Accounting and Finance - BSc (Hons)

This course has recently been updated. Please download the course specification for the up to date information.

The BSc (Honours) Accounting and Finance degree at Birmingham City Business School provides a valuable insight into the worlds of accountancy practice, commerce, industry and finance.

We create graduates who possess a global outlook, with the conceptual and applied knowledge in the fields of accounting and finance that will enable them to make a positive impact on society.

Delivery of the course is flexible and includes a blend of lectures, workshops, field trips and online learning. The modules, which feed into the course are broad and cover key current topics, such as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and help you to appreciate accounting and finance from a range of perspectives. Ultimately, decision making in this field, calls for one to exercise judgement and intuition and this course helps you to strengthen that judgement.

This course has been designed to be accredited by the major professional accounting bodies, including the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), offering significant exemptions from their professional qualifications.

What's covered in the course?

This course offers an accounting and finance curriculum that is up to date, vocationally relevant, challenging and reflects the complex and challenging nature of the accounting and business environment.

You will gain expertise in areas including financial and management accounting, corporate finance, international accounting and finance issues, data analysis and business technology. You will have the opportunity to use software relevant to the modern business environment, equipping you with the skills and experience sought by employers.

You will develop scholarly attributes, becoming an independent learner with the ability to critically evaluate data and evidence, draw reasoned conclusions and communicate effectively in a professional manner.

With our practice-based approach to teaching, you will learn from professionally qualified academics with a wealth of industry experience, and research active academics whose research underpins and informs our approach to teaching.

You will be actively supported and encouraged to undertake an additional professional placement year, providing the opportunity to improve your employability skills. Our students have worked for industry leading accountancy practices including PwC and EY, as well as for organisations such as the NHS, IBM and Vodafone.

The international focus of the course is derived through a variety of means including the study of international accounting standards, student body, the teaching team and the use of international teaching materials. Moreover, students can choose to spend a full semester studying their modules overseas at a partner institution.

This course shares a common first year with other accounting courses within the Business School with full transferability between courses at the end of the first year.

Why Choose Us?

• This degree course is aligned to the ACCA, CIMA, ICAEW and CIPFA professional bodies for maximum exemptions. This means that the course is as professionally relevant and up-to-date as possible, taking into account the very latest developments in the profession.
• On all of our courses you will gain a professional focus and real world experience of accounting, ensuring you are equipped to make an immediate impact in the business world. You have the opportunity to embark on a year-long professional placement as part of your degree course. Your placement tutor will also give you guidance throughout.
• Our links with accrediting bodies and big name businesses mean we regularly hold industry talks and guest visits on campus.
• Recognising the global scope of business, all our courses have an international focus. This is embedded throughout the curriculum, giving you the opportunity to transform your experience with us into a global one. There are a variety of exciting possibilities open to you, ranging from our successful international travel scholarships scheme, through which you can spend a summer working for a charitable organisation overseas, to one of our many overseas study exchange programmes.
• Your course will consider the study of accountancy, finance and business from an international perspective, and you will be given the opportunity to travel abroad as part of your course.
• As a student on one of our undergraduate degrees, you will be able to benefit from our Graduate+ initiative. This three-year award course enables you to gain award levels for all the extra-curricular activities you undertake so that you can stand out from the crowd on graduation.
• You will study in our state-of-the-art City Centre Campus, ideally located for you to take advantage of our links to Birmingham’s business district, one of the largest in the UK.
• We keep group sizes small, and focus on teaching instead of lecturing, meaning you’ll get all the time and focus you need from our industry experienced staff.

Find out more

• Our Facilities
• Our Graduates
• Our Placements
• Our Students
• Our Trips

We accept a range of qualifications, the most popular of which are detailed below.

Essential Requirements

Guidance for UK students

UK students applying for most undergraduate degree courses in the UK will need to apply through UCAS.

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is a UK organisation responsible for managing applications to university and college.

Applying through UCAS

International students

There are three ways to apply:

1) Direct to the University

You will need to complete our International Application Form and Equal Opportunities Form, and submit them together with scan copies of your original academic transcripts and certificates.

2) Through a country representative

Our in-country representatives can help you make your application and apply for a visa. They can also offer advice on travel, living in the UK and studying abroad.

3) Through UCAS

If you are applying for an undergraduate degree or a Higher National Diploma (HND), you can apply through the UK’s Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

You can request a printed form from your school or nearest British Council office. You will be charged for applying through UCAS. Birmingham City University’s UCAS code is B25 BCITY.

Course structure

The first year of the course will provide a solid grounding in accounting and its importance in business, as well as ensuring you are fully prepared to make informed decisions as to your study route in future years of the course.

During the second and third years of the course, there will be more flexible learning opportunities, enabling you to specialise in particular subject areas, and to tailor your course to a particular career aim or specific professional body. There will also be opportunities to experience different graduate roles, with a wide variety of placements and internships on offer to compliment your studies.

Trips and visits

You will visit a range of businesses, gaining key industry insight and getting a focus on how businesses operate. In recent years, we have visited JCB, Morgan Motor Company and Cadbury World. 

Enhancing employability skills

Your course will prepare and equip you for a career in accountancy, finance, management or business, by relating your studies to the latest practice-based business developments.

Throughout the course, we have regular visits from professional bodies such as the ICAEW, CIMA and ACCA. These visits help ensure that you are learning the exact skills organisations and regulator bodies are looking for. 

You will also have the opportunity to attain the Microsoft Office Specialist – Excel qualification, enhancing your employability prospects.

OpportUNIty

OpportUNIty: Student Jobs on Campus ensures that our students are given a first opportunity to fill many part-time temporary positions within the University. This allows you to work while you study with us, fitting the job around your course commitments. By taking part in the scheme, you will gain valuable experiences and employability skills, enhancing your prospects in the job market.

It will also allow you to become more involved in University life by delivering, leading and supporting many aspects of the learning experience, from administration to research and mentoring roles.

Welcome to the Birmingham City Business School, home to students from over 70 countries all around the world!

Birmingham City Business School is one of the UK’s largest, most established and most respected business schools. Our programmes are practice based and many have an international focus, which means your course will be entirely relevant to today’s business world. Almost all of our courses, both at undergraduate and postgraduate level, are open to international students.

We also have links with universities across the world, including Europe, the USA, China, India and Malaysia.

Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:

• Explore some of the good reasons why you should study here
• Find out how to improve your language skills before starting your studies
• Find all the information relevant to applicants from your country
• Learn where to find financial support for your studies

The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.

Our Facilities

We are constantly investing in our estate and are currently in the process of spending £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, Business and English 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 new 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
• Brand new, accessible IT facilities with full Office365 for all students for free
• Shared facilities with the wider campus including the recently opened Parkside Building and Millennium Point