Diploma in Professional Studies in Accounting (ACCA)

Course in brief

This course has been developed in conjunction with the ACCA to meet the requirements of both a Diploma in Professional Studies in Accounting and the ACCA Fundamental Skills syllabus.

On completion, you will be able to apply to the ACCA for exemptions from their Fundamental Skills papers F4 to F9.

This course is offered on a part-time and full-time basis.

You will study a broad range of subjects, including financial accounting, management accounting, financial management, taxation, auditing, law, quantitative techniques and economics, preparing you for a senior role in accountancy.

Membership of ACCA also provides you with access to the institute’s resources and the opportunity to network with senior professionals and executives.

As an ACCA Gold Learning Partner, the university is recognised as providing high quality standards of tuition and excellent student support.

On completion of the Diploma in Professional Studies in Accounting you will be able to progress onto the Accounting PGDip/MSc course.

Key facts

Location Brighton: Moulsecoomb

Full-time 1 year
Part-time 2 years

Accredited by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)

Applying for 2018: read our guide

Apply online

Please make sure that you meet the entry requirements before applying. If you have any questions the course team will be happy to help.

Apply now for your place

Entry requirements

The entry requirements listed here are our typical offer for this course if you wish to begin studying with us in 2017. They should be used as a general guide.

We operate a flexible admissions policy – this means that you could receive a lower conditional offer than the typical offer, informed by our assessment of your complementary non-academic achievements and experiences. For courses that require interview or portfolio review, this may also be considered in the level of any conditional offer that follows if your application is successful.

ACCA qualifications
You must gain ACCA exemptions or passes for the Fundamentals Knowledge Papers (F1–F3) as a minimum to be eligible to apply for the Diploma in Professional Studies in Accounting.

We do not teach Fundamentals Knowledge Papers (F1–F3). However, the ACCA grant exemptions if you have a relevant degree or professional qualification. To find out whether you are exempt check the ACCA website.

GCSE (minimum grade C or grade 4)
At least three subjects including English language and maths or a science.

You will need to provide documentary evidence from the ACCA that you have passed, at a minimum*, the Knowledge Papers or have gained ACCA exemption from the Knowledge Papers stage.

*If you hold more passes/exemptions than papers F1–F3, email business@brighton.ac.uk for more information.

For non-native speakers of English
If English is not your first language, you will need English language proficiency equivalent to IELTS minimum 6.0 overall with 6.0 in the written test and a minimum of 5.5 in the other elements.

ACCA student membership
You need to be a current registered student of the ACCA. It is advisable to apply for membership as soon as possible, since the process of obtaining membership takes much longer between September and December. Membership brings a number of advantages, including a subscription to Student Accountant magazine and practical online support.

For more information about ACCA student membership, registration and exemptions see www.accaglobal.com.

ACCA professional-level papers
If you hold passes or exemptions for the whole fundamental stage (papers F1–F9) you might be interested in our Accounting PGDip/MSc course that provides you with tuition for your professional-level papers.

International equivalencies

International equivalencies by country

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
Ecuador
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 or academic entry requirements.

Visit our language institute

For English language preparation courses.

Visit our International College

For academic preparation courses.

Course in detail

Course structure

You will be following the ACCA’s foundation-stage papers syllabus for papers F4–F9, inclusive, as part of the diploma qualification.

You will be allocated a subject-specialist supervisor who will be available to support you, advise you and discuss your personal research needs during the year for your research project or dissertation. In addition, students have the opportunity to attend workshops covering research methods and ethical issues and to share ideas and strategies.

ACCA syllabus mapping

We have designed the university awards to run alongside the ACCA qualifications. The Diploma in Professional Studies in Accounting follows the ACCA’s F4–F9 fundamental skills papers. Upon completion of this you will gain a diploma and become part-qualified.

You can then progress onto the masters and the ACCA professional-level syllabus. To become ACCA qualified you will also need to complete two papers P5, P6 or P7, this can be done alongside the MSc Accounting.

