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Below you will find a brief overview of the OBU programme which summarises the main initial aspects of the Oxford Brookes University BSc Honours in Applied Accounting.
What is the OBU all about?
This is a unique programme designed by ACCA in conjunction with Oxford Brookes University intended to ensure that all students registering with ACCA have the opportunity to acquire not just the ACCA accounting qualification but also a university bachelor degree.
Most UK university bachelor degrees take 3 years to complete but by joining forces, the ACCA and OBU present a ‘fast-track’ way of getting those all important BSc letters after your name, but without any real short-cuts! While you have been toiling over all of your ACCA exams you have been demonstrating technical accounting skills – just like students on Accounting and Finance courses offered by other Universities.
What is involved?
Most students are able to fulfil the OBU requirements in 3 months! This does entail a fair amount of concentrated effort but is realistically achievable for the average student.
To pass you need to submit a Research & Analysis Project (RAP) – a formal written 7,500 word report – on one of 20 set topics which meets OBU’s academic requirements, together with a 2,000 word ‘Skills & Learning Statement’ (basically a self-reflection on how you covered the overall RAP objectives and how the process has helped you improve your study habits, communication and potential study/job prospects).
OBU Information Pack
OBU has produced an OBU RAP Information Pack, it contains a mixture of information relating to many of the rules on how your RAP grade will impact on the classification of the honours degree if you pass, the timetable for submission, various checklists, the current submission fee, but most importantly in the Appendices (currently Appendix 1) you will find the Assessment Criteria.
Learn more
Download OBU Information Pack to find out all the OBU requirements and gives a lot of advice to get you started.
OBU Articles
Referencing – The Open Tuition Ultimate Guide to Referencing your RAP
‘Golden Rules’ and Principles of Good Referencing for the RAP
FAQs regarding Referencing in the RAP
Top 5 Reasons for failure (article by The Learning Luminarium)
Interview with the former OBU marker Gillian Moorse
Find out from the former OBU marker about common mistakes students make, which topics should be avoided and main reasons students fail their RAP.
The Research & Analysis Project (RAP)
This is a formal 7,500 word report on one of 20 set subjects.
In addition to the Research & Analysis report you must also submit a 2,000 word (approx.) Skills and Learning Statement and Presentation slides at the same time.
Evaluation and Analysis
In order to produce a successful RAP you have to evaluate and / or analyse information from a range of sources. This means creating some meaning of what you have found, or making a judgment or coming to a conclusion. If you only report the information that you have found or generated, you will not pass the RAP. The ability to evaluate and / or analyse information is a very important graduate attribute and the grade that you are awarded for your RAP will be significantly influenced by ‘how well’ you demonstrate your evaluative and/or analytical skills in your RAP.
Referencing
Referencing (along with Evaluation and Analysis) remains the most common reason for failure of first submissions. This is particularly frustrating for a student when they have otherwise done a very good RAP as it means that any resubmission can only ever achieve a C grade.
The article contains hints and guidelines to avoid a failure. It is basically in 3 parts:
Part 1, is background information about why there is the emphasis on referencing in the first place, which then helps you appreciate Part 2 which sets out the Golden Rules. Part 3 answers some frequently asked questions. The last of these questions, Q10, contains a lot of useful links to websites where you will find more details of how to deal with particular types of references (it would be impossible to outline all of these in one article). However if you explore the links you will find that with some of them you can enter the type of reference you are having a problem with and it will show you how to deal with it.
Choosing your Mentor
In order to complete your RAP you will need to have a project mentor.
The mentor should be someone whom you feel is the right person to help guide you through the RAP process.
Submission and Assessment Criteria
There are 2 opportunities per year to submit your work: May and November.
The project must be submitted online at the Oxford Brookes University submission portal website by the date of latest submission.
Learn more about deadlines, fees and acceptable formats
OBU Results
The Academic Conduct Office (ACO)
The Academic Conduct Office (ACO) is the OBU department that deals with any potential infringements of the University rules or regulations. It exists to maintain the integrity of the University’s degree system and to ensure that all students comply with the expected standards of academic behaviour demanded of a UK university.
‘Marker-Speak’
Are you puzzled by your marker’s comments? Are you struggling to make sense of your feedback sheet and relate it to your work? We have produced an article to help students decipher the marker’s comments. Understanding what the Marker Feedback really meant
Resubmission
Although failing the RAP or SLS (either the written part or the Presentation) first time will obviously be a disappointment, you will have 2 further attempts to make good any deficiencies.
RAP Submission and Assessment Criteria
The Resubmission Statement – how a good one is your key to success on resubmission
Passed your RAP and now have the BSc Applied Accounting?
Why not develop your skills further and increase your career opportunities?
Oxford Brookes University offers the following Masters degrees specially aimed at ACCA graduates:
OBU FAQ
OBU Forum moderator have answered some of the most frequently asked questions, and an OBU marker for the BSc (Hons) degree in Applied Accounting has added a few relevant comments. Read OBU FAQ here
If your question is not answered, please search or post them on OBU forums
OBU Support forums
Only on OpenTuition you can find expert and free advice from people who really know about the OBU RAP. If you have a query or a useful comment then you can post this to the appropriate forum and share it with others.
See how OpenTuition can help you get your OBU BSc (Hons) Degree