
Internal Audit Professional Apprenticeship - MSc
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The Internal Audit Professional Apprenticeship has been developed by employers and approved by the Institute for Apprenticeships. The driving objective for this was to provide a suitable development framework for those who are either in or looking to move to a managerial position....
- Level Postgraduate Taught
- Study mode Part Time
- Location City Centre
- Award MSc
- Start date January 2024
- School Birmingham City Business School
- Faculty Faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences
This course is:
Overview
The Internal Audit Professional Apprenticeship has been developed by employers and approved by the Institute for Apprenticeships. The driving objective for this was to provide a suitable development framework for those who are either in or looking to move to a managerial position.
The IAP Apprenticeship Course has been designed so that apprentices who successfully complete our course will also receive the MSc Internal Audit Management & Consultancy, with no additional work or cost above that included in the IAP Apprenticeship funding band.
Birmingham City University has a long, successful history of delivering high quality internal audit courses, and we now want to work with employers to ensure their employees reach their full potential.
How to Apply
To apply for this course, please email BLSSApprenticeships@bcu.ac.uk.
What's covered in this course?
The course is divided into 8 modules. This has been carefully mapped against the IAP Apprenticeship Standards and End Point Assessment, to the syllabi of the CIA and QIAL and the IIA Inc’s suggested syllabus from the Internal Audit Educators Partnership programme, which accredits this course.
The first two years of the course are designed to meet the gateway requirements to the EPA, i.e. completion of the CIA and the 3 case study exams of the QIAL. The final year is used to help you perform the work and research required for the EPA, maximising the use of support available and enabling the University to provide a recommendation on your preparedness to complete the EPA.
If you leave part-way through the course, you will be given an appropriate academic award depending on the modules you have completed successfully.
Why Choose Us?
- Our Governance & Assurance Hub has become the UK’s first university department to be recognised as a Centre of Excellence by The Institute of Internal Auditors.
- We are an established team with over 20 years’ experience of delivering courses accredited by the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) and the Internal Auditing Educations Partnerships (IAEP).
- The Centre prides itself on its extremely high pass rates.
- The lecture team is supported by guest speakers, who regularly visit to provide valuable practitioner insight.
- We get to know our students as individuals and support their specific needs, or signpost them to other areas of the University that can provide additional, complementary support.
OPEN DAY
Join us for an on-campus Open Day where you'll be able to meet us in person. Booking for the next event isn’t open yet. Register your interest below and we’ll email you as soon as booking goes live.
Next Event: 29 June 2024
Entry Requirements
UK students
Essential |
---|
A degree from a UK University or international equivalent |
OR Indicative 3 years-experience in an internal audit role, assessed through the Recognition of Prior Learning Scheme (RPL) |
OR Level 4 Apprenticeship AND 24 months experience in an internal audit role assessed through the RPL |
For the Internal Audit Professional Apprenticeship, apprentices will also be required to meet the exam entry requirements for the professional qualifications. These can be found here. |
Fees & How to Apply
UK students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
Award: MSc
Starting: Jan 2024
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Part Time
- 3 Years (To apply, see below)
-
TBC
- Register interest
International students
Sorry, this course is not available to International students.
How to Apply
To apply for this course, please email course leader Ann Brook directly - Ann.Brook@bcu.ac.uk.
The Internal Audit Professional Apprenticeship is approved by the Institute of Apprenticeships with a funding band of £17,000. This is the maximum available from the apprenticeship levy to cover the associated costs.
The key costs that are incurred are as follows:
- Application to complete the 3 papers of the CIA
- Application to complete the 3 papers of the QIAL
- Tuition pack for the CIA
- Exam fees for the CIA and QIAL
- End Point Assessment Fee
- Birmingham City University (training provider) Fee
Please note that membership of the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors is also required, but due to funding rules this cannot be included in the levy funding. Therefore this costs will need to be met by either the employer or the apprentice.
The fee to be charged by the University depends on the level of support that the organisation requires above those stipulated by the funding requirements. The Institute for Apprenticeships also expects the training provider fees to be subject to negotiation with the employer organisation. However, it is the University’s intention to keep the total costs below the funding band wherever possible.
The fee to be charged will therefore be discussed as part of the initial discussions and contract negotiation.
Personal statement
You’ll need to submit a personal statement as part of your application for this course. This will need to highlight your passion for postgraduate study – and your chosen course – as well as your personal skills and experience, academic success, and any other factors that will support your application for further study.
Not sure what to include? We’re here to help – take a look at our top tips for writing personal statements and download our free postgraduate personal statement guide for further advice and examples from real students.
Course in Depth
Modules
This module considers the purpose of internal audit and how it fits alongside other governance activities of an organisation. It explores the principles which sit behind the activity as well as how to ensure that a high quality function is delivered. It also looks at internal audit’s role in evaluating the anti-fraud framework in the organisation.
