This course is open for applications
Page last updated 25 October 2024
Introduction
With a strong practical focus, access to the industry-standard Bloomberg Professional system, and ACCA, CIMA and IFA exemptions, our MSc in Accounting and Finance will act as a springboard into a wide range of finance and accounting-related careers.
Accreditations and partnerships:
Today's business managers need to be able to analyse and interpret financial information and use this to inform business strategy. This course will help you develop this expertise, as well as giving you an indepth understanding of the contemporary issues encountered by financial managers.
The underlying practical focus ensures that the skills and knowledge you gain are highly relevant to the workplace whichever area of accounting or finance you are seeking to engage in.
Strong practical focus
You will develop your knowledge and understanding of accounting and finance, while also enhancing your critical thinking, research and analytical skills. During the year, you will:
- analyse and solve complex problems relating to financial reporting, performance measurement and management, corporate strategy and financial management
- be encouraged to think critically and creatively about problems requiring a multi-disciplinary approach
- develop in-depth knowledge in a specialist topic you have chosen for your dissertation
- enhance your key personal skills in time management, information accessing, analysis and interpretation
- develop your interpersonal, communication and management skills through team working, making presentations and writing reports.
Industry links and facilities
As a student at Bristol Business School, you will get to hear from inspiring speakers from the business world. You will also have access to our state-of-the-art trading room, built around the Bloomberg Professional system, the main financial platform used by the large investment banks.
Find out more about our New Course Connect Partnership with the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit, by visiting our Bristol Busness School blog.
Accredited by the ACCA, CIMA and IFA
The course is accredited by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and the Institute of Financial Accountants (IFA). This means you will gain exemptions from several of their professional examinations, giving you a useful head start in your professional studies. Read more about the professional exemptions on the course in the features section.
Watch: The learning and teaching experience
Structure
Content
The optional modules listed are those that are most likely to be available, but they may be subject to change.
The Postgraduate Certificate is made up of five of the seven core modules detailed below.
Core modules
- Fundamentals of Accounting and Finance
- Corporate Governance and Strategy
- Financial Statement Analysis
- Corporate Financial Strategy
- Strategic Management Accounting
- Advanced Corporate Reporting
- Project and Research Methods - Accounting and Finance.
The Postgraduate Diploma is made up of the remaining compulsory modules and one additional optional module, allowing you to specialise in an area relevant to your career plans.
Optional modules
- Financial Investments in Practice
- Contemporary Issues in Accounting and Finance
- Forensic Accounting
- Consultancy Project in Accounting and Finance.
The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved we will inform you.
Learning and Teaching
You will learn through formal classes and seminar sessions, as well as group work and independent study. The course will include assignments, exercises, case studies and presentations, with an emphasis on independent learning to develop your analytical and problem solving skills.
We operate an 'open door' policy, so you will have regular access to your tutors to discuss any aspects of the course. We can also offer you careers advice specific to the financial sector through the faculty's careers consultants and we organise guest speakers and employer events, where you can hear, and learn, from individuals working in various accounting and finance roles.
See our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.
Assessment
Assessments will be a mix of written assignments, supervised mini-projects, role playing, presentations and examinations.
See our full glossary of assessment terms.