Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Accounting and Finance at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).
This Accounting and Finance MSc programme has been designed around the ACCA accreditation system.
- A full conversion programme that may be completed in a single year
- Does not require accounting, finance or any quantitative study to be completed at undergraduate level
- All modules on the Accounting and Finance programme are taught by our world-class faculty who have a breadth of industrial and academic knowledge
- Swansea is joint 1st in Wales for international ranked research (REF 2014)
- Access to the School of Management investment and trading simulation room to support in-depth understanding of finance in practice
- 93% of Swansea students in employment six months after graduating
- High contact time – our modules come with a lecture (in class sizes capped at approximately 150 students) and seminar/tutorial (in class sizes capped at 30) every single week
- Fully refurbished facilities – we have invested half a million pounds in a recent refurbishment to our student facilities
- Scholarships available for outstanding students
- Swansea is 1st in Wales for world-leading impact - 60% at 4-star level (REF 2014)
The MSc Accounting and Finance is designed specifically to enhance employment prospects by offering students the opportunity to acquire an advanced and in-depth understanding of key accounting and finance topics (without any requirement of having previously studied accounting or finance).
Modules on the MSc in Accounting and Finance typically include:
• Principles of Finance
• Financial Accounting
• Financial Modelling
• International Financial Markets
• Management Accounting
• Financial Statement Analysis
• Quantitative Financial Analysis
• Principles of Law for Accounting and Finance
The MSc Accounting and Finance has been awarded the following ACCA exemptions:
F1 - Accountant in Business
F2 - Management Accounting
F3 - Financial Accounting
F4 - Corporate and Business Law
F5 - Performance Management
F7 - Financial Reporting
F9 - Financial Management
This means that graduates of our MSc Accounting and Finance will be exempt from six out of nine of the ACCA ‘Fundamentals’ examinations. Students graduating from the Accounting and Finance programme can now leave Swansea as part-qualified accountants and just have to sit the remaining six.
We have an excellent track record of placing our graduates including those from the Accounting and Finance programme with major multinational companies and our graduate employment rate is 92%.
From the moment you arrive at the School of Management as a student on the MSc in Accounting and Finance programme we will work with you to help you build your skills and experience to enhance your career prospects. During your time with us you’ll have the chance to:
- Undertake a work placement or internship through the Swansea Paid Internship Network (SPIN) or ‘Week of Work’ initiative
- Work and network with employers from a range of national and multi-national companies through our visiting speaker programme
- In conjunction with the International Development Office, undertake an Internship in India, with a company such as GE, Thomson Reuters, 3M, Private Equity or Kanvic Consulting
- Boost your skills and meet employers during our biannual Employability Week
- Complete the Swansea Employability Award
- Participate in one of our student challenges and competitions, such as the Branding Challenge, and CIM student competition ‘The Pitch’
Accounting and Finance students will be based in a state-of-the-art building and will benefit from the applied research, innovation and employment opportunities offered by this exceptional working environment on the Bay Campus.
Accounting and Finance students will have access to high-tech teaching and research spaces, that together with collaborative working and practice areas will ensue the School is able to deliver its commitment to offer an engaging and innovative student experience.
Take your skills and knowledge to the next level with the best accounting and finance group in the world. Whether you want to further your professional career, or go on to study for a PhD, this course gives you the qualification you need to succeed.
A career in accounting, financial services or related sectors of the economy requires a high level of understanding of both the theory and practice of accounting and finance. This course is designed to give you a broad-based understanding of the core subject areas with an emphasis on empirical research methods and on accounting and finance practice.
Our wide range of modules allows you to specialise and during the course you have the chance to build on your growing knowledge and expertise by completing a dissertation on a research area of your choice. This, coupled with the support you get from our staff, ensures a first class learning experience.
The MSc Accounting and Finance is recognised by the Economic and Social Research Council as postgraduate preparation for a PhD. It also holds the award of partnership status from the CFA Institute, the global association for investment professionals.
CFA training
We have teamed up with Kaplan Schweser to facilitate student preparation for the CFA exams.
