Accounting and Finance

About

Throughout the BA Accounting and Finance you’ll study a breadth and depth of accounting and finance subjects giving you the opportunity to take your knowledge to a new level. Areas of study may include accounting information; the legal, regulatory and social context within which accounting operates and the design and operation of information systems.

What’s more, if you choose the relevant modules, you will gain exemption from some of the ACA, ACCA and CIMA examinations once you’ve completed your degree. Just another small step that will help make your way up the career ladder a little easier.

Students on this programme learn through a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops, informal but scheduled one-on-one support, and self-directed learning, such as research, reading, and writing.

All of these are supported by a state-of-the-art virtual learning environment, Durham University Online (DUO). 

Seminars and workshops are much smaller groups than lectures, small enough to allow greater one-on-one interaction with teaching staff. Workshops also allow hands-on experience of solving accounting and finance problems.

This emphasis on small-group teaching reflects a conscious choice to enhance the quality of the learning experience rather than the quantity of formal sessions. In fact, the degree programme is designed to feature fewer formal sessions and more independent research as students move from their first to their final year.

Small-group teaching and one-on-one attention from the personal academic advisor (provided for all students when they enter the programme) are part of the learning experience throughout, but by the final year classroom time gives way, to some extent, to independent research, including a capstone dissertation – supported by one-on-one supervision – that makes up a third of final year credits. In this way the degree programme gives the student the opportunity to transform from a consumer of knowledge in the classroom to a generator of knowledge, ready for professional or postgraduate life.

These formal teaching arrangements are supported by “drop-in” surgeries with teaching staff and induction sessions that begin in the week before the start of the programme and continue at key times throughout each year of the programme.

Students can also attend an extensive programme of research-focused seminars where staff and visiting scholars present their cutting-edge research.

Flexibility – subject to optional module choice and successful completion of your first year – it may be possible to change your degree path to either Accounting and Management or Finance. (Students who require a Tier 4 visa will need to check this in advance with the Tier 4 regulations which are in place at the time).

Content

Year 1

In the first two years, you will study the required basic prerequisites for professional and research progress. In the first year, compulsory modules introduce:

• Economics
• Finance
• Financial Accounting
• Management Accounting
• Quantitative Methods.

Students will also choose a further business, economics or language optional module.

Year 2

In the second year, compulsory modules investigate:

• Auditing and Assurance
• Corporate Financial Reporting
• Corporate Finance
• Management Accounting.

You also choose two optional modules from a selection which in the past has included:

• Macroeconomics
• Microeconomics
• Introduction to Financial Econometrics
• Financial Markets and Institutions
• Principles of Business Law
• Introduction to Taxation
• Language module.

Year 3

Moving to a more research-led teaching orientation in the third year, you are required to produce a double module Dissertation in any of the accounting and finance areas, such as financial accounting, management accounting, auditing or finance. Additionally, you will study three compulsory modules exploring:

• Financial Planning and Control
• Contemporary Issues in Financial Accounting
• Financial Theory and Corporate Policy

And choose one module from a large selection covering business and finance options. Subjects covered in previous years have included, for example:

• Corporate Governance
• Security Investment Analysis
• International and Multinational Finance
• Financial Engineering
• Behavioural Finance
• Corporate Responsibility.

Subject requirements, level and grade

In addition to satisfying the University’s general entry requirements, please note:

• We require AAB from A-levels.
• We consider all A-level subjects, with the exception of General Studies – therefore General Studies would not be included in any offer.
• For all Business, Marketing, Accounting and Finance degrees a strong proficiency in Mathematics is required. If Mathematics is not taken as an A-level subject a grade A in Mathematics at GCSE is required.
• We consider each application holistically, on an individual basis and against the other applications we receive. Whilst academic achievement is important, it is not the only factor that we consider when assessing applications and applicants who have achieved, or are predicted to achieve, close to our typical offer, but who have not met it exactly, will be welcome to apply if they have a strong application in other key elements, for example if they can demonstrate merit and potential through their personal statement or their reference.
• We welcome applications from those with other qualifications equivalent to our standard entry requirements and from mature students with non-standard qualifications, please email us for more information.
• Applicants for whom English is not their first language will be required to offer IELTS of 6.5 (no component under 6.0); or the University approved equivalent. We also require proof of English Language proficiency for students from the European Union.
• We are willing to consider applications for deferred entry from those who have well-structured plans for work or travel, for example. We may, however, need to restrict the number of deferred entry offers we make because we have to be careful not to fill too many of next year’s places in advance. However, if you do apply for a deferred place and are unsuccessful, you are welcome to reapply the following year.
• You are welcome to apply if you are taking resits; we do not make higher offers to students who declare resits.
• If you do not satisfy our general entry requirements, the Foundation Centre offers multidisciplinary degrees to prepare you for a range of specified degree courses.

Preferred Tests:

a. IELTS: 6.5 (no component under 6.0)

b. TOEFL iBT (internet based test): 92 (no component under 23)

c. Cambridge Proficiency (CPE): Grade C

d. Cambridge Advanced (CAE): Grade A

e. Cambridge IGCSE First Language English at Grade C or above [not normally acceptable for students who require a Tier 4 student visa]

f. Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language at Grade B or above [not normally acceptable for students who require a Tier 4 student visa]

g. GCSE English Language at grade C or above

h. Pearson Test of English (overall score 62 (with no score less than 56 in each component))

Alternative accepted tests when those listed in a.-h. above are unavailable to the applicant (if the applicant requires a Tier 4 visa to study, advice on the suitability of these alternatives must be sought from the Student Recruitment and Admissions Office):

i. Certificate of Attainment (Edexcel)

j. GCE A-levels (AQA, CIE, Edexcel, CCEA, OCR, WJEC) at grade C or above in an essay based, humanities or social science subject from the following list: History, Philosophy, Government and Politics, English Language, English Literature, Geography, Religious Studies, Economics, Business Studies, Law and Sociology. Modern or Classical Languages are not acceptable in meeting this requirement.

k. International Baccalaureate with a minimum of grade 5 in Standard Level English or a minimum of grade 5 if taken at Higher Level.

l. NEAB (JMB) Test in English (Overseas)

m. Singapore Integrated Programme (SIPCAL) at grade C or above in an essay based, humanities or social science subject from the following list: History, Philosophy, Government and Politics, English Language, English Literature, Geography, Religious Studies, Economics, Business Studies, Law and Sociology. Modern or Classical Languages are not acceptable in meeting this requirement.

n. Singapore Polytechnic Diploma and Advanced Diplomas at GPA 3.0 or above

o. WAEC and NECO Grade B3 or above from Nigeria and Ghana