You will follow the ACCA’s Fundamental Skills syllabus for the Diploma in Professional Studies in Accounting qualification and, on completion of the course, will be able to apply to ACCA for exemptions from Fundamental Skills papers F4 to F9 inclusive.

Assessment involves both coursework and exams. We offer a high level of student support from a small and committed course team, and aim to keep class sizes below 30 students.

If you would like to just receive tuition from the university for any of the ACCA Fundamental Skills or Professional papers and sit exams directly with the ACCA, please email business@brighton.ac.uk for more information. More details about individual papers are available from www.accaglobal.com.

Modules

Corporate and Business Law (F4)
Performance Management (F5)
Taxation (F6)
Financial Reporting (F7)
Audit and Assurance (F8)
Financial Management (F9)

Flexible study

Our programme has multiple entry and exit points depending on how many ACCA papers you have passed, or hold exemptions from.

You can choose to take this course either full-time (two days per week over one year) or part-time (one day per week over two years). If you are looking for a more flexible approach, contact the business school to discuss options.

Students who take the full masters also have the option to exit the course early, graduating after one year with a Diploma in Professional Studies in Accounting or with a Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting by completing a shorter professional project in place of a dissertation.

If you want a more flexible approach, you can also sign up for one paper at a time and build your qualification as you go.

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

Learning support

Our supportive learning environment includes an induction programme and specialist diagnostic tools to assess your learning strengths and needs. You will also be assigned an academic supervisor to support you in your Masters project work.

Online learning tools and libraries also ensure academic journals, e-books, 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.

Staff Profile

Nigel Padbury, Course Leader
Nigel is a qualified Chartered Accountant. He spent a number of years in a professional environment at KPMG followed by considerable experience in the commercial sector in various managerial positions. Nigel has five years professional teaching experience.

Careers and employability

An Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) qualification will help your career progress in any organisation. Employers worldwide will understand and respect your qualification. You will be in demand for your finance and accounting knowledge regardless of employment sector.

On completion of the Diploma in Professional Studies in Accounting you will be able to progress onto the Accounting PGDip/MSc course to gain a university qualification while receiving tuition for the ACCA professional-level papers.

Entrepreneurship network
Beepurple is the university’s entrepreneurship support network. They offer free support for any student or graduate with their business ideas, freelance plan or social enterprise project. Beepurple run events throughout the academic year, designed to equip you with skills that will improve your employability and help you grow a successful business. By taking part in beepurple activities, you will meet like-minded people, hear how other recent graduates have set up their own businesses and gain key enterprise skills that will help you stand out from the crowd.

For more information visit beepurple

Mentoring scheme
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. The scheme helps students to develop new skills and enhance their career prospects.

Fees and funding

Your fees

Fees for academic year 2017–18

Full-time, one-year route UK and EU students International students	£4,200 £10,800
Part-time, two-year route UK and EU students International students	£2,100 pro rata full-time fee
Individual papers Fundamentals level	£700 per paper

Fees are subject to confirmation. Fees exclude study manuals and textbooks.

If you wish to receive just tuition for these papers with the aim of sitting your exams direct with the ACCA, contact us for fees.

ACCA additional fees

Registration to the ACCA is not included in the university tuition fees.

ACCA exam or exemption fees are applicable and will need to be paid directly to the ACCA. Contact them for further details.

Location and living here

Location

About Brighton

Forward-thinking and welcoming, the city of Brighton & Hove is a community of creative and diverse people who share values like sustainability and inclusivity – just like its university.

Miles of pebble beaches, hundreds of bars, restaurants and clubs, a packed calendar of culture, music and sport and great independent and high street shopping attract visitors from all over the world. By the end of your course you’ll still be finding new things to enjoy about the city.