Trading BootCamp Week
Together with Amplify Trading , a global financial trading and training firm, we offer a week long Trading BootCamp for MSc Accounting, MSc Accounting and Finance, MSc Finance and MSc Quantitative Finance course students.
The Finance Zone
Worshipful Company of International Bankers Affiliation
Our accounting and finance division courses are affiliated with the Worshipful Company of International Bankers (WCIB). Every year the best dissertation out of the following four courses will receive the WCIB Prize worth £300.
The winner will also enter the competition for the prestigious WCIB Lombard Prize .
Assessment is by taught examinations, coursework, assignments, group assessment and presentations and finally by a 60 credit dissertation.
During the course you will be taking 180 credits in all. The eight taught modules during semester one and two total 120 credits and consists of both compulsory and optional taught units which can be viewed in the list below.
Over the summer period, you will carry out your Research Dissertation, worth 60 credits. Examples of recent accounting and finance dissertation project topics include:
Masters scholarships for Accounting and Finance programmes for UK/EU students
We are delighted to be able to offer five scholarships available across the four Accounting and Finance programmes with a value of £10,000 towards the cost of the tuition fee. The scholarships will be awarded in line with our scholarship deadlines so early application is advisable. Find out more>>.
Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: [email protected]
The course provides suitable training for those who wish to take up specialist positions in the accounting and financial services sector of the economy or those who wish to subsequently pursue a research and/or an academic career via a PhD in Accounting and Finance. Many students go on to work in the financial sector either in the City or across other sectors.
This programme is a comprehensive and intensive investigation into key areas in accounting and finance. Designed for those with a quantitative background, it is both academically rigorous and closely in line with professional practice.
The MSc in Accounting and Finance is especially useful for those graduates with work experience in accounting looking to gain essential practical skills in finance - and, of course, vice versa. Although the compulsory core courses ensure a good balance between both accounting and finance study, the option courses give students the opportunity to specialise - tailoring their studies towards their chosen career.
Studying accounting and finance in Edinburgh gives students the opportunity to base themselves at the heart of the UK's second largest financial centre.
Many of Europe's leading financial institutions have their headquarters here, a fact that we make full use of on the MSc programme. We regularly bring guest speakers to the School to talk directly to accounting and finance students on real, current practice. The School also maintains good relationships with a number of accounting and finance professionals who will be on hand to provide advice on research and career opportunities. It is essential connections like these that characterise the dynamic nature of this strongly vocational programme.
Our strong connection to industry is exemplified by our work in the Centre for Financial Markets Research, and the Institute of Public Sector Accounting Research. Bringing together leading academics and practitioners, the centres are a keen theatre of debate, creating new thoughts, new ideas for both the theoretical study and practical application of accounting, finance and investment.
Learning will primarily be through lectures, set reading, class discussions, exercises, group-work assignments, problem solving in tutorials and case studies. Assessment methods include examinations, assignments, presentations or continuous assessment.
This programme runs for one academic year, starting in mid-September. At the start of the programme, you study compulsory courses, which are undertaken in semester one. These are the foundation upon which the whole MSc is built and ensure a common basis of knowledge across the different areas.
A comprehensive Welcome Week provides an introduction to the programme, the School, and the University. Designed to be both informative and fun, it enables you to get acquainted with your fellow classmates.
Through the selection of various option courses, you can tailor your studies towards your career interests.
Finally, your MSc dissertation brings all of the year’s learning together in a piece of work unique to each student.
Visit the website to find out more about the programme structure.
Your MSc in Accounting and Finance will provide you with greater knowledge and understanding of this subject area and by the end of your studies you will be able to:
This MSc Accounting and Finance programme combines advanced studies in accounting with finance. It has been developed as a collaboration between Henley’s Business Informatics Systems and Accounting (BISA) area and the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) Centre. It is best suited for students who are accounting graduates.
This programme is suited to anyone wishing to deepen their knowledge of accounting and finance, and who wants to enter a career in financial markets or advisory/financial services; either as an analyst, as a professional accountant, or as a preparation for further research at PhD level. The programme curriculum will provide a blend of theoretical-, research- and practice-led content. This will enable students to develop deeper conceptual and theoretically informed perspectives of accounting and financial practices with acknowledgment of the role of information systems in those processes.
