Accounting and Finance BSc(Hons)

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Top reasons to choose this course

• Accredited by professional bodies – ICAEW, ACCA and CIMA – with exemptions from professional qualifications.

• The University of Brighton is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) – an accreditation achieved by fewer than 6% of business schools globally.

• Study at an ACCA Gold Learning Partner, which means we’re recognised for providing high-quality tuition and support.
• Hands-on learning via specialist Bloomberg terminals that give you access to data used on trading floors around the world.
• Specialise in areas like banking, FinTech and taxation through your choice of option modules.
• Learn from industry experts using real-life case studies.
• Graduate with a year of work experience when you choose a placement year.

Course structure

In your first year, you will acquire core knowledge and skills of accounting and finance, as well as basic principles of economics.

In your second year, you will learn about the transformation of financial reporting and accounting using modern management information systems, and through case studies you will also learn the fundamentals of business ethics, corporate governance and basic principles of corporate taxation.

As you progress, the flexibility of this course allows you to tailor your learning to your interests through option modules, many of which attract exemptions from professional bodies.

You can choose to take a paid placement year between your second and third year, which allows you to put your learning into practice and improves your skills and employability.

In your final year, you will become more critical and analytical in your thinking, applying your skills to problem solving whilst also focusing on key subjects of your choice.

Learning on our Accountancy and Finance degree is delivered through a stimulating mix of seminars, academic and industry lectures and workshops. You will mainly be assessed through group work, presentations, exams and essays.

Making sure that what you learn with us is relevant, up to date and what employers are looking for is our priority, so courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis. If you apply to us, you’ll be told about any new developments through Student View.

Year 1

In your first year, you will be introduced to the core disciplines of economics, finance and accounting.

Modules

• Fundamentals of Management Accounting

  This module introduces you to the concepts, principles and techniques of management accounting, essential to the world of business and finance. Alongside the fundamentals of financial accounting, you’ll gain a foundation of knowledge that will support you as you build further understanding of basic accounting data flows within an organisation and the preparation of financial and managerial reports.

• Fundamentals of Financial Accounting

  This module introduces you to the concepts, principles and techniques of financial accounting which are essential when working in the world of business and finance. It will give you a foundation on which to develop further understanding of basic accounting data flows in an organisation. You will also learn how to prepare financial reports and company accounts for internal and external stakeholders. 

• Financial Skills

  The module will help you to develop the mathematical skills required to solve financial problems. You’ll explore a wide range of mathematical techniques to develop and enhance your capacity for solving practical problems. Areas covered include arithmetic, algebra with elements of pre-calculus, probabilities and statistics.

• Business Economics

  In this module you will develop your understanding of key economic concepts by applying them to contemporary issues within the world of business and through the application of quantitative techniques. You will also gain an understanding of how political, economic and environmental factors influence the world of business.

• Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management

  This module will introduce you to a range of concepts, principles and theories that have been adopted within the study of organisational behaviour and human resource management and will give you an insight into how people are managed and organised in the workplace. You will develop an understanding of the relationship between the internal and external environment and the role that employees play in designing and achieving organisational goals.

• Academic and Professional Skills

  This module will provide you with the basic skills and strategies needed to study successfully at undergraduate level and help you develop the attributes that contribute to employability. You’ll also gain the practical professional skills to confidently use spreadsheet software to present financial information and as an analytical tool.

Year 2

In your second year, you will take more advanced modules to build upon the topics from your first year, equipping you with the required skills for a career in finance.

Placement year

The paid work placement year is a vital part of the course. It gives you the chance to apply your learning to real-life situations and challenges, to meet and network with potential employers, and have opportunities to get real work experience before you graduate – something that employers value highly.

Our students have completed placements at:

• American Express
• Bank of America
• Merrill Lynch
• Credit Suisse
• Dow Jones
• Ernst & Young
• Financial Services Authority
• FTSE Group
• HM Revenue and Customs
• KPMG
• PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
• The Bank of England.

On your placement, you will complete a business project. This project contributes to your degree and, depending on the topic you choose, could provide valuable insight for your placement employer.

Final year

In addition to tailoring your degree through option modules such as international finance, taxation and auditing, you will learn practical skills such as financial reporting. Depending on your module choices, this may give you exemptions from the examinations of the accrediting bodies.

