Internal Audit Management and Consultancy - MSc
Currently viewing course to start in 2025/26 Entry.
The MSc Internal Audit Management & Consultancy is a unique offering in the UK and has been developed over many decades to ensure that it reflects the needs of the profession, employers and above all the students....
- Level Postgraduate Taught
- Study mode Part Time/Distance Learning
- Location City Centre
- Award MSc
- Start date September 2025
- Fees View course fees
- School Birmingham City Business School
- Faculty Faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences
This course is:
Open to International Students
Overview
The MSc Internal Audit Management & Consultancy is a unique offering in the UK and has been developed over many decades to ensure that it reflects the needs of the profession, employers and above all the students.
The majority of the course team have worked in the internal audit professional as well as other connected professions and therefore have a keen insight into the demands of the profession and the knowledge, skills and behaviours expected. This coupled with decades of delivering a Masters level qualification in Internal Audit, we are confident that this course will meet those needs.
The course’s over-riding philosophy is:
To equip those working within or intending to join the internal audit profession with the conceptual understanding, knowledge and skills to contribute positively to the organisations that they work for.
What's covered in this course?
The Course is divided into 8 modules and is aligned to the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and Chartered Internal Auditor (CMIIA) qualifications. The course has been carefully mapped against the IAP Apprenticeship Standards and End Point Assessment (EPA), to the syllabi of the CIA and CMIIA and the IIA Inc’s suggested syllabus from the Internal Audit Educators Partnership programme, which has awarded this course its highest accreditation as a ‘Centre of Excellence’.
The first 5 modules of the course are designed to support the CIA syllabus in particular and thereby enable students who wish, to sit the CIA professional exams. For clarity the University does not hold any dual award or exemptions with the IIA Inc. for the CIA exams and therefore students must sit these in order to gain the CIA qualification.
The last 3 modules are then connected to CMIIA qualification. Our agreement with the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors – UK & Ireland, means that students can achieve the CMIIA if they meet the following criteria:
- Are a member of the Chartered IIA during and at the completion of their study with the University and the Chartered IIA.
- They hold the CIA
- They have successfully completed the MSc
- They successfully complete the final CMIIA assessment with the Chartered IIA
- They successfully complete the Chartered Membership interview with the Chartered IIA.
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).
- We now boast a Route to Chartered Status from the IIA UK
- 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.
- The delivery is flexible so you can choose full-time or part-time with block release and distance learning as options. This means you can fit your studies alongside work and personal commitments.
- Following graduation, you will have the opportunity to apply for STEAMhouse Business Incubator membership.
Find out more
OPEN DAY
Join us for an on-campus Open Day where you'll be able to learn about this course in detail, chat to students, explore our campus and tour accommodation.
Next Event: 24 November 2024
Entry Requirements
Essential requirements
Essential Requirements
Typical Offers (UK Students) | ||
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A degree from a UK University or international equivalent |
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OR Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) global base qualification / Relevant professional qualification from the PIIA. |
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OR Relevant professional experience of at least 1 year |
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In recognition that many students may already have a relevant professional qualification, Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) for individual modules and / or stages may be given on a case by case basis. |
Additional information for EU/International students
Essential | ||
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Applications from international applicants with equivalent qualifications are welcome. Please see your country page for further details on the equivalent qualifications we accept. In additional to the academic entry requirements listed above, international and EU students will also require the qualifications detailed in this table. |
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English language requirements | ||
IELTS |
6.0 overall with 5.5 minimum in all bands If you do not meet the required IELTS score, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English courses. Please note that you must have a Secure English Language Test (SELT) to study on the pre-sessional English course. More information. |
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Other accepted qualifications | Visit our English language page |
If you have a qualification that is not listed, please contact us.
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: Sep 2025
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Part Time
- 3 Years
- Show fees
- £1383 per 20 credits
- Year 1 - 60 Credits
- Year 2 - 60 Credits
- Year 3 - 60 Credits
Fees for Part-time students
This course can be studied on a Part-time study basis. The cost per year of study is based on credit requirements for that year.
- Distance Learning
- 3 Years
- Show fees
- £1383 per 20 credits
- Year 1 - 60 Credits
- Year 2 - 60 Credits
- Year 3 - 60 Credits
Fees for Distance Learning students
This course can be studied on a Distance Learning study basis. The cost per year of study is based on credit requirements for that year.