Compulsory modules
and either / or
Optional modules
Students choosing MMM049 must choose two spring term optional modules to the value of 40 credits.
Students choosing ACM001 must choose one spring term module to the value of 20 credits.
Students choosing ACM001 must choose one summer term module to the value of 20 credits.
Students will enhance their employability in their related first-degree disciplines or in any general business management roles. The programme will also enhance career opportunities in more specialised accounting and finance fields. As the programme offers an international perspective, career prospects are likely to be international. In addition, the programme will serve as a good basis for further academic development in accounting- and finance-related disciplines.
This programme is granted exemptions from four Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) professional exams: BA1 - BA4.
Our flexible Master's programme will give you a strong grounding in core disciplines of accounting and finance. This masters aims to provide the theoretical frameworks and practical skills to become an effective accountant.
You will learn how accounting and financial information is used for decision making and how it integrates with the wider business environment. Throughout your studies you will follow a highly international curriculum which will be relevant to both home and international students.
The technical aspects of our Master's have been aligned to meet requirements of the accountancy profession. This includes International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) developed by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). You will develop your practical skills by analysing real data sets in software platforms.
You will be encouraged to develop critical and evaluative thinking and judgement through exposure to contemporary issues in the field of accounting and finance.
You also have the opportunity to pursue your chosen areas of specialism through option courses and a dissertation. Our teaching is supported by current research and hands-on financial problems.
The Master's finance suite of programmes has a typical intake of over 90 students with over 30 nationalities. This provides you with an excellent opportunity to exchange viewpoints on global financial impacts with peers from around the world.
This Master's degree has accreditation from the leading global professional body, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
Our accounting and finance subjects at the University of Greenwich are ranked third in London for course satisfaction in the Guardian University Guide 2016.
Greenwich is one of the top two most globally diverse universities in the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand, by Hotcourses Diversity Index.
We have also been named as one of the "most international" universities on the planet by Times Higher Education magazine.
This degree aims to:
Year 1
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.
Students are required to choose 1 course from this list of options.
Year 1
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.
Students are required to choose 45 credits from this list of options.
Year 2
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.
Students are required to choose 75 credits from this list of options.
Students will be assessed through examinations, coursework and a dissertation.
This Master's degree has accreditation from the leading global professional body, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). Successful completion of the Master's provides exemption from papers F1 to F4 and F7 of ACCA. This increases your earning potential in the accountancy sector.
The degree provides a good stepping stone to a career in accountancy, especially as accountants in commerce and industry. Having acquired both specialist finance knowledge and the necessary level of understanding of accounting our masters also provides an excellent foundation for a career in treasury management, financial analysis or banking. Recent graduates from this programme have gone on to employment with First City Monument Bank and JP Morgan.
You will gain expertise in the fields of accounting and finance with a view to pursuing a future career as an accountant in the public or private sector.
Industry experts provide guest lectures, career development advice and curriculum input. Sector professionals are involved in developing content and teaching on various courses. As part of our continuing Big Picture guest seminar series, senior executives from Northern Trust and Barclays are invited to pass on their insights and experience.
We have developed strong relations with companies in the financial centres in London, including in the City, Canary Wharf and Fenchurch Street. This offers you networking, mentoring and internship opportunities, making it a perfect location to start your career.
You can also reach out to top employers through our dedicated Business School Employability Office (BSEO). Our team focuses on developing your employment skills through CV support, interview skills workshops and guidance through mentors to progress in the industry. This includes the opportunity to network with employers and recruiters at career fairs.
The BSEO team was shortlisted for the Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards; which shows their dedication to actively support career development.
We will encourage you to join societies such as the Trading and Investment Society and take part in student competitions like the UK Trading Challenge. We are proud that our team of first year Greenwich students won the competition, beating teams from many other universities.
The Economics and Business Society also provides an additional forum for students to meet and discuss current trends with faculty and guest speakers.
Businesses and governments rely on sound financial knowledge to underpin their strategies for success.