Modules

Core modules

• Financial and Corporate Reporting

  This module examines the areas that will need to be considered by accountants of the future. Using your knowledge of financial accounting, you'll explore them in the context of financial and corporate reporting to more advanced financial reporting for companies and groups.

• Finance and Risk Management

  This module focuses on financial management, and mainly the issues that affect corporate financial managers. It has two parts: the first deals with applied topics in corporate finance and the second explores risk management tools and techniques. Areas covered include an appreciation of financial risk management and the use of derivatives, and analysis of capital structure and investment decisions.

• Management Control Systems

  On this module you'll draw on the technical understanding gained in management accounting modules in years 1 and 2. You'll develop a comprehensive understanding of operational and management control systems, and explore alternative perspectives of the role of management accounting in organisations and society.

Options*

• Taxation

  In this module you will look at the UK tax system and the basics of tax planning opportunities and techniques. Subject areas covered include the administration of the UK tax system and ethics; income tax; corporation tax; capital gains tax; inheritance tax; value added tax; and policy issues.

• Fintech (Financial Technologies)

  This module explores how fintech is reshaping the financial services ecosystem with emphasis on regulation, competition and financing of innovation. You will examine payments, deposits and lending, blockchain, insurance (insurtech), open banking, capital raising, wealth management and market provisioning domains. You’ll have the opportunity to learn from guest lecturers from fintechs and banks, plus gain hands-on experience through solving case studies.

• Audit and Assurance

  This module will develop your understanding of the critical aspects of carrying out assurance engagements including statutory audit engagements, and their application in the context of the professional regulatory framework. You'll focus on applying theory to case studies and current issues facing auditors in the UK.

• Carbon Accounting

  This module covers the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GGP) with its Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions as well as associated issues such as net-zero, carbon offsets and certification processes. You will use University of Brighton HESA Estates data to demonstrate your understanding of GGP and to explore potential mitigating strategies. You’ll also undertake a short (equivalent of two days) consultancy with small local businesses to understand their emissions.

• Investment Management

  You will apply your previously gained knowledge to examine the current best practice in investment analysis, considering a variety of asset classes, and in the managing of institutional investment portfolios. Areas covered include the construction and management of bond and equity portfolios; portfolio performance evaluation and insurance techniques; and international diversification.

• Banking and Money

  This module introduces the study of banking and money. You’ll cover two broad areas: the first covers microeconomic and managerial aspects of banking, such as the bank risk, efficiency, competition and performance; and the second looks at the macroeconomic elements of banking instability, the role of banks in the monetary transmission mechanism, the interplay between banks, regulators and policy makers, and the role of banks in setting the interest rates.

• International Finance

  International Finance takes the areas of finance and financial management you’ve studied in a domestic setting and explores how the domestic theory alters in an international setting due to factors such as exchange rates and country risk. You will also be introduced to the international financial management complexities associated with the foreign direct investment decisions of multinational companies.

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

Course leader

Bobby Kahlon

Bobby is a senior lecturer at the School of Business and Law. 

He is course leader for our Accounting and Finance BSc(Hons) degree. 

Course fees

This course offers a professional placement (sandwich) year in year 3. If you choose to take this placement you will pay a reduced fee during this year. For students starting their undergraduate degree in the 2025–26 academic year, the fee for the professional placement year is £1,500 for UK students and £1,850 for international students. This fee may be subject to small increases in line with inflation.

ICAEW Foundation Bursary

Provided by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), this bursary is open to undergraduates studying Accounting and Finance BSc(Hons) who are from a low-income background (family income £20-£25k). The successful student will receive £12,000 over three years. Find out how to apply.

The fees listed here are for the first year of full-time study if you start your course in the academic year 2025–26.

You will pay fees for each year of your course. Some fees may increase each year.

UK undergraduate and some postgraduate fees are regulated by the UK government and increases will not be more than the maximum amount allowed. Course fees that are not regulated may increase each year by up to 5% or RPI (whichever is higher).

If you are studying part-time your fee will usually be calculated based on the number of modules that you take.

Find out more

• Brighton Boost – cost of living help for our new undergrad students. Find out about how we can help with your study, accommodation or travel costs and more...
• Fees, bursaries, scholarships and government funding info for UK and international undergraduate students
• Student finance and budgeting while studying
• Read our student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf) for more on University of Brighton tuition fees.

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