Accounting and Finance

Places available in Clearing - How to apply Overview

1st in London, 4th in the UK for Accounting and finance (Guardian University Guide 2017)

National Student Survey 2015: 96% of Accounting and Finance students were satisfied with their course.

The BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance degree prepares graduates to be well-placed to enter careers in accountancy or finance and financial markets.

The BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance degree is delivered in strategic partnership with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). Students who meet the relevant criteria can achieve up to eight exemptions (via the credit for prior learning route) from the ICAEW's Chartered Accountant qualification (ACA).

The course provides a solid grounding in all areas of accounting and finance, including:

• Financial accounting
• Corporate finance
• Assurance
• Taxation
• Financial management
• Law
• Economics
• Statistics

In each year of study, you choose a number of elective modules which allow you to either focus more deeply on finance and accounting, or to broaden your studies into areas including business law and corporate social responsibility.

BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance is available as a three-year degree or four-year degree for those who wish to take up a one-year work placement sandwich option, which offers excellent opportunities to gain relevant work experience to prepare you for your career, and to make contacts in the business and finance world. Students also have the option to take up a study abroad sandwich year at one of our highly respected partner institutions.

Testimonial

Cass gave me opportunities to learn from lecturers with many years of experience in the financial sector. The degree equipped me with great skills and academic knowledge to secure a placement year in Goldman Sachs. The industry experience was very insightful and I enjoyed working in a dynamic environment that pushed me to strive for excellence in everything I did. Upon returning to my final year, I was offered a full-time Analyst role in Goldman Sachs and I am very grateful for the skills and knowledge developed throughout my undergraduate degree at Cass that have contributed to my career path.

Lianne Kong, (BSc Accounting and Finance, 2014)

Course content Year 1

In the first year, you will develop the fundamental knowledge required for a successful career in many areas of business, including accounting, finance and financial markets, economics and law. This year also focuses on consolidating quantitative skills in business and finance applications.

Core modules:

• Introductory Financial Accounting
• Introduction to Finance
• Financial Institutions
• Introduction to Business Law
• Introductory Management Accounting
• Introduction to Statistics
• Microeconomics
• Macroeconomics
• Professional Skills

Elective modules - choose one from:

• International Business Environment
• Introduction to Visual Basic
• Introduction to Management

Year 2

In the second year, you will acquire a deeper understanding of accounting, financial markets, risk management, valuation and capital markets. You develop the ability to prepare financial statements according to international accounting standards, analyse financial information for performance measurement and valuation purposes and apply financial tools to value assets trading in financial markets. You will also gain exposure to more complex topics such as financial econometrics, assurance, taxation, risk analysis and modelling.

Core modules:

• Financial Accounting
• Financial Markets
• Financial Econometrics
• Assurance
• Financial Accounting 2
• Corporate Law
• Management Accounting
• Principles of Taxation

Elective modules - choose two from:

• Company Valuation
• Derivatives Trading and Hedging
• Asset Management
• Financial Analysis
• Personal Finance
• Financial Economics
• Risk Analysis and Modelling
• Portfolio Theory and Investment Valuation

Final year

The final year sees you tackling more advanced topics in both accounting and finance, including audit and assurance, taxation, financial management and corporate finance. As part of the BSc in Accounting and Finance course, you are required to undertake a final year project on a topic relevant to your studies.

Core modules:

• Final year project (both terms)
• Corporate Finance
• Corporate Strategy
• Strategy for Business
• Advanced Financial Accounting: Theory and Practice
• Audit and Assurance
• Taxation

Elective modules - choose two from:

• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Bank Strategy and Management
• Advanced Financial Economics
• Asset-Liability Management
• Fixed Income Portfolio Management
• Technical Analysis
• Business Forecasting
• Statistical Reasoning, Communication and Ethics
• Emerging Markets
• International Financial Management
• Equity Investment Management

Download the full programme specification

Placements and internships

A key part of a Cass degree is the opportunity to gain professional work experience. BSc Accounting & Finance students are eligible to undertake an optional one-year paid work placement during the 3rd year of a 4 year sandwich degree programme.