This popular course has been ranked among the world’s best, placed Top 60 worldwide and Top 15 in the UK (Financial Times Masters in Finance Pre-experience rankings 2017). The rankings also recognise the career progression of our graduates, placing us 2nd worldwide and 1st in the UK for salary increase after graduation. This course will kick-start your professional career, providing you with advanced knowledge of modern financial theories, accounting practices and controls, as well as an understanding of the organisational context.
You’ll cover fundamental topics such as corporate finance and financial analysis, and can specialise your knowledge with optional modules, from international business finance to forensic accounting or corporate governance. The course also allows you to apply your learning to practical case studies and simulations to test your knowledge in genuine business scenarios.
Academic Excellence
You’ll learn from academics who are experts in their field, with extensive teaching, research and consultancy experience of international standing. At the same time, you’ll collaborate with graduates from diverse international backgrounds for a challenging, rewarding and rounded learning experience.
As a student, you will be able to access the knowledge of our advanced specialist research units, which also have strong links with leading institutions in the US, Europe and Asia. These include the Centre for Advanced Study in Finance (CASIF), the Institute of Banking and Investment (IBI) and the Credit Management Research Centre (CMRC). This research makes an important contribution to your learning on the MSc Accounting and Finance; you will benefit from a curriculum that is informed by the latest knowledge and critical thinking.
You will also benefit from our strong relationships with the finance, credit and accounting professions. This provides a connection to the latest practitioner and policy developments, giving you a Masters that is relevant to the contemporary environment.
You’ll explore the essentials of corporate finance and the relationship between accounting information and organisational performance. At the same time, you’ll build advanced skills in handling quantitative data and examine how modern finance theories are applied to solve complex finance problems.
You will gain an understanding of important research methods in finance and their impact on current practice, and explore topics such as financial analysis, reporting and regulation.
Beyond these core modules, you’ll be able to specialise in areas that suit your career plans with your choice of optional modules. You’ll take at least one of Corporate Governance or Information and Organisation Design, but you could also study topics such as forensic accounting, behavioural finance or international investment.
A professional skills module runs throughout the year to help you develop the critical skills that will allow you to take your knowledge into the workplace. By the end of the year, you’ll be prepared to design and carry out your own research dissertation on a related topic of your choice, developing your ability to tackle the most pressing challenges currently facing the industry.
Compulsory modules
You’ll study eight compulsory modules including your dissertation.
Optional modules
You’ll also take two optional modules. One of these must be either Information and Organisation Design or Corporate Governance.
For more information on typical modules, read Accounting and Finance MSc in the course catalogue
We use a variety of teaching and learning methods to help you make the most of your studies. These will include lectures, seminars, workshops, online learning and tutorials. In addition to the assessed modules and research dissertation, you benefit from professional training activities and employability workshops.
Thanks to our links with major companies across the business world, you can also gain a practical understanding of key issues. For example, students have developed their knowledge of financial markets through a one-week trading simulation delivered in partnership with Amplify Trading. Read more about professional development activities for finance students.
You’ll be assessed using methods such as exams, project work, presentations, reports and essays. This diversity enables you to develop a broad range of skills as preparation for professional life.
Career opportunities for graduates of this masters course are vast. You will be able to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of core accounting and finance principles, and the numerical and analytical skills to succeed in this rapidly changing complex environment.
Graduates have gone on to work as management accountants, management consultants, audit managers, finance managers, equity managers and credit risk officers.
We help you to achieve your career ambitions by providing professional development support and training as part of the Masters programme. You benefit from our dedicated Professional Development Tutor, who will work with you to develop the important professional skills that employers value.
We’re also committed to offering a wide range of development and training events and activities. Recent activities and events have included field trips to corporate headquarters, CV building and interview sessions, professional risk management workshops and commercial awareness networking events.
Read more about our careers and professional development support.
The University of Leeds Careers Centre also provides a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate.
