Accounting and Finance Degree Course BA (Hons)

Program Overview

This BA Accounting and Finance degree prepares students for a career as a Chartered Accountant. It covers the content of the chartered accountancy exams, enabling students to claim exemptions and become professionals sooner. The program features a blend of lectures, seminars, and practical sessions, taught by industry experts. Students benefit from industry networking, placement opportunities, and access to resources like SAGE software.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

Our Accounting and Finance degree will prepare you for a successful career in the accounting profession. Our BA Accounting and Finance offers you the ideal preparation for a career as a Chartered Accountant. We’ve designed it so that it covers the same content as some of the chartered accountancy exams. This means that you can be exempt from professional body exams, enabling you to become a professional in a shorter amount of time.

Outline:

If you're studying an accounting-related degree a familiarity with a range of common concepts in economics is required in line with Professional Body requirements. The primary concern is with mainstream micro- and macro-theory within an appropriate institutional context.

• Introduction to Financial Accounting: Develop knowledge and understanding of the underlying principles and concepts relating to financial accounting and technical proficiency.
By the use of double-entry accounting techniques including the preparation of basic financial statements.
• Introduction to Management Accounting: Gain an understanding of the basic theory, concepts and practices of cost and management accounting.
• Legal Obligations in Business: This module will introduce you to accounting and business basic legal rules, principles, and methods.
As well as outlining the basic sources, methods of interpretation and institutions of the English Legal System. You'll be encouraged to recognise the application of these legal principles, with reference to hypothetical legal scenarios, particularly in the areas of contract and tort law.
• Introduction to Personal and Professional Practice: This module will develop a personal and professional practice to enable you to become more effective and confident in your programme of study.
You'll also enhance your skills for future employment in the evolving fields of accounting and finance.
• Year 2:
• Compulsory Modules:
• Financial Accounting:
In this module you'll develop an understanding of accounting in more complex situations, including group accounting scenarios. You will learn new skills and techniques as well as the application of accounting theory. And to enable you to be in a position where you can critically evaluate the extent to which the rules achieve the desired effect.
• Management Accounting: In this module you'll develop a deeper understanding of different management accounting techniques.
You'll be able to critically appraise a range of decision-making models. Analyse management accounting problems relating to short term and long-term decision-making.
• Financial Management: In this module you'll appreciate the principles of financial management and decision making.
You will discover the different sources of finance available to business.
• Accounting Information Systems and Control Issues: Develop your knowledge of AIS and acquire a basic understanding of accounting databases.
• Taxation Theory and Practice: This module aims to enable you to develop competence in the technical and computational issues relating to taxation.
You'll also consider the social and economic factors and explore personal, professional, and commercial ethics relating to taxation.
• Year 3:
• Compulsory Modules:
• Advanced Financial Accounting:
This module aims to develop your problem-solving skills of complex issues in financial accounting. You'll develop the ability to critically appraise accounting solutions to real world problems. You will gain an understanding of the advanced financial reporting environment. You'll also gain a thorough grasp of a broad range of specific accounting issues.
• Advanced Management Accounting: In this module you'll develop your problem-solving skills of complex issues in management accounting.
You'll critically appraise management accounting solutions to real world problems. You will also discuss the relevance and importance of emerging issues in management accounting.
• Auditing Theory and Practice: You'll be equipped with the knowledge needed to explain the process of carrying out an audit engagement.
You'll also learn how to analyse audit scenarios in the context of the professional regulatory framework.
• Corporate Finance: This module will equip you with skills expected of a finance manager.
You'll develop skills and knowledge in investment, financing and dividend policy decisions. You will be able to identify and compare alternative sources of business finance, including working capital. You will also be able to explain and calculate the cost of capital and the factors which affect it, including alternative sources of finance. The module enables you to analyse investment decisions as well as principles of business and asset valuations.
• Business Strategy: You will learn to develop and implement business strategy.
You'll engage with a range of approaches to strategy and will consider your choice or advice in different situations.
• Advanced Taxation Theory and Practice: The module will focus on advanced aspects of UK taxation.
It will enable you to examine and apply the current UK tax rules and analyse how they interact in a range of scenarios. The module will cover the taxation of individuals and corporates.
• Optional Modules:
• International Study:
This module offers the opportunity to study abroad, demonstrate initiative, independence, motivation and depending on where they study, a working knowledge of another language.
• Global Placement: Consolidate the transferable and subject-specific skills and knowledge you have developed during your study to the real world.
Establish a real-world understanding of equality and diversity in the workplace whilst developing industry-specific skills.

Assessment:

You’ll be assessed through a combination of essays, reports, oral presentations, and group assessments. You’ll investigate companies including real-life examples. The assessment weighting for each module is typically 30% coursework, 70% exams. If you wish to claim full exemptions from ICAEW exams you must pass all modules with a minimum grade of 50%.

Teaching:

You’ll attend a mixture of lectures, seminars, tutorials, and practical sessions. Independent study is an important aspect of this course. You’ll be taught by staff who are experts in their fields. Many of them are chartered accountants with years of industry experience, and several hold PhDs.

Careers:

Many of our accounting and finance degree graduates go on to become professional accountants. They also work as finance officers in industry, commerce and the public sector. Others have become managers and consultants at medium and large enterprises. These include BAE Systems, PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG and Hewlett Packard.

Other:

• You'll have access to SAGE, a world-renowned software provider.
• This course is accredited by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
Our 'Making It Count' network will introduce you to industry-leading companies and individuals. These networks will enhance your learning experience and further your career prospects. Our network offers work placements, summer, internships, employer events, mentorship programmes, careers advice and more.
• In your third year you’ll get the chance to put theory into practice by taking on a 48-week paid industry placement in the UK or overseas.
• You’ll also get the opportunity to attend practical Sage and Excel workshops.
These workshops will help aid your future employability as they are valued by both local and national employers.
• We have strong links with industry and practice to enhance your learning.
They speak to students about careers in practice and the skills you’ll need to succeed as a Chartered Accountant.
• We also have contacts with many other local accounting firms.
This includes Wealth Management, a local Financial Services company. They have also visited us to talk about careers in the Financial Services sector. Members of the teaching keep strong links with the professional accounting body networks.
• ACCA is the fastest growing, most supportive gateway to your career in accountancy, finance, business and management.
The ACCA qualification will arm you with the skills and experience you need to build a successful career anywhere in the world. The company has a strong presence in 181 countries. Your skills will be in demand all over the globe.
• ACCA gives you flexibility through unique option papers.
This gives you a broad yet thorough set of skills. You'll get the opportunity to specialise in whichever area you wish, from audit management to accounting. You don’t have to choose your specialism until later in your studies, giving you time to decide where your interests lie.

2024/25 UK Full-time£9,250 per year Sandwich year£1,500 for the sandwich year Part-time£1,540 per 20 credits International Full-time£16,500 per year