The Brighton Festival, England’s largest arts festival, takes place every May – as does the Great Escape Europe’s leading industry showcase for new music, 300 bands perform over three days at venues across the city. Major events celebrate Pride, digital culture, cinema, photography, food and the winter solstice. Our own Brighton Graduate show is a highlight, turning the university into the largest exhibition space in the south east as we celebrate the outstanding creativity of our students.

As a student here you’ll have a unique opportunity to experience what the city has to offer. Volunteering and placement opportunities enable you to play your part in the events, organisations and communities that make Brighton such a compelling place to be.

Campus where this course is taught

Moulsecoomb campus

Just two miles north of Brighton city centre and the seafront, Moulsecoomb is the largest of our five campuses with more than 8,000 students. A wide variety of subjects are taught here, from engineering and product design to business and law.

Students benefit from many professional-standard facilities, including a flight simulator, design and digital media suites, and specialist research laboratories. The campus library, Aldrich, offers long opening hours and a diverse collection of books and journals for students from all subject areas.

Sports enthusiasts will enjoy our basketball and badminton courts, fitness suite and climbing wall. The campus is also a few minutes walk from the South Downs National Park, providing a great place to relax during the summer months.

Accommodation

Brighton

Our Brighton halls of residence are located across the city in Grand Parade, Moulsecoomb, Varley Park and Falmer.

Grand Parade is in central Brighton and has one hall of residence, Phoenix Brewery, within walking distance.
Moulsecoomb is two miles from the city centre and also has one hall of residence, Moulsecoomb Place, on campus.
Varley Park offers the biggest choice of student accommodation with ten halls of residence.
Falmer campus has two halls of residence: Great Wilkins and Paddock Field.
Varley Park and Falmer are around four miles from Brighton centre; there are good public transport services nearby.

Aside from halls, you have the option of Unihomes, which we let out to our students on behalf of private landlords.

You can also choose to join the many students who live away from campus in private rented accommodation. We have a list of high-quality, university-endorsed private sector accommodation and can help you find housemates to move in with.

Find out more on our Brighton accommodation webpages and if you have any questions, our accommodation team will be happy to help. You can contact them by email at accommodation@brighton.ac.uk or by telephone on 01273 644100.

Paddock Field

Moulsecoomb Place

Maps

Accommodation

University building

Moulsecoomb campus map

Find out more

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Student views

James Field, winner of PQ Magazine's Accountant of the Year Award 2014

"I thoroughly enjoyed my time studying ACCA qualifications at Brighton and put down much of my success to my time there.

"I always enjoyed the interaction in the classroom, meeting like-minded people, making friends, bouncing ideas of each other and working as a team. Since a successful career in accountancy involves a high degree of interaction with colleagues and clients, I feel these softer skills are as important as the academic ones taught in the classroom.

"I liked the discipline and routine of the classroom. Being someone who can get easily distracted I knew that to remain focused I needed to be somewhere where I was away from such distractions and in an environment that would get my full attention.

"During my time on the course I was always impressed with the standard of teaching. Most of the tutors have clearly worked in the industry and I always found their life experiences and stories to be most useful, as they helped me to better understand and visualise the theory.

"I found the pace at which the course is taught to be well balanced in that it catered for students of all abilities. The tutors were also always keen to help, whether in the classroom or on a one to one.

"Furthermore I believe that much of my success is down to the fact that at the university you are not simply taught to pass exams – as is often the case with other learning providers – but to fully understand and comprehend the subject matter. I honestly feel that this deeper understanding helped fine-tune my skills and gave me the confidence to have the strength and conviction to put forward suggestions and ideas to my board, and to see through any such proposals.

"For anyone thinking of studying at the University of Brighton, the above average pass rates for the ACCA exams and its Gold Approved Learning Provider Status are both testament to the pride taken in ensuring that every student not only develops the skills to pass exams, but are suitably equipped for the challenges that lie after. I for one acknowledge the large part the university has had to play in my career and my recent success at the PQ Awards."