Accounting (ACCA) MSc (PGCert PGDip)

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Course structure

You will be following the ACCA’s Strategic Professional papers as part of the masters/postgraduate diploma qualification.

The masters and postgraduate diploma are mapped to the ACCA’s two Strategic Professional essential papers as well as two of the ACCA Strategic Professional option papers.

On the masters programme, in addition to the four modules, you’ll be required to complete either a dissertation or a work placement project report. The report would be based on a 6–12 month work placement which would extend the length of the course.

On the postgraduate diploma route, you complete four modules and a project report.

You’ll be allocated a subject-specialist supervisor who will be available for support and advice and to discuss your personal research needs for the dissertation or research project. There will also be opportunities to attend workshops that cover research methods, ethical issues and enable you to share ideas and strategies.

The ACCA will require you to have completed its Ethics and Professional Skills module and have a minimum of three years work experience before you can be fully qualified.

Syllabus

Modules

Core modules

• Strategic Business Reporting

  This module examines corporate reporting from the point of view of corporate report preparers as well as different stakeholders such as finance providers. You will learn to assess and evaluate the financial and corporate reporting decisions made by senior management within businesses and explore their implications for a range of stakeholders and entities.

• Strategic Business Leader

  This module provides a range of skills including communication, commercial acumen, analysis, scepticism and evaluation which will enable you to demonstrate organisational leadership and senior consultancy or advisory capabilities. You will learn to contribute to the management of governance, risk, strategy and management reporting using innovative thinking and professional skills.

• Dissertation

  In this module you will use your accounting knowledge, research expertise and general transferable skills to produce an advanced, independent dissertation on a specific area of accounting. Taught content includes an introduction to research methods and research proposals; project management; data collection, access and sampling; and an introduction to statistical analysis.

• Work Placement Project (60)

  The work placement project forms the critical completion of your placement where you'll demonstrate your intellect, research, analytical and communication skills as you solve a real business problem. You'll carry out 'in company' research while on placement, gathering and applying advanced knowledge and analysing primary and secondary data.

Options*

• Advanced Audit and Assurance

  In this module you will analyse, evaluate and conclude on the assurance engagement and other audit and assurance issues with regard to best practice and current developments. You’ll gain a thorough understanding of the legal and regulatory issues involved in performing audit and assurance engagements and will apply relevant knowledge and skills in exercising professional judgment relating to audit and assurance.

• Advanced Performance Management

  During this module you will use your knowledge, skills and professional judgement to select and apply strategic management accounting techniques in different business contexts to evaluate and manage an organisation’s performance and strategic operational development. Topics include strategic planning and control; impact of risk and uncertainty on performance management; performance evaluation and corporate failure.

• Advanced Financial Management

  This module examines the role and responsibilities of a senior executive or adviser in meeting competing needs of stakeholders within the business environment of multinationals; the strategic consequences of making investment and financing decisions in domestic and international context; the planning and evaluation of business restructuring and corporate reorganisations; and the associated risks and sophisticated strategies that can be employed in order to manage such risks.

• Advanced Taxation

  This module builds on your learning of the basic principles of UK personal and corporate taxation so you can apply the knowledge, skills and professional judgement needed to provide information and advice to individuals and businesses on the impact of the major UK taxes in financial planning and making financial decisions. You will cover areas including income and income tax; chargeable gains and capital gains tax; inheritance tax; corporation tax; and VAT.

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Flexible study 

You can tailor the course to your individual strengths through your professional project or dissertation – focusing on an area you, or your current employer, are interested in.

The programme can be completed either full-time (two days per week over one year) or part-time (one day per week over two years). The part-time option is available to UK (home) students only. Studying part-time allows you to choose the number of papers you take each year, meaning you can study at a flexible pace.

You have the option to graduate with a Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting by completing a shorter professional project in place of a dissertation.

If you would like to only receive tuition from the university for any of the professional papers (core essential and option) and sit exams directly with the ACCA, please email SBL-office@brighton.ac.uk for further information. More details about individual papers are available from the ACCA website.

Learning support 

Online learning tools and libraries ensure academic journals, ebooks, business articles and other resources are available to you 24/7, both for use at the university and at home.

You will also have access to our Careers Service, including CV checking, mock interviews and advice on setting up your own business. 

Course leader

Ali Hepburn

Ali is the course leader on our ACCA Professional Accountancy programmes. Her teaching specialism is audit and assurance.

She is a Fellow Chartered Accountant, Business Finance Professional and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Before joining the University of Brighton in 2021, Ali worked in audit at PwC for 12 years.

In addition to audit, Ali’s interests include business ethics and equality, diversity and inclusion in the accounting sector.

Course fees

Tuition for just the Strategic Professional stage papers (without completing the MSc or PGDip) is also available. Contact us for detail and fees at SBL-office@brighton.ac.uk.

Fees exclude study manuals and textbooks.

ACCA exam fees are applicable for your professional qualification and will need to be paid direct to the ACCA. Contact them for further details.

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2025–26.

Further tuition fees are payable for each year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees, including fee status, payment and refunds, in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

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-time 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.

Campus where this course is taught

Accommodation

Local area

Maps

Support and wellbeing

Sport at Brighton