; the handling of tax returns and the fulfilment of tax obligations; checks on the reliability of balance sheets, accounts and accounting records of companies and organisations in the public and private sector; administrative checks and inspections; functions of internal auditor in commercial businesses, non-commercial and public bodies or auditing as member of a group of auditors as indicated in article 2409, paragraphs of sub-section 2 (Italian Civil Code).

3) Assistant accounting manager, accounting manager or internal auditing manager in for profit and non-profit organizations – will plan and manage financial measurement systems. In particular, they will be able to draft the chart of accounts, record transactions and operations in the books and draw up the financial statements. They will be able to determine the taxable income of the business. They will plan, organise and manage the processes of internal auditing: checking, therefore, on the efficiency of internal administrative procedures, and identifying areas of risk; they will issue indications of best practice and company guidelines, and assist in their implementation; check on the procedures of internal authorizations; assess the efficiency of procedures and correct them as necessary. They will seek the most advantageous financial resources and offer evaluative support in investment decisions.

All the professional figures indicated will be able to make use of IT and can read and carry on a conversation in English.
A newly emerging professional figure is the Auditor and Certifier of quality systems: they will know the norms of ISO certification and the methodologies and techniques for the review and certification of quality systems. They will, therefore, be able to take part in the controlling of methodologies and techniques for process and product quality control.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING ABILITY:
Graduates:
- will have knowledge of financial and management accounting;
- will have knowledge of financial reports; of national and international Business and Tax Law; of Accounting standards, both Italian and IFRS;
- will have knowledge of budget systems;
- will be knowledgeable in management reporting and performance indicators;
- will know the principles and techniques of corporate finance;
- will know the principles of labour law;
- will know tax law;
- will have knowledge of the norms of ISO certification, as well as the main methods and techniques for review and certification of quality systems;
- will know business law;
- will have knowledge of mathematics and mathematics for finance.
The knowledge and understanding abilities above are accomplished through lectures, practical activities and seminars, in particular in the core curriculum subject areas of the degree programme (i.e.: SECS-P/07 Accounting, SECS-P/09 Financial Management, SECS-P/13 Commodity Studies, SECS-S/06 Mathematics for Economics, Actuarial Studies and, IUS/04 Commercial Law, IUS/07 Labour Law, IUS/12 Tax Law), as well as internships in accounting and auditing firms. An adequate amount of time must also be dedicated to home study.
Assessment is accomplished mainly through written and oral examinations.

ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND TO UNDERSTAND:
Graduates:
- will know how to plan and manage the system of managerial reporting and performance indicators;
- will be able to carry out bookkeeping (financial and cost accounting);
- will be able to draw up financial statements;
- will know how to check the documents of accounts and carry out the checks indicated in Article 2409, paragraphs of sub-section 3;
- will be able to draft the chart of general accounts;
- will be able to plan the system of cost accounting and calculate product cost;
- will know how to plan and organise the processes of internal auditing;
- will be able to analyse and evaluate investment projects and financing opportunities;
- will be able to check conformity with quality systems;
- will be expert in keeping the books of employment accounts;
- will be able to handle the fulfilment of tax obligations;
- will be able to use statistical tools for checking accounts;
- will be competent in IT;
- will be able to understand the features of the organisation where they operate and adapt to it.

The ability to apply the knowledge and understanding listed above is achieved by means of critical consideration of the proposed reading texts for home study, case studies and applications explained by teaching staff, and workshop or computer projects, in particular in the core curriculum subjects areas (i.e.: SECS-P/07 Accounting, SECS-P/09 Financial Management, SECS-P/12 Economic History, SECS-P/13 Commodity Studies, SECS-S/01 Statistics, IUS/07 Labour Law, IUS/12 Tax Law), as well as during the period of internship and during the preparation of final paper.

Assessment is accomplished by means of written and oral examinations, assignments and problem-solving activities which involve specific tasks that require students to demonstrate command over tools and methodologies and to show critical autonomy. The internship is assessed by means of a written report made by the in-company tutor.

JUDGEMENT SKILLS:
Graduates:
- will be able to understand information in financial statements;
- will know how to evaluate the accuracy of measurements in the accounts;
- will be expert in evaluating business trends;
- will be able to evaluate and indicate improvements to systems of risk management, control and governance processes;
- will know how to analyse and evaluate investment projects and financing opportunities.

Judgement skills are developed particularly through practical activities as well as case studies performed in class or as individual or group assignments as part of the course units of the relevant curriculum subject areas, i.e. SECS-P/07 Accounting and SECS-P/09 Financial Management, as well as during the internship.
Assessment is accomplished by means of both an evaluation of students' participation during the exercises and case studies performed in class and the evaluation of the individual or group projects proposed, in addition to the report prepared by the in-company tutor during the internship and the assessment of the final paper.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS:
Graduates:
- will be able to write, read and speak in English;
- will work well within a group.
Communication skills are developed through students' active participation at the practical activities and case studies and the presentation of individual and group work on the themes proposed by teaching staff. These communication skills are developed especially during the period of internship. The assessment of the development of communication skills also forms part of the evaluation of the final paper.

The English language skills are developed with the specific course units provided by the language centre of University of Bologna and assessed in a final pass/fail test.

LEARNING SKILLS:
Graduates:
- will be able to apply the learning tools and methods developed in order to update and elaborate upon the contents studied, whether in professional contexts or undertaking further studies.
The learning abilities acquired are a result of the entire period of study. In particular, the rigorous methodology of the courses offers students learning tools that help develop logical reasoning.
The learning skills are assessed especially during the period of internship on the basis of the report of the in-company tutor, and at the presentation of the final paper.