The experience of working for a leading institution can be invaluable in terms of your future career. It will enable you to acquire skills and competencies sought by graduate employers, and give you an edge over the competition.

BSc Accounting & Finance students enjoy a wide range of opportunities in business areas such as:

• assurance
• investment banking
• asset management
• tax

Students have recently taken up placements within many leading organisations in the finance and accounting sector including:

• JP Morgan
• Goldman Sachs
• PwC
• Deloitte
• EY
• KPMG
• Bank of England

Our reputation, achievements and successful graduates have helped us to develop close relationships with a diverse range of companies, who recognise that Cass students can add significant value to their workforce. Our dedicated Placement team are in regular contact with these and many more companies, and will support students throughout the work experience process.

Although this additional year is not credited and will not count towards your degree classification, it is a recognised part of the degree programme and will be endorsed on your final degree certificate. The placement year with a recognised ICAEW employer would contribute towards the work experience requirements of the ACA training agreement.

Study abroad

International study opportunities

In today's global business environment, international exposure gives you a vital edge in the employment market. A period of study abroad is an excellent opportunity to enhance your education with an international dimension.

Cass Business School gives you the opportunity to spend a year or a term studying at one of our partner institutions. Accounting and Finance students have the option of selecting a Sandwich Year Abroad in Australia, Europe, Asia and the Americas.

Available study abroad programme structure and partner institutions 1. Sandwich Year Abroad

You can spend a year of your degree course studying at one of our partner institutions, between your second and third year of study. This would add a year to your degree so you would complete your degree in four years.

Increasingly, host universities offer courses taught in English, although in some cases you will need appropriate foreign language skills. You can also choose to combine your study overseas with a work placement, which involves spending six months studying and the remaining six months working. You would be expected to organise your own placement, although some of our partner schools may be able to help you.

This additional year of study will not count towards your degree classification. However, your degree title will state that you have studied abroad and the partner university will give you a transcript of the modules you have studied there.

Country
Host institution (Sandwich Year, Accounting and Finance) Argentina

Universidad Agentina de la Empresa

Australia

Queensland University of Technology

Located in the bustling city of Brisbane, QUT was the first Australian university to gain 'triple crown' accreditation (EQUIS, AMBA and AACSB).

RMIT, Melbourne

Giving you the chance to study in Australia's 2nd largest city, RMIT is one of Australia's original educational institutions. Their well-established business school allows students to choose from a wide-range of subjects.

Canada

HEC, Montreal

Like Cass, HEC is triple accredited (EQUIS, AMBA and AACSB) and was the first school in North America to achieve this. There are opportunities to study in French or English.

Queen's University

Queen's School of Business has a rich history dating back to 1841 and is consistently ranked as one of Canada's leading universities. It welcomes over 300 exchange students every year from more than 40 countries.

Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario

Ranked in the top 100 for Financial Times MBA Rankings, Ivey provides a competitive combination of world-class teaching and modern facilities.

France

ESCP Europe, Paris

Like Cass, ESCP is triple accredited (EQUIS, AMBA and AACSB) The Paris campus is located in the centre of the city. The Masters in Management, from which you will take classes, is currently ranked 3rd in the Financial Times rankings.

Grenoble School of Management

Established in 1984 and situated in the thriving City of Grenoble, the School is ranked 27th in the Financial Times European Business School Rankings. There are opportunities to take classes in both French and English.

ESSEC Business School

Established in 1907, ESSEC is one of the leading institutions in Europe for business education. Their BBA was the first programme in France to receive the prestigious AACSB and EQUIS accreditations.

ESC Rennes School of Business

Like Cass, Rennes is triple accredited (EQUIS, AMBA and EPAS). Students will benefit from access to a wide-range of modern facilities and can choose modules from a wide-range of subjects. Classes are available in French and English.

Germany

University of Mannheim

University of Mannheim - The University of Mannheim Business School is highly ranked and has an excellent reputation. You will be studying modules from their Bachelor degrees in Business Administration and Business Education in either German or English.

Technische Universität Münchcn, Munich

TU Munich is ranked in the top 100 world universities (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2013/14).

Italy

LUISS Guido Carli, Rome

LUISS Guido Carli is a private Italian university located in the heart of Rome. You are able to study in either Italian or English and there is an intensive Italian language course available before the start of term.

