COLLABORATIVE LEARNING: A STUDY ON THE INTEGRATION OF INTRODUCTORY FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING AND CORPORATE FINANCE

Abstract

Financial accounting and corporate finance are required courses in most undergraduate business programs. However, students often struggle to transition from accounting to finance, which we believe is due to the lack of communication and collaboration between the instructors in these two fields. The siloed nature of accounting departments is identified as an impediment to the integration of curriculum across courses. Cross-functional integration is also lacking in the business world. While there is a small literature on the integration of finance and accounting courses, the recommendations have not had a widespread adoption in the classroom. Bianco et al. (2014) describe a two-course sequence integrating general business, managerial accounting, financial accounting, and finance in the General Business Core (GBC), taught by a single faculty member at Bentley University. However, faculty time spent in course development and scarcity of teaching materials are identified as barriers to successful integration of accounting and other business subjects in the classroom. We believe intentional efforts are needed to bridge the gaps between these two fields and across departments. This paper identifies the lack of cross-functional integration in accounting and finance courses and addresses the challenges for successful integration. The integration of finance and accounting courses has the potential to improve student outcomes and prepare them for the business world. Our paper provides recommendations for faculty members to collaborate and communicate in a way that promotes cross-functional integration and ultimately enhances the student learning experience