The world of accounting and finance is a fluid, ever-changing one, with new innovations and thinking being introduced all the time. Working in this field, you will need a strong knowledge of how to resolve issues and tackle challenges by using the most up-todate methods. Our MSc combined with the ACCA Professional is for exceptional graduates with a strong background in both accounting and finance and a dedication to succeeding in a competitive market. This 12 month pathway is designed to enable you to graduate with both an MSc and two professional ACCA exams to enable you to be successful in your chosen financial career.
By choosing a pathway to achieve the ACCA and combining our academic expertise with that of the sector knowledge and experience of Kaplan Financial, this is a truly unique opportunity to undertaken an MSc that will give you both theoretical and practical real-world experience of accountancy and finance. Kaplan Financial offers excellence in teaching the ACCA at its dedicated study centres.
Kaplan Financial - The UK's leader in financial and accountancy training
Kaplan, part of Kaplan, Inc is the UK’s leading global provider of diverse education and training. Programmes include professional accountancy and financial training, vocational qualifications and Apprenticeships, financial markets, postgraduate and undergraduate degrees.
Kaplan can trace its roots back to 1884 and prides itself in providing educational and learning excellence with leading online learning technologies, award-winning study materials and support from the industry’s most experienced tutors and assessors who are dedicated to ensuring success in your studies. Kaplan also provides professional onsite training for many of the UK’s largest businesses.
The International Accounting and Finance MSc, on offer since the 1960s, encompasses accounting in its international, public and private contexts, corporate financial management, private sector investment and foreign exchange markets.
It aims to give you a deep knowledge of the theoretical and empirical literature that provides the background to understanding changes and innovations in accounting and finance, where you will also acquire a range of skills that can be used to solve real-world problems.
By combining with Kaplan Financial to offer the ACCA this 12 month pathway enables you to leave the University of Birmingham with an MSc and the completion of two ACCA modules; Advanced Performance Managementand Advanced Financial Management. This is a unique programme on offer exclusively to students of the International Accounting and Finance MSc at Birmingham.
This programme is only available for those who have a strong background in both accounting and finance; you will need to meet both the MSc entry requirements and those for the ACCA; please see the entry requirements below.
When you apply for this MSc with ACCA you must upload a transcript showing modules studied and mark achieved to date. If you have not yet completed your Bachelor’s degree, please ensure that you also upload a transcript or an official document which shows the modules you are studying in your final year, and any marks achieved so far.
For those without an accounting and finance background, but who have studied some quantitative subjects, please see our MSc Investments MSc and MSc Financial Management programmes.
For information about taught programmes in the fields of Banking and Finance, please see the Department of Economics postgraduate programmes.
Birmingham Business School was the first business school in the country and has built on its reputation ever since to ensure that you get the best learning and teaching experience.
The MSc programme consists of six modules, including compulsory ones on Financial Accounting Theory and Policy and Theory of Financial Management. You can also choose from a wide range of options and must submit a dissertation on a topic of your choice.
Taught modules contribute towards two thirds of your final assessment and your dissertation contributes the other third. Modules are assessed using written examinations and coursework. Coursework can take a variety of forms, including:
The ACCA elements of this course will be taught by Kaplan Financial who are an award-winning platinum approved provider with 100% pass rates. More information on how they teach the ACCA can be found on their website http://financial.kaplan.co.uk/Pages/default.aspx
Careers in Business
Careers in Business is a dedicated service for postgraduate Business School students. We’ll help you in all aspects of your career management, from planning your job-seeking strategies, applying for jobs, preparing for interviews and assessment centres and developing your essential employability skills. At the start of your programme you will receive an email from our team, giving details of how you can access Careers in Business Online. Please get in touch to find out how our Careers in Business team can support you.
The world of accounting and finance is a fluid, ever-changing one, with new innovations and thinking being introduced all the time. Working in this field, you will need a strong knowledge of how to resolve issues and tackle challenges by using the most up-todate methods. Our MSc combined with the ACCA Professional is for exceptional graduates with a strong background in both accounting and finance and a dedication to succeeding in a competitive market. This 16 month programme is designed to enable you to graduate with both an MSc and examinations towards the professional ACCA qualification to enable you to be successful in your chosen financial career.
