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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.

This course is not open to International students.

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

Register your interest

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

Please select your student status to view fees and apply
  • UK Student
  • International Student

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

International students

Sorry, this course is not available to International students.

Access to computer equipment

You will require use of a laptop, and most students do prefer to have their own. However, you can borrow a laptop from the university or use one of our shared computer rooms.

Printing

You will receive £5 print credit in each year of your course, available after enrolment.

Field trips

All essential field trips and associated travel costs will be included in your course fees.

Access to Microsoft Office 365

Every student at the University can download a free copy of Microsoft Office 365 to use whilst at university and for 18 months after graduation.

Key software

You will be able to download SPSS and Nvivo to your home computer to support with your studies and research.

Key subscriptions

Subscriptions to key journals and websites and available through our library.

Free Adobe Creative Cloud licence

Students studying on a course with a requirement to use Adobe software can request a free licence to install the entire suite of applications on up to two personal devices.

Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors (CIA) Text Books

CIA text books are purchased by the University on your behalf, since they are covered by the apprenticeship levy.

Excess printing (optional)

Once you have spent your £5 credit, additional printing on campus costs from 5p per sheet.

Memberships (mandatory)

Membership of the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors is mandatory and is not covered by the apprenticeship levy. Apprentices should discuss this cost with their employer.

Accommodation and living costs

The cost of accommodation and other living costs are not included within your course fees. More information on the cost of accommodation can be found in our accommodation pages.

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

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

Daniel Frazer

Daniel Frazer
Course - MSc Internal Audit Professional Apprenticeship
Start date - September 2020, Part-time, Mature student

An apprenticeship provides the flexibility to get paid alongside gaining a qualification. For Daniel, this was a great opportunity to both learn the theoretical knowledge and apply it in the work place to become a well-rounded professional.

As a mature student, the ability to work part-time alongside working towards a qualification was a huge inducement for me. The Internal Audit Professional apprenticeship at Birmingham City University proposed the most robust and clearly laid out path that can be taken, in tandem with my employer, to fully develop my knowledge and abilities within an internal audit function.

The apprenticeship provides the building blocks and theoretical knowledge needed to become an internal audit professional within the world of business. This scale of learning is invaluable compared to general workplace training, whereby you are taught how to perform your role within that company specially rather than an internal audit professional.

The campus grounds and buildings are impressive, but most importantly the knowledge and approachability of the staff is second to none. They provide a relaxed atmosphere and adopt a collaborative approach between staff and students. This helps to develop an atmosphere where questions can be asked freely which is essential when starting a subject from scratch.

From personal experience, I have found that studying an apprenticeship not only enables you to cross-reference the theoretical learning with real world practical implications, but provides the opportunities for networking and seeing how the role is performed within other organisations.

Returning to studies can seem daunting, especially after years working full-time, however, provided that you are serious about the time commitments required it can be a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I would recommend Birmingham City University to anyone wishing to undertake a similar apprenticeship.

Sarah Vause

Sarah Vause
Course - MSc Internal Audit Management and Consultancy
Start date - September 2020, Part-time, Mature

Sarah’s career in Internal Audit Management began over 13 years ago after she graduated university with a Business and Management degree. She’s a huge believer in continuous learning being the key to a successful career. So Sarah decided to embark on her apprenticeship journey at Birmingham City University.

The Internal Audit Management and Consultancy apprenticeship has combined learning academic theory with working in a professional environment. This provides the opportunity to put what you’re learning into immediate practice within the workplace.

I chose to study part-time at BCU because it is the only university in the UK that offers a level 7 apprenticeship that has opportunities to achieve additional qualifications, such as a Master’s degree, a qualification in Internal Audit Leadership and Chartered Internal Auditor status, and is recognised as a Centre of Excellence by the Institute of Internal Audit.

The support from staff is excellent. They provide regular feedback on performance in the lead up to module assessments, helping you to identify the key areas you need to work on to ensure you get the most out of your time at BCU. For both part-time and full-time apprentices, there’s so much support available, from personal development through to financial and mental health and wellbeing.

The collaboration between both the University and my employer, M Group Services, work seamlessly to support my development throughout the apprenticeship. We meet quarterly to discuss my progress and next steps together to help me get the most out of my apprenticeship.

As a mature student with two children needing to balance work, study and the day to day running of a home seemed like a daunting prospect. Upon starting the apprenticeship, I’ve realised with the right support, there is nothing to worry about. If life gets in the way or your circumstances change, there will always be someone you can speak to for help and guidance.

Employability

Facilities & Staff

Curzon facilities eatery
Curzon facilities staircase
Curzon facilities student hub

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