Programme overview

Delivered through the UCD Professional Academy, kickstart your new career in the finance department! Learn hands-on bookkeeping and payroll skills and see how sound financial management can support decision-making in small and medium-sized businesses. Discover the essential concepts, terminology, and legislation that frame this mission-critical role.

Discover the vital financial tasks that support every business: bookkeeping and payroll. Master essential bookkeeping practices, understand & create financial statements, and payroll management.

To survive and thrive, a business requires accurate financial records and compliant employee remuneration. You will discover how these two elements are managed within the relevant Irish legal and tax frameworks. On the bookkeeping side, you will understand how to manage ledgers, balances, and statements (for example, financial and cash flow statements). On the payroll side, you will learn about PAYE, calculating tax credits, and setting up new employees.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the training programme, participants will:

• Bookkeeping: Double Entry
• Bookkeeping: Financial Statements
• Bookkeeping: Financial Statements & Statements of Cash Flow
• Bookkeeping: Financial Reporting & Computerised Finance Systems
• Bookkeeping: The Finance Function of an Organisation
• Payroll: Introduction
• Payroll: The Payroll Process
• Payroll: Computerised Payroll using Thesarus Software
• Payroll: Entering Employee Information
• Payroll: Computerised Payroll Process – Reports & Backup

Who Is This Course For?

An introductory programme designed to support trainees in understanding basic Bookkeeping and Payroll

Modules

Bookkeeping: Introduction

• Basic concepts
• Terminology
• Source documents
• Day books/books of prime entry

Bookkeeping: Double Entry

• Double entry concepts
• Ledgers and closing balances
• Ledgers balances to trial balance

Bookeeping: Financial Statements

• Introduction to financial statements
• Trial balance to financial statements
• Financial statements – explanation and interpretation

Bookkeeping: Financial Statements & Statements of Cash Flow

• Financial reporting framework
• Cash flow statements
• The importance of cash

Bookkeeping: Financial Reporting & Computerised Finance Systems

• Financial reporting systems
• Financial reporting using Sage 50
• Outputs: reports, downloads, etc.

Bookkeeping: The Finance Function of an Organisation

• The finance function of an organisation
• Strategic financial management
• Sources of finance

Payroll: Introduction

• Introduction to the payroll process
• Payroll terminology and legislation
• Employment contracts

Payroll: The Payroll Process

• PAYE: tax credits and SRCOP
• PRSI and USC
• PAYE modernisation

Payroll: Computerised Payroll using Thesarus Software

• Introduction to computerised payroll
• Installation process
• Reporting and PAYE modernisation

Payroll: Entering Employee Information

• Setting up a company
• Setting up employees
• Tax, USC, and PRSI details

Payroll: Entering Employee Information

• Entering employee timesheets (weeks 1 – 2)
• Entering employee timesheets (weeks 3 – 4)
• Entering employee timesheets
• Payslips

Payroll: Computerised Payroll Process – Reports & Backup

• Entering employee timesheets (weeks 5 – 8)
• Gross to net report
• Earnings, tax and PRSI
• Backup and security

Certificate: Professional Diploma from UCD

Course starts 27th March for 12 weeks ending 12th June

One Lecture every Thursday from 6.30pm to 9.30pm