How can finance professionals act responsibility, but still meet business objectives? How does accounting information inform business decisions?
Our BSc Accounting and Finance degree provides access to our virtual trading floor, where you make use of real-world Bloomberg Market Data Feed (B-PIPE), information and analytics to practise trading stocks and securities in the type of environment found in City finance firms.
You study a wide range of topics and develop your quantitative skills, giving you the flexibility to pursue a career in finance, accounting or business management after graduation. You'll explore areas such as:
- the preparation of financial statements and budgets
- accounting standards and corporate governance
- financial theory
- portfolio management
- options and futures markets
- risk management
BSc Accounting and Finance includes an introductory first year to familiarise you with wider business topics, such as management and marketing.
In your final year, you have the opportunity to put your knowledge into practice by completing an in-depth, independent research project or dissertation. This will give you the chance to further develop vital employment skills in areas of research, time management and critical thinking.
The University of Essex is one of just three UK universities to have received Q-Step Affiliate status, including for our BSc Accounting and Finance course, to support the way we develop the quantitative skills of our graduates.
This means we can provide work placement bursaries to develop your skills in evaluating numerical evidence, analysing data and designing research. We also offer the opportunity to follow a specialised degree path, where you graduate with enhanced quantitative skills. These are evidenced on your degree transcript, to help give you the competitive edge in the graduate job market.
BSc Accounting and Finance is taught at Essex Business School. Our finance group is one of the largest and most respected in the country and our students and staff join us from all over the world.
We not only teach you how financial information underpins leadership, strategy and planning, but how financial decisions can impact society and the economy. We develop your understanding of governance and ethics, so you can take actions for the good of organisations and the wider world.
Essex Business School is an Investment Management Certificate (IMC) Advantage Partner and this course is aligned to the IMC syllabus, the industry's benchmark entry-level qualification.
Professional accreditation
Accredited by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) for the purpose of exemptions from some professional examinations.
Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) for the purpose of exemption from some professional examinations through the Accredited degree accelerated route.
Accredited by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) for exemption from some professional examinations.
Why we're great.
- We’re in the top 200 globally for accounting and finance in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024.
- Q-Step Affiliate Status gives you the chance to follow a specialised pathway in Applied Quantitative Methods.
- We teach you to be accountable, act ethically and make financial decisions that positively impact both organisations and society.
Study abroad
The four-year version of this course enables you to study abroad during your third year. In all other areas, this version of the course remains identical to the standard three-year variant.
You can study abroad with one of our exchange partners in the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, the Middle East, Hong Kong and Japan. In doing so, you experience other cultures and languages, meet new people, and gain intercultural skills that are sought after by employers.
Placement year
Alternatively, you may decide to take on a placement year to gain relevant work experience within an external organisation. A placement year can give you a competitive edge in the graduate job market and provide you with key contacts within the industry.
The Placements Team can offer bespoke support throughout the process of researching, applying and interviewing for placements. However, it is your responsibility to apply, prepare for and secure your own role. We also offer a number of other employability opportunities during your studies. Our students have gained placements with organisations such as BMW, Samsung and Cummins.
Our expert staff
You learn from academics and industry practitioners whose research continues to have a real-world impact. Many of our highly qualified and enthusiastic team are published in world-leading journals and publications.
Our staff specialise in areas including:
- accounting and economic development in the public and third sectors
- regulation and corporate social responsibility
- finance and banking
- accounting and finance in developing economies
- contemporary financial markets and their participants
- corporate governance in developing countries
Dr Silvia Gaia, Lecturer in Accounting at Essex Business School, researches the fields of Corporate Governance, financial and social-environmental reporting. She has publications in academic journals such as Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, British Accounting Review, Journal of Business Ethics and International Business Review.
Our staff embed the latest research into your course, so you learn about real-world issues affecting accounting right now.
