Excerpt from course description

Financial Statement Analysis and Valuation

Introduction

In an increasingly volatile global economy, the Master in Accounting and Auditing candidate must transcend traditional reporting to become a strategic architect of financial integrity. This course provides the rigorous analytical scaffolding necessary for high-level professional responsibility in auditing, consultancy, and corporate governance. By integrating advanced valuation theory with critical accounting quality assessment, the course prepares students to navigate and resolve complex, unstructured financial problems. It bridges the gap between theoretical frameworks and professional judgment, ensuring that BI graduates can provide the authoritative insights required by boards of directors and regulatory bodies in a digital-first environment.

Course content

The course is structured as an integrated journey from data deconstruction to value synthesis:

  • Strategic Objectives & Business Context: Analyzing the financial and non-financial aims of diverse entities, from global conglomerates to non-profits.

  • Accounting Quality & Forensic Adjustment: A deep dive into identifying earnings management and the systematic reformulation of financial statements for analytical precision.

  • Performance Metrics: Advanced analysis of profitability, growth, and liquidity drivers through a strategic lens.

  • The Valuation Architecture: Deriving the cost of capital, analyzing capital structure theories, and mastering the mechanics of DCF and Residual Income Models.

  • Forecasting & Strategy: Developing sophisticated pro forma statements that integrate strategic positioning and ESG risks.

  • Specialized Valuation: Addressing the unique challenges of valuing private firms and organizations in distressed or high-growth environments.

Disclaimer

This is an excerpt from the complete course description for the course. If you are an active student at BI, you can find the complete course descriptions with information on eg. learning goals, learning process, curriculum and exam at portal.bi.no. We reserve the right to make changes to this description.