International 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: Sep 2025
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Distance Learning
- 3 Years
- Show fees
- £1383 per 20 credits
- Year 1 - 60 Credits
- Year 2 - 60 Credits
- Year 3 - 60 Credits
Fees for Distance Learning students
This course can be studied on a Distance Learning study basis. The cost per year of study is based on credit requirements for that year.
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.
If you are applying for a stand alone module, please include the title of the module you want to study in your Personal Statement.
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
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 180 credits):
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 provides the foundation from which the rest of the modules then build.
This module provides an introduction to organisations, in particular their structures, leadership, strategic planning, governance, risk and control. It then moves onto internal audit strategic planning explaining how this is developed using risk based techniques within the organisational context.
This module is designed to guide the student through the 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 financial processes within an organisation that they may be required to audit, helping them to understand best practice, risks and controls.
The module will expose students to information technology (IT) and information security (IS) practices found in an organisation that they may be required to audit, helping them to understand best practice, risks and controls for the related processes. It also looks at the IT tools and techniques available to internal auditors in performing an audit, such as data analytics
This module provides you with the competencies and skills required of strategic decision-makers and leaders. The module introduces the challenges of contemporary management and how to engage with frameworks, theories, and tools. Although the focus of this module is on formulating strategy, this is approached from the view of the Chief Audit Executive.
This module provides you with the competencies and skills required of internal audit leaders to formulate strategic and operational plans for effective internal audit teams. The module introduces the challenges confronting CAE/HIAs to allow them to lead from the front and manage the teams with knowledge and expertise.
Part of the purpose of this module is to ensure that when you complete the course that you fully understand the requirements of the International Professional Practices Framework (IPPF) and how to overcome challenges in internal audit. Therefore, part of this module is to review and reflect on an audit engagement in relation to the IPPF.
Our course is available to study in a range of options, ensuring you don’t have to miss out.
Part-Time
You can choose to study three years part-time, with qualifications achieved at the end of each year.
- Year One – Postgraduate Certificate
- Year Two – Postgraduate Diploma
- Year Three – Master’s (MSc)
Distance Learning
This course is also offered as a distance learning option, enabling you to study at a time that suits you. You don’t have to attend any face-to-face sessions, and delivery of course materials is done through our e-learning platform, Moodle. Each module with an exam has a revision day which, although not mandatory, you should highly consider attending. If you can’t make it, supporting materials are made available via Moodle.
If you’re an international student, you can sit your examinations at your British council offices for a fee payable locally of around £100 per examination.
Student stories
Mariusz Makarski
Joining BCU back in 2014 whilst still working full time, Mariusz had the help of his tutors to successfully balance his work and his studies. He is now a Senior Internal Auditor for the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Simon Grima
Studying part-time for his Masters, and with a career that embraces lecturing and consultancy, Simon appreciated both the academic and professional relevance of his course.
Employability
Enhancing employability prospects
There are planned field trips each term to local organisations. These trips will be accompanied by a seminar from a visiting professor on a related topic.
We also have a guest speaker programme, bringing the working world into the University.
All assignments are grounded in the real working organisations, allowing students to apply their knowledge into a real working environment.
Skills assessment takes place at the start of each term and students are encouraged to create a development plan to enhance their skills and work experience over the duration of the course. Lecturers will support students in finding opportunities to support this wherever possible.
International
Welcome to Birmingham City University, home to students from over 70 countries all around the world!
Our Business 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.
International ServicesOur international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:
- Details of the entry requirements for our courses
- Some of the good reasons why you should study here
- How to improve your language skills before starting your studies
- Information relevant to applicants from your country
- 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.
Facilities & Staff
Our Facilities
We are constantly investing in our estate and have spent £400 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
Michelle Dyke
Senior Lecturer in Audit & Assurance
Michelle has over 25 years’ experience in accounting, beginning her career in 1993 with Tarmac in Wolverhampton, before moving into practice firstly with Clement Keys Chartered Accountants and then BDO Stoy Hayward in the audit department.
More about MichelleJulianne McGarry
Senior Lecturer
Julianne McGarry is an Internal Controls, Risk and Internal Audit professional with over 30 years’ experience across the Public and Global Private sectors encompassing FMG, OEM, Financial Services and Logistics.
More about Julianne