Accounting and Finance BSc(Hons)

Overview

The world of accounting and finance has long been a top destination for graduates because of the attractive starting salaries, opportunities for professional qualifications and excellent long-term career prospects.
Our Accounting and Finance degree meets the needs of students seeking a rewarding career in accountancy, finance or business. As well as gaining a detailed understanding of finance and accounting, you will develop a broad appreciation of real-world business issues.
You will have the opportunity to undertake a paid work placement during Year 3. It significantly adds to your CV and many students return to university for their final year with firm job offers.

Course duration
Full-time: 3 years
Sandwich: 4 years

UCAS code N420
Course content

Course structure

Accounting and Finance BSc(Hons) is delivered through seminars, lectures, workshops and tutorials. Assessment is through coursework assignments and exams. A choice of options in the final year enables you to match subjects to your interests and career aspirations.
Students learn practical skills such as project management, report writing, time management, presenting, budgeting and team working.
You will have the opportunity to undertake a paid work placement during year 3. It significantly adds to your CV and many students return to university for their final year with firm job offers. Placement companies include American Express, AXA Investment Managers, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Credit Suisse, Dow Jones, Ernst & Young, Financial Services Authority, FTSE Group, HM Revenue and Customs, Goldman Sachs International, KPMG, Lloyds Banking Group, LMDB Accountants, PricewaterhouseCoopers and The Bank of England.

Areas of study

The course has been designed to provide students with a good understanding of accounting and finance, and how they impact on decision-making. The aim is to produce graduates who not only have specialised knowledge of financial subjects but also a broader appreciation of business issues as reflected by the core modules in the syllabus.

Syllabus

Year 1
- Financial Accounting
- Management Accounting
- Economics
- Financial Skills
- Academic and Professional Skills
Year 2
- Financial Accounting and Reporting
- Corporate and Business Law
- Business Ethics and Corporate Governance
- Financial Management
- Management Accounting Systems
- Case Study Analysis
Optional placement year
Final year
- Financial Reporting, Theory and Practice
- Finance and Risk Management
- Management Control Systems
- Advanced Case Study
- Placements Credit
Plus two options such as:
- Auditing
- Taxation
- Corporate Governance
- Game Theory
- Corporate Strategy
- Investment Management
- International Finance
Entry requirements

Typical entry requirements
individual offers may vary
A-levels:
BBB. Applicants with only 2 full A-levels or a double award will be considered on an individual basis. Excludes General Studies.
ND/C (Level 3):
DDM.
International Baccalaureate:
32 points including 16 at Higher level.
QAA-approved access course:
acceptable, subject-specific units.
GCSE (minimum grade C):
at least three subjects including English language and grade B in mathematics.
Foundation degree/HND
direct to year 2 may be possible with relevant subjects.
For non-native speakers of English:
IELTS 6.0, with 6.0 in writing and a minimum of 5.5 in the other elements.
Location

Location Moulsecoomb
Career opportunities

Graduates are able to choose from a wide range of career opportunities. Many students complete professional exams with the major accountancy bodies and go on to be chartered accountants. Others pursue careers as bankers, investment bankers, corporate treasurers, financial advisers, financial traders, investment analysts, tax adviser/inspectors or stock brokers.
The degree also opens up career options in non-financial organisations that rely on experts in accounting and finance. The skills learnt on this course can be used to move into roles such as general management, where financial expertise will give you a head start.

Visit the careers centre website.
Fees and costs

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2012-13. Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study.

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full- or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take. Different rules apply to research degrees - please contact the Doctoral College for advice.

To help you plan for your time here we will be providing further information about what is included in your tuition fee, and any optional costs you may need to budget for, later in the autumn.

Our website wwww.brighton.ac.uk/money provides advice about funding and scholarships as well as further information about fees and advice on international and island fee paying status.

BSc(Hons) Accounting & Finance [J1EG004]

UK/EU (Full Time) 9,000 GBP
Island Students (Full Time) 9,000 GBP
International (Full Time) 10,500 GBP
More details

Why study at Brighton Business School?

