Accounting and Finance MSc
MSc Accounting and Finance
Overview
Accounting and finance experts are always in demand, so if you've studied a business discipline at undergraduate level – and have an eye for detail and the drive to succeed in a challenging business environment – our MSc Accounting and Finance degree course is the way to take your ambitions further.
You'll learn the key principles and practices of accounting and finance and examine how they affect global business and sustainable wealth creation. You'll also get transferable skills, such as analytical and problem-solving techniques that will be invaluable in any business environment.
You'll graduate from the MSc Accounting and Finance degree course with the skills needed for a successful career in the accountancy and finance professions, ranging from management accounting to corporate finance, as well as all the skills required to excel in business.
What you'll experience
On this course, you'll:
- Learn how to write and interpret financial statements, to monitor, control and plan for the ongoing success of an organisation
- Understand accounting and finance from both a strategic and management perspective, ranging from business planning and strategic management accounting to corporate financial management and corporate governance
- Have the chance to use the University’s Bloomberg terminals to monitor and analyse financial market data movements and trades
- Improve your commercial skills with our business simulation software, with technicians on-hand to help out when needed
- Receive support and mentoring from staff – including our Study Support Tutors – in formal meetings and also via social media
- Tap in to our Library’s vast selection of electronic resources, which include 24-hour internet access and access to our online journals
Careers and opportunities
When you graduate, you'll be exempt from all five Certificate Level papers of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). Additionally, CIMA's 'Gateway' route gives MSc Accounting and Finance graduates the opportunity to sit one paper which combines their Management level papers P2, F2 and E2. If you complete this successfully, you'll also be exempt from all of CIMA's Operational level and Certificate level papers.
For the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), we currently have exemptions from Fundamentals Level papers F1 - F4.
When you graduate, you'll be in a strong position to pursue a career in:
- Audit
- Financial accounting
- Management accounting
- Corporate finance
- Financial planning
- Insurance
- Banking
What you'll study on this MSc Accounting and Finance degree course
Each unit on this course is worth a certain number of credits.
You need to study units worth a total of 180 credits. For example, 4 units worth 30 credits and 1 unit worth 60 credits.
Core units on this course include:
- Financial Accounting and Corporate Governance
- Strategic Business Planning and Control
- Managerial Finance and Financial Markets
- Corporate Finance and Valuation
- Research Methods and Dissertation
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional units may not run every year. If a unit doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative unit.
Work experience and career planning
We'll help you to identify voluntary roles and opportunities that will complement your studies.
When you complete this course, our Careers and Employability service can help you find a job that puts your skills to work in the accountancy and finance sectors.
After you leave the University, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years from our Careers and Employability service as you advance in your career.
Learning support
As well as support by faculty teaching staff and your personal tutor, you can use the University’s Academic Skills Unit (ASK).
ASK provides one-to-one support in areas such as:
- academic writing
- note taking
- time management
- critical thinking
- presentation skills
- referencing
- working in groups
- revision, memory and exam techniques
Teaching
Teaching methods on this course include:
- lectures
- seminars
- tutorials
- practical sessions
- student presentations
- case studies
Teaching staff profiles
These are some of the expert staff who’ll teach you on this course.
Alan Graham, Senior Lecturer
Alan has 20 years experience in public practice with Deloitte, where he helped audit Amstrad Corporation, as well as in industry.
His research interests focus on pedagogical issues surrounding the teaching of writing skills, and ethics teaching for accountants. He's also interested in the role of the financial controller in business organisations, and the area of football finance.
Tat-Thanh Nguyen (Frank), Lecturer
Frank is the first ICAEW ( Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales ) Chartered Accountant qualified in Vietnam.He has extensive international work experience in various industries, including: accountancy (KPMG & PwC) and banking (Techcombank and Maritime). His research interests are the intersection of Accounting, Finance & Big Data, Machine Learning and Blockchain.
Christina Philippou, Principal Lecturer
Christina qualified as a Chartered Accountant with PKF (now BDO), undertaking audits across a variety of business sectors, preparing financial statements, performing due diligence work and providing business services to SMEs.
She also spent 8 years working as a forensic accountant for Deloitte in London, including disputes and expert witness work, insider trading, and fraud risk reviews. Her research is in the areas of forensic accounting and sport governance.
How you'll spend your time
Each academic year is divided into 2 teaching blocks and 2 assessment periods:
- September to December – teaching block 1
- January – assessment period 1
- January to May – teaching block 2 (includes Easter break)
- May to June – assessment period 2
Most teaching takes place during the day, on Thursdays, Fridays and very occasionally on Saturdays. You may occasionally need to go to University and course events in the evenings and at weekends.
How you're assessed
You'll be assessed through:
- exams
- coursework
- presentations
You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.
You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.
Entry requirements
Qualifications or experience
- A second-class honours degree in a relevant subject or equivalent qualification and/or equivalent professional experience
English language requirements
- English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.0.
Course costs
Tuition fees (2019 start)
UK/EU/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students:
- Full time: £10,200 (subject to annual increase)
- Part time: £3,400 (subject to annual increase)
International students:
- Full time: £14,700 (subject to annual increase)
- Part time: £4,900 (subject to annual increase)
Additional course costs
These course-related costs aren’t included in the tuition fees. So you’ll need to budget for them when you plan your spending.
Our accommodation section shows your accommodation options and highlights how much it costs to live in Portsmouth.
You’ll study up to 6 units a year. You may have to read several recommended books or textbooks for each unit.
You can borrow most of these from the Library. If you buy these, they may cost up to £60 each.
We recommend that you budget £75 a year for photocopying, memory sticks, DVDs and CDs, printing charges, binding and specialist printing.
If your final year includes a major project, there could be cost for transport or accommodation related to your research activities. The amount will depend on the project you choose.
Apply
Admissions terms and conditions
When you accept an offer to study with us, you also agree to our terms and conditions as well as the University’s policies, rules and regulations. You should read and consider these before you apply.Apply for this course using our online application form.
International students
If you're from outside of the UK, you can apply directly to us or you can get an agent to help with your application. Check your country page for details of agents in your region. To find out what to include in your application, head to the how to apply page of our international students section.
- Subject area
- Accounting, Economics and Finance
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