By choosing a pathway to achieve the ACCA Professional and combining our academic expertise with that of the sector knowledge and experience of Kaplan Financial, this is a truly unique opportunity to undertaken an MSc that will give you both theoretical and practical real-world experience of accountancy and finance. Kaplan Financial offers excellence in teaching the ACCA at its dedicated study centres.
Kaplan Financial - The UK's leader in financial and accountancy training
Kaplan, part of Kaplan, Inc is the UK’s leading global provider of diverse education and training. Programmes include professional accountancy and financial training, vocational qualifications and Apprenticeships, financial markets, postgraduate and undergraduate degrees.
Kaplan can trace its roots back to 1884 and prides itself in providing educational and learning excellence with leading online learning technologies, award-winning study materials and support from the industry’s most experienced tutors and assessors who are dedicated to ensuring success in your studies. Kaplan also provides professional onsite training for many of the UK’s largest businesses.
The International Accounting and Finance MSc, on offer since the 1960s, encompasses accounting in its international, public and private contexts, corporate financial management, private sector investment and foreign exchange markets.
It aims to give you a deep knowledge of the theoretical and empirical literature that provides the background to understanding changes and innovations in accounting and finance, where you will also acquire a range of skills that can be used to solve real-world problems.
By combining with Kaplan Financial to offer the ACCA this 16 month pathway enables you to leave the University of Birmingham with an MSc and the completion of four professional ACCA modules to help you to achieve your ACCA Professional status; Advanced Performance Management, Advanced Financial Management, Strategic Business Reporting and Business Leader . This is a unique programme on offer exclusively to students of the International Accounting and Finance MSc at Birmingham.
This programme is only available for those who have a strong background in both accounting and finance; please see the entry requirements below.
When you apply for this MSc you must upload a transcript showing modules studied and mark achieved to date. If you have not yet completed your Bachelor’s degree, please ensure that you also upload a transcript or an official document which shows the modules you are studying in your final year, and any marks achieved so far.
For those without an accounting and finance background, but who have studied some quantitative subjects, please see our MSc Investments MSc and MSc Financial Management programmes.
For information about taught programmes in the fields of Banking and Finance, please see the Department of Economics postgraduate programmes.
Birmingham Business School was the first business school in the country and has built on its reputation ever since to ensure that you get the best learning and teaching experience.
This programme consists of six modules, including compulsory ones on Financial Accounting Theory and Policyand Theory of Financial Management. You can also choose from a wide range of options and must submit a dissertation on a topic of your choice.
Taught modules contribute towards two thirds of your final assessment and your dissertation contributes the other third. Modules are assessed using written examinations and coursework. Coursework can take a variety of forms, including:
The ACCA elements of this course will be taught by Kaplan Financial who are an award-winning platinum approved provider with 100% pass rates. More information on how they teach the ACCA can be found on their website http://financial.kaplan.co.uk/Pages/default.aspx
Careers in Business
Careers in Business is a dedicated service for postgraduate Business School students. We’ll help you in all aspects of your career management, from planning your job-seeking strategies, applying for jobs, preparing for interviews and assessment centres and developing your essential employability skills. At the start of your programme you will receive an email from our team, giving details of how you can access Careers in Business Online. Please get in touch to find out how our Careers in Business team can support you.
As well as advanced study of accounting and finance, MSc Accounting and Finance will enable you to explore related areas such as audit, corporate governance and taxation. This combination will prepare you for a wide range of roles in accountancy and beyond.
MSc Accounting and Finance is one of Southampton Business School's most popular degrees. It offers a blend of modules that will deepen your knowledge of finance and accounting but also enable you to explore related areas such as international corporate governance, audit and corporate social responsibility.
Unlike many other accounting and finance masters courses, MSc Accounting and Finance also includes a module on international taxation, adding an extra dimension to your studies. This combination will open the door to a wide range of roles when you graduate – you may choose to go into accounting but you’ll have plenty of other career options too.
Our modules are directly informed by our academics’ research expertise and professional experience, and guest speakers from leading accounting, insurance and finance firms will further enrich your learning.
