Course overview

Accounting and finance are vital functions in any economy. An effective financial sector contributes fundamentally to the ability of other sectors to flourish. The strong reputation of accounting in the UK has always made it an attractive place in which to study this subject. The trend towards internationalisation of accounting and auditing standards can only enhance the employability of UK-trained accounting and finance graduates throughout the world.

We maintain close links with the key professional accounting bodies to maximise graduate employability including ACCA and CIMA. We have ‘Partner in Learning’ status with the ICAEW , and our one year placements are recognised for separate awards by AAT and City and Guilds.

Our BA (Hons) Accountancy Studies degree is a one or two-year course, aimed at overseas students who already have a diploma in accounting or are otherwise qualified to begin degree studies at second or final-year level. This degree shares much of its content with our BA (Hons) Accounting degree and if you plan to become an accountant, this degree carries a range of exemptions from the exams of professional bodies. If you have an interest in the subject, an ability to work with numbers and a passion for the world of business then this course is ideal.

To prepare you for your future career we believe that your degree must be firmly grounded in practice:

Accreditation and exceptions

In addition to obtaining a degree in accounting, this programme also offers an accelerated route to qualifying with one of the professional accounting bodies such as ICAEW, CIMA and ACCA.

Career focused

The entrance criteria of this degree have been designed to comply with the requirements of the major accounting firms' graduate programmes.

Competent students can have the opportunity to apply their skills to real life practical problems as part of the department’s partnership scheme with local charities. Recent projects have included re-design of financial reporting systems and identification of weaknesses in financial control over a network of charity shops.

Links with the profession

We constantly work to build and maintain our links with accounting and finance professionals, which brings practical benefits to our students. One example is our professional mentoring scheme, by which level two and three students may be paired up with a practising accountant in the area to enable them to get real-world advice and feedback.

Course content

Study is principally directed towards the professional examinations of accountancy bodies such as the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). Graduates of the BA (Hons) Accountancy Studies gain significant exemptions from the ACCA.

Year two

Year two builds on your previous studies. Alongside the core elements of your degree, you will now be able to choose from a range of interesting optional units. The rationale is to give you the choice to tailor your study for your interests and career choice.
Core units include:

• Financial Reporting
• Operational Management Accounting
• Business Finance
• Corporate Governance, Ethics and Controls

Optional units include:

• Taxation for Accounting programmes
• Accounting IT Packages
• Personal Finance
• Accounting Packages and Information Systems
• Management Science
• Language

Year three

This year represents the culmination of your studies. You should expect to confront and analyse current issues in accounting and finance, and understand the context and significance of alternative policy choices. The course offers a range of final-year options that change frequently to reflect current developments. You will also undertake an independent study unit, which allows you to carry out an investigation of a business-related subject in your own way.
Core units include:

• Accounting for Strategic Management and Control
• Advanced Financial Accounting
• Advanced Business Finance

Optional units include:

• Dissertation (Accounting)
• Work-based Financial Project
• International Accounting
• Independent Study for Accountants
• Enterprise World Futures
• Auditing or Taxation

Additional optional units

We constantly review the options on offer to ensure topicality.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching and learning are usually undertaken in lectures or workshops supported by smaller group seminars, tutorials and practical sessions. Extensive use is made of information technology and other teaching innovations. Staff research and consultancy expertise also actively contribute to the relevance of the programme.

You will encounter a range of assessment methods. Many units use a combination of formal examinations and coursework assessment. Coursework can be the analysis of topical case studies, written reports or essays and formal presentations. The assessed work you complete from the start of the second year onwards can count towards the class of degree you will be awarded.

The University goes to great lengths to ensure all students have an excellent learning experience. Courses are managed by teams of academic and administrative staff who work together to provide a high level of support.

Each course has a course leader who will maintain a close relationship with you throughout your studies. They are also supported by a number of tutors and the University has a range of additional support facilities such as the Academic Skills Unit, the Maths Café, Careers and Recruiment unit and counselling that you can access if you need to. You will be assigned a personal tutor who will give you general support and act as the first point of contact for any problems.

In addition, if English is not your first language, there are free courses available to help familiarise you with the use of English for academic purposes.