This module is designed to guide the student through the management and performance of a risk based internal audit engagement which complies with the definition of internal auditing and the standards defined in the International Professional Practices Framework (IPPF) which were introduced in Essentials of Internal Auditing.
The module will expose students to different areas of an organisation that they may be required to audit, helping them to understand best practice, risks and controls for the related processes. The module will focus on business acumen, information security, informational technology and financial management.
This module seeks to explore the role, responsibilities and competencies of a head of internal audit. It will consider the development of strategic and operational plans for internal audit, the creation and leading of an internal audit function and being a consultant and advisor to the organisation’s leaders.
This module explores how organisations operate and in particular the internal governance, risk management, assurance provision, strategic management and financial management of organisations. Again internal audit functions need to be designed and work to support these as well as to be able to assess them as part of their work (either as an audit engagement or as a consultant).
This module explores ethics, corporate social responsibility and sustainability which are all considered to be essential for organisations to succeed. Understanding this will help leaders to develop internal audit functions which take the organisations challenges and culture into account. In addition, internal auditors are often asked to provide advice on key challenges including these areas.
In this module students will critically assess risk management and propose innovative and creative developments that will improve the practice of risk management and bring further value to organisations. Students will also look at how risk management can be a catalyst for improvement and innovation within an organisation and how change can be managed through to efficient and effective implementation. Finally they will look at their own personal development within the profession.
As this is a research project of the students choice in the area of internal audit, any of the Programme learning outcomes can apply depending on the area that the student has chosen. It will be the responsibility of the student / apprentice and their allocated mentor to identify which Programme learning outcomes relate to the research project.
Our learning and teaching methods are designed to encourage and support independent learning.
Apprentices are provided with a guided pathway through the learning resources, which are provided on the Virtual Learning Environment ‘Moodle’. These resources include (but are not limited to):
- Presentations
- Quizzes, with feedback
- External professional published articles, journals, standards
- Practical exercises to apply knowledge
Wherever possible, real life case studies will be used to illustrate the learning.
Face-to-face delivery is through an intensive week at the very start of the study for a module and where possible with our existing MSc students. This approach will help the different cohorts to meet and network, thereby creating greater opportunities for peer support.
The week will feature workshops of group activities allowing you to explore and apply experiences and understanding you have gained from prior reading provided on Moodle. Formative feedback by the lecture team will be provided through these activities which can be used to help with the assessment.
Where there is an exam, a 2 day intensive course will also be provided and timed to best support you. This will involve review of challenging areas of the syllabus and practice of exam questions both in groups and individually.
All apprentices have access to Moodle throughout their study and this includes a discussion forum where you can interact others and with the tutors on a group basis. Individual and group tutorials are also available by appointment to suit your needs and there are regular weekly virtual drop in sessions.
This blended approach to learning ensures that the ‘off the job’ requirement is met through a variety of learning opportunities which are both fixed and flexible in terms of timing and location.
Apprentice Support
All Apprentices will be students of the University and this then provides additional wrap around services to support your learning. This includes access to ebooks for their course, workshops on business and academic skills, and Student Services which provides pastoral and practical advice and support during the full length of the course.
Apprentices will also be part of the personal tutoring process, which will provide an additional avenue for one-to-one support focused on their wellbeing.
Progress reports and meetings will also take place with both the Apprentice and Employer, to ensure that all parties are able to provide the appropriate and high quality support for successful completion of the course and the apprenticeship.
Student Profiles
Employability
Facilities & Staff




Our Facilities
We are constantly investing in our estate and have spent £340 million on new learning facilities.
The Curzon Building
This course is based at our City Centre Campus – and specifically The Curzon Building, alongside other Social Sciences, Law and Business students.
The £63m building offers students a unique social learning space, including a dedicated student hub incorporating student support services, in the heart of Birmingham’s Eastside development.
The Business floors house an extensive number of IT facilities, breakout areas, and specialised rooms. The Marketing Link Agency is designed to replicate a modern marketing firm, allowing students to get real-life experience of working in the marketing sector. There is also the City Trading Room, which features state of the art stock market tracking equipment, keeping you up to date with all the financial comings and goings of the London Stock Exchange and Wall Street.
The Curzon building is also conveniently close to Birmingham’s business and financial centre, allowing for strong links between your studies and the real world.
The Curzon Building also features:
- An impressive library with access to over 65 million full text items and stunning views of Eastside City Park
- Your Students’ Union which is located in a beautifully restored 19th century pub, The Eagle and Ball
- A modern 300-seat food court with space to study and socialise
- Accessible IT facilities with full Office365 for all students for free
- Shared facilities with the wider campus including the Parkside Building and Millennium Point
Our staff
Ann Brook
Senior Lecturer
Ann began her career in insurance, underwriting and processing claims, for a large national building society. She then moved to working in a global treasury department, verifying and performing transactions all over the globe.
More about Ann