Finance and accounting are vast and diverse subjects, which make excellent subjects for dissertations, especially at the end of your studies. Here we give you ten ideas for dissertation topics in these areas, with suggested questions for each.
Topic 1 - First demand guarantees and financing:
In retail companies, the question of financing growth arises regularly.
Equity intensity is high, in particular, to finance store security deposits required by the various lessors. Several solutions are available to the companies concerned: cash deposits, loans, and guarantees on first demand.
Question: why are first-demand guarantees an attractive option for multinationals in the retail sector?
Here we can highlight the definite advantages of GAPDs (reduction of the capital required, intermediation) and show their limits (rates, interference, low flexibility, administrative weight).
Topic 2 - Audit and revised ISA 315
ISA 315 was revised in 2019 and will be applicable from 2013. It relates, in particular, to the identification and assessment of risks as part of an audit procedure. Its objective is to strengthen controls and improve the orientation of audit work according to the estimated risks of an audited company.
Question: what are the expected impacts of the revision of ISA 315 on international companies?
It will be essential to present the revised ISA standard in detail and to show changes compared to the initial version of ISA 315. It will then be necessary to consider the consequences for the audited companies and the necessary adaptations of the audit work carried out by the statutory auditors.
Topic 3 - Accounting and Off-Balance Sheet Commitments
Off-Balance Sheet Commitments play a vital role in the appendix of an audited company. Indeed, their mission is to provide crucial information on the company, which could not be deduced from the sole reading of the financial statements, apart from off-balance sheet commitments.
Question: what insights do reading the Off-Balance Sheet Commitments provide?
In this dissertation, we can dwell on examples of Off-balance sheet commitments, very distinct from each other and show how a single line in this statement of off-balance sheet commitments can have significant consequences for the company in different areas, especially in terms of funding.
Topic 4 - Accounting and digitisation
Digitalisation is a trend that is becoming more popular in all areas of business. This also applies to accounting services, for example, invoices received and archived online, in the cloud, and no longer by post and archived in filing cabinets.
Question: what are the impacts of the increasing digitisation observed in accounting? What adjustments need to be made by accounting departments?
We must mention the need to set up an audit trail, secure the storage of invoices, and develop a digital file of accounting entries. We can mention the need for IT developments or training needed for staff, among other consequences.
Topic 5 - IFRS standards in insurance
The application of IFRS standards has a significant impact on all large companies. The consequences are extensive and diverse and often require extensively qualified teams to understand them correctly and develop them within the company.
The case of insurance companies is no exception. Indeed, the insurance activity is a regulated activity. Supervised by the State, in which the application of the IFRS standards is even more supervised and controlled than elsewhere. In addition, these companies are strongly impacted by these IFRS standards.
Question: what is the impact of recent IFRS developments on insurance companies?
We can show here that the impact is very high, particularly with regard to the requirements in terms of solvency ratios.
Topic 6 - Treatment of leasehold rights under local standards and IFRS standards
The right to lease is an accounting concept. It makes it possible to account for the depreciation of the lease, which would be attached to its reputation and to the rental value of its premises, etc.
Question: what are the specificities of the accounting treatment of the right to lease in accounting under US standards and under IFRS?
Here we can show the differences between the two treatments and detail the reasons for these distinctions.
Topic 7 - IFRS 9 and consequences
IFRS 9 was one of those that had the most significant impact on large companies, particularly in the banking sector.
Question: what have been the main impacts of implementing IFRS 9 in the banking sector, on financial statements?
The classification of financial instruments is the key element of articulation of the IFRS standard and the source of significant consequences on financial institutions. It will be necessary to specify the various aspects, and provide concrete examples in business, to allow the full scope to be measured.
Topic 8 - Monegasque accounting
Monegasque accounting is very similar to accounting under US standards. It nevertheless presents some specificities which lead to distortions between these two countries.
Question: what are the specificities of Monegasque accounting and its differences from accounting in US GAAP?
Here we can detail the main differences between these two local standards and then show the quantified impacts in large-scale companies.
Topic 9 - Management and performance control
Management control is a particular financial field that has as its main ambition the optimisation and management of the performance of a company. It also plays several other central roles, such as that of a link and information between the various departments and support in the orientation of the company's strategy.
Question: why is management control an indispensable part of business performance?
It will be interesting here to show how implementing management control allows managers to have sufficient information in quantity and quality and thus allowing them to make informed strategic decisions. We can also insist on all the other functions of management control within the company.
Topic 10 - Business Financing
The international context aims towards a significant rise in the key rates of central banks, American and European, in particular. This increases the cost of credit for individuals and businesses alike.
For companies, optimising the cost of their financing is essential, especially when the economic context is less favourable (inflation, the slowdown in growth, etc.).
Question: how can a company optimise its financing in a period of rising interest rates?
We will be able to present the main consequences of a rise in rates but also explore the potential alternative solutions to traditional financing by means of loans from credit institutions.
All these subjects are vast and can be approached in different ways, with various issues and specific treatments.
Sources : Le Figaro, RSM France, FLT