Accounting and Finance BSc

The BSc in Accounting and Finance will provide you with a solid foundation and technical skills in accounting and finance. We will help you to develop quantitative, communications and information technology skills and the ability to apply these skills in an accounting and finance context. You will learn how managers, shareholders and other stakeholders make decisions in organisations.

The course will prepare you for a career or further training opportunities in the accounting and finance professions - in the public and private sectors or in voluntary organisations. If you are interested in postgraduate study this course will prepare you for the increasingly independent aspects of further study and research.

The first year of this degree is shared with the Accounting BSc, which means you will have the option to switch to this degree at the end of your first year.

Year 1
In your first year you will learn about the foundations of finance, management and economics and begin to acquire the basic statistical skills to prepare you for your dissertation in your final year. The modules that you take this year will provide you with a solid base for the more specialised modules of the second and third years.

Modules
Accounting and Finance in Context
Foundations of Economics
Foundations of Finance
Foundations of Financial Accounting
Introduction to Accounting Theory
Introduction to Management for Accounting and Finance
Management and Cost Accounting
Maths and Statistics for Accounting and Finance
This is the same first year as the Accounting BSc so it is possible for you to transfer to that course at the end of your first year.

Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.

Year 2
In your second year you will begin to specialise in specific topics on accounting and finance. On the finance side you will learn the essentials of corporate finance; corporate governance and the pricing of financial futures and forward contracts. The Research Methods module will help prepare you for your final year dissertation, whilst option modules will allow you to focus on subjects that particularly interest you.

Core modules
Accounting, Decision Making and Control
Corporate Finance
Corporate Governance
Financial Markets Products: Futures and Forwards
Financial Reporting
Research Methods (Management)
Option modules
Choose one option module from:

Accounting for Small and Medium Enterprises
Public Accounting
Plus one option module from:

Accounting Theory
Macro-Finance
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.

Year Abroad or Year in Industry (optional)
You have the option of spending a year studying abroad at one of our partner institutions or working in industry. Alternatively, you can opt to continue studying at the University and complete your degree in three years. 

Year in Industry
A Year in Industry is a fantastic opportunity to gain experience of a working environment within the sector of your choice. It is normally a paid position, more than offsetting the additional cost of your extra year.

Eligibility is dependent on your academic performance in Years 1 and 2. If you are accepted onto the programme you will be responsible for securing your own placement, with support from the School. Please note that being accepted onto the programme does not guarantee you a placement.

During your Year in Industry you will be supported by the School of Business Careers Team. This will include communication with you and your manager and a visit to your place of work. You will also undertake written work to capture your learning from your experience which will include reflection on your personal and professional development and your academic understanding. This work will be assessed to allow you to gain recognition for your Year in Industry.

Your placement effectively begins in Year 1 when you will be introduced to various opportunities to develop your skills, your understanding and experience. In Year 2 you will be supported through guided sessions, such as:

Introduction to the Year in Industry programme
Researching opportunities
Making successful applications
Effective interview techniques
Preparing for my Year in Industry
A Year in Industry is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the types of professions you can choose after you graduate, and can also point you towards postgraduate studies that may help you on the path to your chosen career.

Year Abroad
If you want to, you can spend your third year studying abroad at one of our partner institutions. Eligibility is dependent on your academic performance in Years 1 and 2.

Studying abroad is not just for people who are interested in travelling and meeting new people. It is about acquiring life skills that are becoming increasingly significant for a wide range of jobs in our modern globalised society. Whether you go on to work in the private sector, the state sector, a non-governmental organisation, or become self-employed you will find the experience invaluable. Find out more from our Study Abroad Unit.

Please note that a year spent abroad still incurs a tuition fee, but this is much lower than for a normal year at Leicester. See our Fees and Funding section for details.

The School of Business has links with several European universities, administered through the Erasmus+ scheme. If you are eligible for a loan from Student Finance you can apply for a travel grant from them. Languages courses, at both beginners and advanced level, are available through the University’s Languages at Leicester scheme.

For the latest information on the future of the Erasmus+ scheme at UK universities please see our Brexit microsite.  
We have links with the following universities:

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
Università Degli Studi Di Milano, Italy
Charles University Prague, Czech Republic
University of Calgary, Alberta
Waseda University, Tokyo
Utrecht University, Netherlands
Universidad Loyola Andalucía, Spain
Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia
Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada
University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada
George Mason University, Virginia USA
Illinois State University, Illinois USA
Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma USA
Old Dominion University, Virginia USA
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.

Final Year
In your final year you will study a range of core modules, including your dissertation - a piece of independent research supported by one-on-one support from an academic tutor. You will also choose from a selection of option modules, giving you the chance to shape your degree around your interests.

Core modules
Advanced Financial Accounting
Advanced Management Accounting
Derivatives
Plus Dissertation part 1 and Dissertation part 2

Option modules
Choose three option modules from:

Accounting for Non-Profit Organisations
Advanced Corporate Finance
Advanced Option Pricing
Behavioural Finance and Investment Strategies
Social Studies of Finance
Technology and Financial Innovation Markets
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years