Surrey Business School
speciality: Accounting & Finance
What is an Accounting & Finance degree?
An Accounting & Finance degree focuses on the management of monetary resources available to an organization. Such a degree is aimed at students who want to pursue careers in investment analysis, management, banking, auditing, consulting and financial management. It teaches students how to assess the assets and liabilities of an organization financially and manage the financial risk of their activity.
Accounting & Finance covers the core areas of financial accounting, management accounting and finance but also includes other aspects of the business activity, such as financial management and control, corporate finance, company accounts, investment and business law. Optional module options provided by different universities around the world often allow students to specialize in a particular area such as auditing, taxation, etc.
Benefits of an Accounting & Finance degree
The completion of an Accounting & Finance degree comes along with numerous benefits. Students develop strong analytical, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, which are highly demanded by employers in both the private and the public sector and result in graduates often finding employment in large multinational organizations that offer professional services such as PwC, KPMG and Deloitte. On top of that, established companies around the world offer excellent and well-structured graduate schemes, which help Accounting & Finance graduates to kick-start their careers.
Accounting & Finance degrees are mostly practically oriented. They allow students to put the knowledge and skills they acquire on a daily basis to practice through simulated and real-life business accounts management and work placement opportunities.
Most Accounting & Finance degrees are professionally accredited by professional bodies, such as ACCA, AIA, CIMA, ICAEW and CIPFA, which provides students with the opportunity to become chartered accountants. Students gain professional qualifications in accountancy, which eliminates the need for additional certifications after graduation.
Due to the nature of the Accounting & Finance Degree, which complements business-related subjects, students often have the opportunity to complete a joint honours degree.
Accounting & Finance Degree Structure
An Accounting & Finance degree’s duration varies depending on the country and degree level. In some countries, such as the United Kingdom, Bachelor’s degrees in Accounting & Finance can be completed in three years. However, universities also offer students the option to take a sandwich course, which allows them to undertake a year-long placement between their second and third year, which extends the course to four years. Four years is the regular time of completion of this degree in other countries, such as the United States.
The first year of a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting & Finance introduces the core principles of accounting and finance, including financial accounting, management accounting and finance as well as economics and business law. The second year’s focus is usually on managerial and business economics, financial control, corporate finance and company accounts, but optional modules might enable students to pursue their interests in other aspects of Accounting & Finance such as auditing or strategic business analysis. At this point, students studying at Higher Education Institutions in the UK could choose to take an industry placement in order to apply the theoretical concepts and the acquired knowledge to practice in the professional environment. The next stage of this degree is dedicated to further-developing students’ knowledge of financial and management accounting. Optional modules might enable students to specialize in a particular area of their choice such as auditing or taxation in some countries like the UK.
Masters’ degrees in Accounting & Finance usually take between 12 and 18 months to complete depending on the country that students choose for their studies.
Research-based degrees, such as MPhil and PhD, can take anywhere between 1 and 7 years depending on the country and type of degree. MPhil degrees in Accounting & Finance in the UK usually take 12 months if it is studied full-time and 24 months for part-time studies. PhD degrees in the UK, on the other hand, take about 36 months to complete if studying full-time and 72 months for a part-time program. In the US, students may be required to dedicate between 4 and 7 years on their degree.
5 Student Reviews
Filter reviews-
Banking and ...14 Jul, 2022
StudentGood experience full of exciting momentsI’ve learned a lot in Surrey and feel like I’ve grown a lot. Everything is included for international study financing. Not only did I get an international scholarship in Surrey, but I also had the opportunity to play many roles in my studies. I am very grateful to the business school
View moreProgramme: Banking and FinanceDegree: Master'sGraduation: 2017Delivery Type: On CampusCampus: Guildford -
Banking and ...14 Jul, 2022
JohnMasters at Surrey way better than expectedI did my Masters in Business Analytics and Finance and I feel like I’ve learned a lot! Surrey has very good professors and the Masters is also very well designed. I felt that the course is designed so that everyone can do their best. It is important to mention that the employability rate is very high.
View moreProgramme: Banking and FinanceDegree: Master'sGraduation: 2018Delivery Type: On CampusCampus: Guildford -
Banking and ...14 Jul, 2022 StudentI loved getting my master's degree in Surrey
Finance Masters in Surrey is good. I took the opportunity and did an internship as I was an international internship essential to get a job in London. Many of my friends had to return to Germany because they couldn’t find a company to finance their visa.
View moreProgramme: Banking and FinanceDegree: Master'sGraduation: 2018Delivery Type: On CampusCampus: Guildford -
Accounting05 Jul, 2022 RishiVery cool
I liked studying in Surrey. I recommend joining the clubs. Surrey has one of the best rowing teams in the UK. The quality of the team and the support received by the university is incredible. Three of my teammates are now part of the national team.
#ForeverSurrey
View moreProgramme: AccountingDegree: Bachelor'sGraduation: 2020Delivery Type: On CampusCampus: Guildford -
International Corporate ...26 Jun, 2020 LiubouSurrey Experience
Coming from an international background with a degree in Linguistics, I was looking for an opportunity to specialize in Finance as well as get some experience of studying in a truly multicultural environment.
View more
The University of Surrey has given me this unique opportunity. Apart from mastering the required theoretical fundamentals of finance, I gained the practical skills through a series of workshops and training which are so crucial for landing a dream job.
The teaching staff are highly professional and easy to approach. Most of the lecturers have many years of experience in the financial industry, which I found the most motivating.
The student life is amazing, with lots of clubs and societies to suit all tastes. Being in the UK for the first time, I have never felt lonely here and can even say that the University has become my second home.
I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to combine a strong academic degree with a memorable student life.Programme: International Corporate FinanceDegree: Master'sGraduation: 2020Campus: Guildford