Graduate with experience, ready for your career. You will be encouraged to apply for a paid work placement year. Work placements significantly add to your CV and many students return for their final year with firm job offers.

Benefit from excellent teaching and learning support. We have 40 years' experience of running business courses. You will be allocated a personal tutor who will help support and guide you through your first year.

Gain the knowledge and the skills that industry want. Our partners in industry and the professions contribute to course development and teaching.

Be part of an institution that is innovative and relevant. The Research Assessment Exercise (2008) ranked us in the top 15 UK business schools in terms of world-leading research outputs.

Live and study in an outstanding location. Brighton is a city with an extremely lively cultural and social life. It is no wonder that many Brighton graduates choose to stay here.

More reasons to study at Brighton Business School

Helping develop your career

We provide career support from the first year. This is the only way to ensure our students are employable in the highly competitive job market. We do this by:

The university's Careers Service offers guidance relating to any aspect of your career planning and development. The service is in regular contact with over 1,800 employers who post vacancies and attend our careers fairs.

Beepurple is the university’s entrepreneurship network. Taking part in beepurple activities, you will meet like-minded people, hear how other recent graduates have set up their own ventures and gain key enterprise skills that will help you stand out from the crowd.

Momentum is our award-winning mentoring scheme. It pairs students with professionals who wish to share their experience. Students and their mentors meet regularly to exchange ideas, allowing the student to develop new skills and enhance their career prospects.

International students

Brighton Business School is a truly international place to study.

As an international student, you will be supported from the moment you start with us. This includes:
- a free orientation programme
- a free pickup from Heathrow or Gatwick airport
- free English language tuition (throughout your first year)
- guaranteed accommodation in your first year
- a range of scholarships and bursaries
- a team of support staff to assist you, including a personal tutor.

More details on support for international students

Your level of English

The level of English you need depends on the course. The details are included in the course information, but for more general information read our information on English language requirements.

However, we provide a number of ways to improve your English before you start your course, and free English language support you while you are studying.

Meeting entry requirements

We can help you meet our academic entry requirements if your qualifications are not the correct level to study at university in the UK. The preparation courses at the University of Brighton’s International College have been specially designed to help international students to progress to an undergraduate or postgraduate degree course at the university.

More about our university preparation courses
Student views

Catherine Stewart, 2012 graduate

The course covers a wide variety of subject areas. It helps develop skills in the obvious areas such as on accountancy and finance, but also in IT, writing literature reviews, researching and group work.

I feel I have come a long way since first joining the course, and the lecturers have provided excellent support when it comes to exams and assignments.

The University of Brighton provides a wide range of resources and extra curricular activities. There is a good social life, with popular events organised by the Student Union, and the university provides a great atmosphere for all students.

My work placement was as an Accounts Assistant at LMDB Accountants in Eastbourne. The placement will definitely benefit me in my future career as it has enabled me to develop so many practical skills that can be combined with the theoretical knowledge gained during my degree. It has also enabled me to gain confidence and a strong sense of responsibility, with a necessity to act maturely and logically, preparing me for when I complete my degree.

I would fully recommend that students complete a placement year as part of their course. Having a year’s experience on your CV differentiates you from all the other graduates looking for positions and could make so much difference in your future career.

Louise Newson, 2012 graduate

While studying at Brighton I gained a broad range of knowledge which I now use in my job as a trainee auditor nearly every day.

A number of modules I studied allowed me exemptions within my professional qualification which has given me a head start in my ACA.

My placement year helped prepare me for employment, particularly knowing which path to take once I had graduated.

The placement year allowed me to understand how a smaller business works in relation to the larger firm I now work for. The business school were very supportive during my placement year and my overall journey through university has given me the confidence to take on the challenges of the working world, including applying for Deloitte, a company which I never would have had the confidence to go for otherwise.

My job interviews at Deloitte were daunting, but the support provided at university in the careers centre helped, particularly when it came to submitting a CV and honing in on why I am an asset to a company.

The staff made my final year at university really enjoyable. One lecturer in particular went an extra mile to help with my application for my role at Deloitte, which was really helpful as she has worked in the industry and had a good understanding of what to expect. All of my lecturers were a pleasure to be taught by.