Specialised Learning

This content builds on the technical aspects within the ACA exams, providing deep dives in areas such as tax, financial reporting and sustainability.

One unit is equivalent to one notional hour of learning.

• Excel unleashed
  4 units
  This course demonstrates the importance of fully understanding a range of key techniques and features as set out in the ICAEW 20 Principles of Good Spreadsheet Practice, to help students design and create more reliable and efficient spreadsheets throughout their professional careers.
  
  
• The company secretary – role, responsibilities and key skills
  1 unit
  This course introduces students to the role and responsibilities of a company secretary of both public and private companies, explaining how a company secretary promotes and sustains good corporate governance practice. It explores the duties of the company secretary in relation to the board, the company and its shareholders, dealing specifically with those incorporated in the UK and the relevant UK legislation and regulations.

• Business operations for accountants
  2 units
  The aim of this course is to show how business operations work across organisations and how business operations relate to the accountancy function generally and how chartered accountants work with other areas of the business.

• Introduction to finance business partnering   
  2 units
  This course explains the benefits of developing strong relationships between finance and the rest of the business, providing insights, tools and techniques to enable chartered accountants to be effective partners within organisations and support business performance. 
  
   
• Corporate finance - an introduction 
  2 units
  This course provides an overview of corporate finance, giving essential insights into key finance activities, the deal cycle and the roles of various players within the corporate finance ecosystem
  
  
• Forensic accounting – an introduction 
  1 unit
  This course offers a comprehensive exploration of forensic accounting, equipping students with an overview of this area. Students will gain a clear understanding of how forensic accountants differ from other finance professionals, such as auditors and fraud investigators, and the unique areas of engagement in fraud detection, bankruptcy investigations, and business valuation, among others. 
  
  
• Treasury – an introduction
  2 units
  This course provides a comprehensive overview of the treasury function, focusing on its role and importance within a firm.  Students will explore the global, legal and regulatory frameworks governing treasury operations, including cash management, financial and risk management, funding and capital management. 
  
  

This content gives students the opportunity to specialise in particular sectors, ranging from farming to financial services, charities and the public sector. A suite of courses will focus on specific areas within these sectors, such as accounting, tax and other key areas.

One unit is equivalent to one notional hour of learning.

• Financial Services
  3 units
  This course will help students understand the role and significance of financial services in the UK economy, the structure/ function of UK financial markets, the basic characteristics of financial instruments and key financial services sector participants and understand their roles.
  
  
• Charities
  3 units
  This course will help students understand the charity sector and its role in society, the different types of charitable organisations, the legal and regulatory framework, the basis of charity accounting and financial management, the role of governance, and relevant ethical considerations. 
  
  
• Agriculture
  2 units
  This course describes the structure and types of agriculture businesses within the agricultural sector, as well as explaining the key agricultural policies and regulations that impact the industry. Students will be able to recognise the environmental and sustainability issues affecting the agricultural sector, identify the role of technological innovations in shaping agricultural practices and evaluate the supply chains and market dynamics that influence agricultural products.
  
  
• Manufacturing
  2 units
  The course aims to help students understand the manufacturing sector and the impact of industry trends and challenges; the fundamental principles of performance management in manufacturing will also be reviewed. 
  
  
• Technologies 
  2 units
  The aim of this course is to define the technology sector, understand financial reporting and analysis in technology and the management accounting approach in this sector, as well as looking at the relevant trends and challenges.
  
  
• Real estate and construction
  2 units
  This course will help students identify the key attributes of the real estate and construction sectors, describe common business models used in the industry and outline key trends and challenges affecting these sectors.
  
  
• Public sector
  3 units
  Students will be able to define and understand the scope of the public sector, including the key elements and functions of the UK central government structure and how these fit together. The course also covers the role of the civil service in implementing government policy and in supporting the government and the role of local government and key public corporations. Other non-departmental public sector bodies, sources of funding in the public sector and the factors contributing to funding pressures will also be identified.
  
  
• Life sciences
  2 units
  The aim of this course is to identify the different sectors within the life sciences sector, its legal and regulatory framework, the research and development process, and the importance of intellectual property and patents. 
  
  
• Energy and natural sciences
  2 units
  The aim of this course is to describe the sector and explain its significance to the economy. Students will be able to identify the different sub-sectors within the sector, outline the roles of key players, including major companies, regulatory bodies and institutions, explain the processes of energy production and distribution, and evaluate the impact of renewable energy and sustainability initiatives within the industry.

This content supports skills development, such as communication, curious thinking, project management and report writing.

One unit is equivalent to one notional hour of learning.

• Professional presentation skills
  2 units
  The course explains the importance of presentation skills in making complex or dry information accessible and engaging. It provides tools and techniques to help students handle nervousness and build confidence and explores techniques to create an authentic communication style during presentations. The course also explores ways to engage and connect with the audience and use visual aids effectively.
  
• Report writing for chartered accountants 
  2 units
  This course will provide students with the tools to become great report writers. The course highlights the importance of identifying the target audience and identifies the research skills required to write a compelling report. The course provides a framework for effective report writing. 
  
• Developing a curious mindset 
  1 unit
  This course highlights the benefits of curious thinking for students, both personally and professionally, taking them through the different types of curiosity, their relevance and how to apply them over time.  
  
• Managing challenging conversations
  2 units
  This course enables students to recognise what makes conversations challenging and provides tool and techniques to plan effectively for a range of challenging conversations students may encounter. 
  
• Managing your time effectively
  1 unit
  The aim of this course is to enable students to assess their current time management practices and identify patterns and areas for improvement. Students will be able to select appropriate tools to organise tasks and track progress, apply prioritisation techniques based on urgency and importance, implement strategies to effectively handle interruptions and overcome procrastination, and create a personalised time management review process.
  
• Introductory project management skills
  2 units
  The aim of this course is for students to understand the fundamentals of project management in the context of accountancy, including project planning, risk management within projects, decision-making, accountability and project evaluation. 
  
• Working inclusively
  2 units
  This course defines diversity and explains its relevance and importance in professional settings, including recognising unconscious bias, stereotyping and systemic barriers to inclusion.  It will also help students facilitate practical approaches to fostering inclusive workplaces. 
  
• Professional communication skills
  2 units
  The aim of this course is to explain the verbal and non-verbal principles of effective communication. Students will be able to recognise when and how to use different communication methods and styles and apply best practice for communication and messaging, including giving and receiving feedback for workplace development. 
  
• Building resilience
  2 units
  After completing this course, students will be able to explain the importance of wellbeing and its role in building resilience. Students will be able to apply effective stress management strategies and assess their impact in different scenarios.

This content will be updated regularly, providing real time relevant updates on key matters, covering topics such as tax updates, audit reform, sustainability and new corporate reporting standards.

Based on the responsive nature of this content, courses will be developed within short timeframes and will be browsable within the Specialised Learning platform.