In semester one you’ll take a number of compulsory modules, covering equity markets, management accounting and financial accounting. You’ll also choose one optional module that will allow you to look at an area of interest in more depth.
Unusually for a masters course of this type, the options include an International Accounting and Taxation module. This explores the importance of a country’s social, economic, legal and political environment in determining the nature of its tax regulations, the challenges of harmonising accounting practices, and the impact of tax issues on company behaviours. Other options cover topics such as financial reporting and markets, accounting and society and international corporate governance.
In semester two you’ll take your management accounting and financial accounting studies to a more advanced level. You’ll also study corporate finance and take a module on research in accounting and finance. This will prepare you to undertake independent study for your dissertation.
You’ll graduate from MSc Accounting and Finance with skills and knowledge that will be attractive to a wide range of employers. You may choose to work in accounting, audit, internal control, financial analysis, consultancy or insurance, or become a financial advisor or financial analyst. Or you could become a trainee chartered accountant and take further professional accounting qualifications. The course is also excellent preparation for research at PhD level in an accounting, finance or a related field.
Our graduates have gone on to work for the following organisations, in roles including auditor, trainee chartered accountant, financial analyst, management consultant, insurance underwriter and financial controller:
The Diploma in Accounting and Finance is a qualification in its own right, designed for students with little or no background in accounting and finance. It would also be an ideal programme if you have some background in accounting and finance and would like to extend your knowledge and understanding in areas of special interest, or if you require a greater depth of knowledge before pursuing postgraduate study.
It is a flexible programme, providing a solid training and foundation in accounting and finance, including mathematical skills for more advanced master’s elective courses. You will be able to both specialise in accounting and finance, and select from a wide range of courses available throughout the School.
This programme is suitable for students with undergraduate degrees in arts, economics, law, business, science and engineering, as well as those with some background in accounting and finance. There is a clear route from the Diploma towards master's level study within the Department, subject to satisfactory performance.
The programme is housed within the Department of Accounting, which is widely recognised throughout Europe for its excellence in accounting and financial management research and education, as well as for its leading role in public policy issues. The interface between accounting and managers, organisations, institutions, public policy and regulatory bodies is a particular teaching and research strength of the Department.
Our graduates pursue careers across a wide range of sectors, in accounting, corporate finance, equity research, fund management and management consultancy. Companies who have employed recent graduates from the Diploma in Accounting and Finance programme include Barclays Capital, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, HSBC, Mazars, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, PayPal, Simon-Kucher & Partners and Société Générale.
Further information on graduate destinations for this programme
The course meets the growing demand for masters level professionals in finance and accounting. It is suitable if you
A distinctive feature of this course is its focus on present-day national and global developments in systems, regulations and general practices of accounting and finance. By studying updated literature, international accounting standards, worldwide events, case studies and companies’ financial accounts, you learn how real organisations operate and the accounting and financial strategies and decisions they implement.
You complete in-depth research into various industries when producing presentations, coursework, assessments and the dissertation. This real world focus provides immediate value to your present or potential employers. Helping an organisation compete more successfully through better accounting and financial management and systems can be a rewarding career, in the UK or internationally.
After successfully completing the course, you are able to
You also gain transferable intellectual and professional skills relevant to the current national and international business world, and problem solving, communication and information technology skills
The team delivering the course has strong links with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA),the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT).
ACCA fast track route
International students who are ACCA passed finalists or qualified accountants can convert their ACCA qualifications to a UK masters on our MSc Accounting and Finance – ACCA Fast Track Route.
ACCA has granted the following exemptions from their examinations to students graduating from this course
September start – typically 12 months
January start – typically 15 months but it can be completed in 12 months
Semester one - Postgraduate Certificate
Semester two - Postgraduate Diploma
Semester three - MSc
Graduates from this course are well equipped with the knowledge and skills needed for professional careers in accounting and finance such as
Changes in the business environment create the need for individuals wishing to pursue a senior management role to be aware of contemporary accounting and finance developments.
Understanding these theoretical and practical issues is critical for managers who often have to make rapid and far-reaching decisions about the short term financial operations and long term strategies of firms.
