Course summary

Accounting and finance are essential areas of expertise for those seeking high-level careers in these professions, as well as commerce and academia. We expect that you will start this course with a good deal of technical accounting knowledge, having either studied accounting at undergraduate or professional level. You will be provided with theoretical background and applied knowledge at Master’s level that allows you to build upon your existing skills. The course is designed to enhance your intellectual and transferable skills, including presentation, research, analysis and appraisal. This course addresses many of the current accounting issues present in business and how they relate to wider social, technical and economic challenges. You will also have the opportunity to study a specialist interest of your choice. On completion of the course, you will be familiar with theoretical issues in accountancy and finance, and will be able to apply accounting theory and practice to real issues that are faced in day-to-day operations. This will provide you with an excellent framework for pursuing further study, or enhancing your business prospects. Industry Placement Option The industry placement enables you to develop your skills and knowledge in a real-world work environment, whilst completing an applied research project. This will give you an advantage over the competition for jobs and scholarships after you graduate and could be a good starting point for setting up your own consultancy business. Your placement will need to be appropriate to your level of study and you should also be paid for this work. We will support you in finding and securing a suitable placement opportunity, however it must be noted that placements are highly competitive and there is no guarantee of a placement offer being made by an employer. If you are unable or unwilling to progress with an industry placement, for whatever reason, you will have the option to transfer onto our Dissertation and Research Methods module in order to gain the required credits to complete your programme of study. Semester One You will be introduced to some of the main themes in accounting and finance, this is in the context of utilising financial information to enhance business decision making. Modules in semester one will highlight the importance of sound decision making in successful organisations. Semester Two You will examine the role which organisations can play in the wider social context in which they operate and also how this role can affect their decision making. You will also study the way in which accounting regulation takes place in an international context. Semester Three The research proposal produced in Semester two will guide the development of a clearly defined and evidenced study proposal, a critical review of relevant literature, and a robust methodology. Data is then collected, analysed, interpreted and applied to the study proposal and a 15,000 word research report (dissertation) is produced, with the support of a dissertation supervisor.