Career prospects

Careers in accounting and finance

Graduates from our BA (Hons) Accountancy Studies are particularly well placed to enter a wide range of interesting and rewarding careers within the profession. If you want to forge a career in accountancy, this course will exempt you from some of the professional examinations of the key accounting bodies (e.g. ACCA, CIMA). There are a wide range of interesting and rewarding careers; the profession has never been so diverse or so rewarding. Positions within the profession include:

• Audit and assurance
• Taxation
• Forensic accounting
• Management accounting
• Financial analyst
• Treasury

Careers in management and commerce

If you wish to widen your focus to industry and commerce, such as banking, consultancy, fund management, insurance, investment and law, this highly numerate and practical degree will put you ahead of the game.

Postgraduate opportunities

Many students have also gone on to do taught or research-based courses at a higher level. The University of Portsmouth is an Accredited Centre for the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). The Department of Accounting and Finance has developed a range of interesting and relevant postgraduate courses such as the Msc Forensic Accounting, the MSc Financial Decision Analysis and the MSc Finance. There are plenty of research opportunities at Portsmouth, which you can explore when you join us.

What our alumni are doing now

Emma Lockley
Course: BA (Hons) Accounting with Finance
Current position: Account Manager, Tennyson Fund Solutions

'I like the fact that my job is very challenging and gives me the opportunity to work on various different aspects of accounting from accounts preparation to taxation and audit. My job gives me the opportunity to meet new people and travel to various different companies to carry out audits. This position also involves studying towards my ACA qualification, so I am able to revise and take my exams while completing valuable work experience which allows me to put all of this into practice.'

Luke Freeman
Course: BA (Hons) Accounting
Current position: Account Manager, Tennyson Fund Solutions

'The degree followed the structure of the ACCA qualification closely, meaning I found it easier than most when it came to my professional studies. It also combined practical experience with the year in industry, which helped a great deal. Most importantly, the University and course had some fantastic fellow students and lecturers, which always helps!

'Being a start-up company means that my role is varied, being involved in all aspects of the running of the company. It also means that I have a great deal of freedom in moulding my role into what I want it to be. I am also in the hedge fund world, an industry difficult to get into and very innovative as the industry grows, which is exciting.'

Linda Luu
Course: BA (Hons) Accounting
Current position: Financial Accountant, Paragon Insurance

'I loved my time at Portsmouth; maybe it was the course, the sea, I have never really thought about it. I was lucky – for my placement I worked for one of the world's largest engineering companies in France. When I left Portsmouth I knew that I wanted to work in the City. It's very social; you could be out every night of the week if you had the energy.'

Jennifer Cave
Course: BA (Hons) International Finance and Trade
Current position: Barclays Capital Money Markets Middle Office

'I studied international finance and trade. The course was varied and not focused on one area. I now work in the money markets' middle office for Barclays in Canary Wharf and I will start studying for my Chartered Financial Analyst exams soon.'

Kirsty Smith
Course: BA (Hons) Accounting with Business Law
Current position: Graduate scheme, VT Group PLC

'I love my job. I still don't know exactly what I want to do, so the graduate scheme enables me to develop my career every six months. I get huge support and development as well as being able to study my MSc part time. The company is very diverse, so I get to work in a multitude of cultures with different customers, and divisional aims. For the past six months I have been working with fire brigades and I am now going to work in the nuclear ind ustry - hugely different jobs and fairly different roles, but the opportunity to do that is amazing. I would thoroughly recommend VT as a company to work for to everyone.'

Sonia Brandon
Course: BA (Hons) International Finance and Trade
Current position: Senior Lecturer, University of Portsmouth

'I left Portsmouth in 2001 after doing both an undergraduate and postgraduate degree within the Department. I then started my ACCA exams whilst working as an analyst for one of the major tour operators. However, I loved the theoretical aspect of my studies and when I had an opportunity to come back to Portsmouth as a lecturer, I jumped at the chance.'

Facilities and features

The University has substantially invested in modern facilities. You will attend lectures in the purpose-built Richmond Building, where the Business School is located. Our lecture theatres are equipped with the latest multimedia audiovisual equipment and we have a computer drop-in centre equipped with state-of-the-art computers and software.

The University Library is at the centre of academic life and is only a short walk away from Richmond Building. Open from 8am until midnight every day during term-time, it provides a variety of information to help with study and research.

The Library has also invested heavily in the purchase of electronic resources. There are over 10,000 electronic journals available, together with thousands of ebooks which can be accessed across campus, from home or wherever there is an internet connection.

For international students we have a dedicated team of advisors to support you as you settle into life in Portsmouth and at the University. One of the team almost certainly has direct experience of your culture and may even speak your language.

Entry requirements

View all the entry requirements for BA (Hons) Accountancy Studies for the academic year 2012/13 (opens in new window).