The MSc in Accounting and Finance offers you a unique opportunity to develop an appreciation of the causes and significance of current developments in the financial and corporate sectors, and to study advanced theory and practice relating to accounting and finance.
The aim of the programme is to provide graduates and other individuals that have practical accounting and financial training with the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue a senior level professional career in accounting, financial services or related sectors of the economy.
Issues you will tackle as part of your MSc Accounting and Finance degree programme include:
How are the financial accounts of companies formulated, and how do they differ across jurisdictions?
What agency issues are important in the creation of company accounts?
How does accounting theory inform financial and management accounting practice?
How does regulation impact on the performance of firms, and how do accounting practices highlight profit and/or loss realisation?
What empirical techniques can be used to evaluate company performance?
In what ways have financial accounting requirements and auditing been influenced by recent company failures?
What are the relationships between risk and return governing investment in company shares and other derivative instruments?
Which factors are most likely to influence the evaluation and implementation of international investment projects?
How can we calculate a suitable cost of capital to appraise the capital investment decision?
How should institutional investors go about constructing a portfolio of assets to maximise returns on behalf of investors?
How are futures, options, derivatives and swaps used to manage balance sheet and off-balance sheet risks?
What are the key principles of international portfolio management in a world of fast and unpredictable movements in exchange rates?
How can financial forecasts be used in business valuation, and what techniques should be used to improve trend analysis and interfirm comparison?
With these needs in mind, the MSc Accounting and Finance programme at Bangor is designed to develop participants’ existing skills through a scheme of specialist advanced study. An important objective is to provide participants with relevant analytical training, so that they are familiar with the latest theoretical and practical developments relating to accounting and finance. The programme provides a coherent theoretical framework for the various subject areas, but the emphasis throughout is on advanced practical application of accounting and financial techniques in a real-world setting.
Course Structure
January intake: Taught modules are undertaken in the period of January to June and September to January and will involve the study of 120 credits. The dissertation (or equivalent) is valued at 60 credits and is undertaken during the period of June to September.
September intake: Taught modules are undertaken in the period of September to June and will involve the study of 120 credits. The dissertation (or equivalent) is valued at 60 credits and is undertaken during the period of June to September.
Compulsory modules:
Research Methods: This module develops knowledge of intermediate and advanced research methods, and provides a basis in research methodology for those who may eventually wish to pursue research degrees.
Accounting Theory: This module critically evaluates a widespread and widely based set of theories that underpin any explanation of accounting behaviour and accounting regulatory output.
International Financial Markets: This module provides an overview of financial instruments in a multi-currency world, taking account of insights from portfolio theory concerning the relationship between risk and return, the diversification of risk, and the pricing of assets.
Advanced Financial Reporting and Regulation: This module provides an advanced treatment of the main theoretical principles underlying financial reporting, and the practical implications of alternative regulatory regimes.
Financial Analysis: This module analyses the techniques that are used to evaluate a company’s financial position and performance.
Management Accounting: This module provides an understanding of the uses of financial data in measuring and evaluating business performance, and in setting the strategic aims of the organisation.
Optional modules (choose 2):
Corporate Risk Management: This module provides an analysis of pure risk and its management.
Islamic Accounting and Financial Reporting: This module develops a critical awareness of theoretical and practical approaches to Islamic accounting and financial reporting. Islamic accounting standards are compared with IFRS, and the content and impact of academic research in this area is examined.
Islamic Finance: This course provides an insight into topical issues relating to Islamic financial instruments and related risk management issues.
Financial Econometrics: This module provides advanced coverage of econometric methods and practices that are used to model financial and business data. You will develop the independent capability to design, estimate and evaluate appropriate econometric models using econometric software.
International Financial Management: In this module, the financial management of multinational companies, and the influence of the macroeconomic, fiscal, currency and political environments on business and financial decision-making are examined in an international and global context.
Investment Strategy and Portfolio Management: This module evaluates the development of investment strategies for bonds, equities and derivatives that are designed to achieve optimal risk-return outcomes, and examines the measurement and evaluation of the performance of a portfolio of investments.
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