Overview

A good accountant is a valuable asset to practically all forms of business. Upon successful completion of this course, you could gain the skills to prove your value in a variety of sectors.

Monitoring and reporting on financial performance, accountants provide vital information for the organizations and business they work for. They are responsible for making and advising on a range of financial decisions – from setting product prices or determining the feasibility of multi-million pound developments to assessing the pros and cons of potential mergers and acquisitions.

Currently accredited by some of the UK’s leading professional bodies (see the Accreditation and Professional Recognition and Exemption sections for more detail) this course is designed with a potential future accountancy career in mind, with professional experience and skills development opportunities embedded throughout.

There are also opportunities to gain hands-on experience of key computerized accounting information systems like SAGE and SAP, as well as the opportunity to work on our Trading Floor, which gives you the chance to gain first-hand experience of industry standard tools and should allow you to explore putting theory into practice.

Course information

With a focus on contemporary accounting and finance thought and practice, our course aims to equip you with the personal and professional skills and knowledge for a potential future career in the worlds of business, accounting and finance upon successful completion of the course.

The opportunity to develop the ability to apply theory to practice, placing accounting and finance problems in a real-world context, is a distinctive feature of this course. As well as simulation and practical exercises, such as preparing accounts or assessing financial investment options, you will be expected to apply theory to real-life scenarios that a professional might encounter on a day-to-day basis.

In the past, previous students have analysed financial statements from retailers such as Next plc and Marks and Spencer; they’ve also looked at the competencies and skills of easyJet in comparison to its competitors to try to ascertain what has contributed to its financial success.

As well as accounting topics, you will also study modules which aim to develop your academic and employment skills, to help you as you progress into a potential future career in accountancy or the financial sector.