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.
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.
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:
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:
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.
Students are required to choose 1 course from this list of options.
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.
Students are required to choose 60 credits from this list of options.
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.
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.
Our MSc Accounting and Finance programme provides you with a solid understanding of financial accounting systems used around the world and their application for decision-making.
In addition, you will receive a complete introduction to financial theory through a study of the challenges of investing capital. You will become acquainted with econometric techniques and undertake a substantial course in corporate finance equipping you to thrive in the fast changing global business environment.
The programme’s core modules rigorously address the relevant theory, in addition to the quantitative techniques needed to understand the literature and undertake empirical investigations.
The optional modules allow you to widen your perspective on the subject matter and tailor the programme to your career aspirations and interests.
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year. It consists of eight taught modules and a dissertation.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.
The programmes aim to provide a high quality education that is intellectually rigorous and up-to-date, as well as relevant to the needs of future accounting and finance professionals in the financial sector or any other large corporations and the academia.
They provide theoretical framework and practical skills that accounting and finance professionals working in banks and financial corporations need in order to cope with an increasingly complex and global financial environment.
They also provide a valuable foundation for those considering continuing their academic studies in the field of applied finance and accounting leading to a PhD level.
The programmes provide the students with the basis for developing their own approach to learning and personal development.
The compulsory modules aim to provide not only a rigorous treatment of the relevant theory, but also the quantitative techniques necessary to understand the literature and undertake empirical investigations in the areas of accounting and finance.
The optional modules aim to offer students a broader perspective on the subject matter and allow them to specialise in areas that are of particular interest to them.
The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the following areas:
Knowledge and understanding
Intellectual / cognitive skills
Professional practical skills
Key / transferable skills
We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
Learn more about opportunities that might be available for this particular programme by using our student exchanges search tool.
Surrey Business School is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and by the Association of MBAs (AMBA).
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
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