The Netherlands

Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University

RSM is consistently ranked in the top 10 business schools in Europe and has 'triple crown' accreditation (AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS). You will study all modules in English.

Norway

BI Norwegian School of Management, Oslo

Located in the business district in Oslo, BI is EQUIS accredited. It is a self-owned, not-for-profit foundation whose sole focus is education and research.

Singapore

National University of Singapore

NUS is ranked 2nd in the QS Asian University Rankings 2013 and is one of the top 50 world ranked universities (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2013/14). More than 1,000 exchange students visit NUS each year.

Nanyang Technological University

Nanyang is ranked 76th in the Times Higher Education's World University Rankings. You will have the chance to study at one of Asia's most prestigious universities in the heart of Singapore.

Spain

Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona

The UPF campus is located in the heart of Barcelona. You would be taking classes from the Faculty of Economics and Business Sciences where delivery is in English, Spanish or Catalan.

Korea

Seoul National University

Ranked 44 in the World University Rankings 2013/14, SNU was founded in 1946 as the first national university of Korea. SNU Business School was also the first business school in Korea to be certified by the Associate to Advanced Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Hong Kong

Chinese University of Hong Kong

CUHK is ranked seventh in the QS Asian University Rankings 2013. The 137 hectare campus overlooking Tolo Harbour houses a range of facilities such as world-class libraries, art museums, music halls, a swimming pool, sports fields, tennis courts, squash courts, a water sports centre and gymnasiums.

USA

University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, College of Business

Set amidst the rural Midwest a couple of hours from Chicago, UIUC's College of Business is ranked amongst the top 10 of public institutions of higher education in the US.

Accreditation

The BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance degree is delivered in strategic partnership with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), and has been designed for students to achieve up to 8 exemptions for the Chartered Accountant qualification (ACA). This will give you a significant head start on the road to becoming a fully qualified accountant.

In addition, completing the BSc Accounting and Finance degree will provide with exemptions from selected professional examinations of the following professional bodies.

• Association of Chartered Accountants (ACCA)
• Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
• Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA)
• Chartered Insurance Institute (CII)

Teaching Style

We have more than 100 full-time academic staff, complemented by over 25 visiting lecturers, who combine expertise with successful careers as business leaders, policy makers and/or government advisors. Our academic team works with businesses, alumni and leading thinkers to devise and update our course content so that is relevant and specific to market realities.

Our teaching style is based on encouraging you to think independently, to form your own opinions and critique relevant theory. We underpin your learning with the pertinent theories in your field embed with real life practices so you understand the way modern markets and businesses operate. Our courses offer numerous practical applications (or have a strong vocational element) without compromising their academic rigour. We use case studies, thought provoking scenarios and group work to give you a head start in the real world.

Each module will be a mix of lectures, seminars and group work. Most modules are assessed by a combination of exams and coursework. The first year of your programme contributes 10% to your final degree classification, the second year 30% and the final year 60%.

Entry requirements

Qualification Requirement 'A' level AAA (one subject must be Mathematics, Physics or Chemistry) BTEC NND Distinction Distinction Distinction (must have at least grade A GCSE maths) IB 35 points overall including 6 in all Higher Level subjects (one of which must be Mathematics, Physics or Chemistry) and 5 in all Standard Level subjects. Consideration will be given to 1 bonus point

In addition to the above, GCSE Mathematics (grade A) and English Language (grade C) or equivalent are required.

If you are studying General Studies, Critical Thinking or a native language 'A' level, these subjects will not be included in any offer condition.

International students

We accept a wide range of international and other UK qualifications at Cass.

• Typical offers for international and other qualifications

There are several partners that offer preparatory internation foundation courses for students seeking entry to undergraduate degrees. These include:

INTO City University London

Together with INTO University Partnerships, the University has established a purpose-built study centre in the heart of London's financial district. As a student enrolling at INTO City you will have full access to City University's facilities. Courses at INTO City are designed and validated by the University. For more information please visit /city

Progression to degree courses at the University is guaranteed if you complete the INTO City Foundation at the required level. Please note, there are limitations...