Accounting and Finance
BSc(Hons)

Course summary and entry requirements

Course duration

Full-time: 3 years

With placement year 4 years

UCAS code N420

Professional accreditation

This course is accredited by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Association of International Accountants (AIA), Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). Graduates will be exempt from some of the foundation and professional stage exams set by these professional bodies.

The University of Brighton is an Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) gold tuition provider. As such, we are recognised as providing the highest quality standards in facilities, tuition and course management.

About the course

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.

Typical entry requirements

The entry requirements listed here are for students starting their course in 2014. Entry requirements for students thinking about starting a course in 2013 can be found in the online prospectus. Individual offers may vary

A-levels:
BBB. Excludes General Studies.

BTEC
DDM.

International Baccalaureate:
32 points including 16 at Higher level.

Access to HE Diploma
pass (at least 45 credits at level 3), with 24 credits at merit or above. Units in accounting and finance, business or management required.

GCSE (minimum grade C) or Access Equivalent
at least three subjects including English language and grade B in mathematics.

Foundation degree/HND
may enable you to start the course in year 2. Relevant subjects required.

For non-native speakers of English:
IELTS 6.0, with 6.0 in writing and a minimum of 5.5 in the other elements.

For equivalent international qualifications


Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Bermuda
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burma (Myanmar)
Cameroon
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guyana
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kuwait
Latvia
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malaysia
Malawi
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Montenegro
Morocco
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestinian National Authority
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Syria
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

We can help you meet our English language entry requirements
For help meeting English language requirements contact our
Language Institute.

We can help you meet our academic entry requirements
For help meeting academic entry requirements contact our
International College.

If you cannot find your country listed, please email admissions@brighton.ac.uk

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

You can view the programme specification for this course as a PDF file by clicking on the link below:

Programme Specification
Fees and costs

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2013-14. Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and may be subject to small increases, in line with inflation.

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.

What's included in the fee?

When costs such as health or criminal record checks, field trips or use of specialist materials are incurred as a mandatory requirement of the course they are included in your tuition fee.

You may incur additional costs depending on the optional modules or activities you choose. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. Before you apply please check with the school that provides your course using the contact details on the left of this page for advice about what is included and what optional costs you could face so you can budget accordingly.

Our website www.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) 10,900 GBP
Location

Location Moulsecoomb

Located to the north of Brighton city centre, the Moulsecoomb campus offers students an excellent learning environment and a wide range of facilities. It is the largest of our five campuses with over 8,000 students.
View campus maps and directions
Living in Brighton
Brighton’s rich mix of historic architecture, lively arts scene, varied shopping and cosmopolitan community make it a vibrant, enjoyable place to live. It is no wonder that many Brighton graduates choose to stay here.
Social scene
Alongside the traditional seaside attractions, Brighton is famed for its exciting social scene with a wide choice of pubs, clubs and restaurants.
Arts
The highlight of the city’s cultural year is the Brighton Festival. The event is held each May and is England’s biggest arts festival, which showcases arts and performance from around the world. Brighton is also home to the UK’s oldest working cinema, the Duke of York’s, which shows alternative and mainstream films. The city is also well known for its exciting music scene and hosts The Great Escape music festival.
Sports
Whether you take your sport seriously or just want to keep fit, Brighton offers all kinds of sports opportunities and facilities, on and off campus. You can also make the most of the location, and play volleyball, basketball and windsurfing down by the beach. The seafront is also the finishing point for the famous London – Brighton bicycle ride and the quirky veteran car run.
Staff profiles

Sue Endean, Course Leader

After completing a degree in finance and accounting at Lancaster University, Sue worked for eight years in the city office of Neville Russell (now Mazars) while qualifying as a certified accountant.

Before moving to accounting training in 1990 (with Chart Foulks Lynch) she managed the Newmarket office of chartered accountants Hardcastle Burton concentrating on clients in the horse-racing industry.

In 1992 Sue joined the University of Brighton to teach financial accounting and taxation on undergraduate and professional programmes.
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.
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 service website.
More...

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