Accounting and Finance BSc

This degree thinks beyond the numbers and makes sure your learning is applicable to real-life situations by giving you both theoretical and practical skills and knowledge.

As part of the BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance degree, you will gain invaluable work experience to help your CV stand out to future employers.

Our degree will teach you the accounting and financial strategies that underpin the running, operation and performance of organisations, which you can apply to any business that you work for in your career.

What you’ll learn

You will learn about management accounting, financial accounting, financial analysis of a business, and the specialisms of audit and taxation. Financial management will also introduce you to valuable business disciplines that will develop your commercial and financial decision-making skills, and give you an appreciation of the importance of risk management.

Real-world learning

This theoretical understanding will be applied to real-life situations during your integrated placement year, before you tailor your final year to the areas in which you want to specialise.

Accounting and finance are brought to life through case studies and examples from real businesses, plus creative coursework opportunities where topical business case solutions will be explored.

Professional accreditations

Accreditation is a stamp of quality and prestige for a business school and its programmes. Aston is proud to be among 1% of business schools worldwide with triple accreditation. 

This programme may also lead to accreditation or exemptions from the following professional bodies:

Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)
Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)

Two undergraduate degrees

This course offers an Exchange Partnership Second Degree Pathway, meaning you could study overseas at one of our partner institutions during your placement year and graduate with two undergraduate degrees for the price of one. Find out more about the Exchange Partnership Second Degree Pathway here.

International students

Information for international applicants

International students

Aston University is a diverse, close community and welcomes international students. Students from over 120 different countries chose to study with us every year. Based in the centre of Birmingham, Aston is not only a great place to study, it’s also a great place to live.

Aston’s professional work placements can improve your chance of securing a graduate job. Placements give you experience, confidence and opportunities and, as an Aston student, you’ll be better prepared for your future career. One of the great things about Aston is our focus on employability. Our close links with businesses, industries and professions make this possible.

For more information on applying as an international student, visit our webpage: www.aston.ac.uk/international/students-applying

 

Post-study work visa

Graduate Immigration Route

Aston University welcomed the creation of a new Graduate Immigration Route which enables international students to remain in the UK for two years after you complete your studies to find work. This new post-study work visa applies to international students completing full-time undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Find out more information about the Graduate Immigration Route.

Foundation programme

For International Students intending to do a foundation year, visit ONCAMPUS

Modules

Year 1

In your first year you will study a wide range of business subjects, gaining the broad insight into management required by all accounting professionals.

You will study topics, designed to give you a solid foundation for your business degree. 

The core and compulsory modules are: 

• Careers in Accounting 
• Foundations in Financial and Management Accounting
• Introduction to Organisational Behaviour
• Law for Business 
• Principles of Operations Management 
• Foundations of Business Analytics
• Introduction to Business Economics

Year 2

From the second year you will explore financial and management accounting in depth, participate in events organised in conjunction with accountancy firms, visiting businesses and undertake an interactive business game module.

This structure ensures your degree is taught with both a professional orientation and a proper regard for the conceptual bases of the subject.

The core and compulsory modules are: 

• International Financial Reporting 
• Applied Management Accounting 
• Business Tax 
• Audit Governance and Company Law 
• Financial Management
• Virtual Business Simulation (Accounting in Practice)

Year 3 

Professional placement year in accountancy, finance or management or you have the option to undertake an international study placement. This year is compulsory for all UK students. 

See placement year section or find out more about the Aston placement year.

Final Year

In your final year, accounting studies are taken to a more refined level, similar to professional qualification standard, but retaining theoretical analysis.

The core and compulsory modules are:

• Advanced International Financial Reporting 
• Strategic Management Accounting 
• Integrated Case Study 

Plus a range of optional modules: 

• Tax Policy and Personal Tax 
• Audit and Professional Ethics
• Financial Analysis 
• Risk Management
• International Finance
• Fraud, Bribery and Corruption 
• Derivatives
• Ethics in a Crisis 
• Contemporary Issues in Accounting
• The Modern Business World in Cultural Context 

Availability of any optional modules will be subject to staff availability and a minimum number of students who express an interest in studying the optional modules.

4 year with integrated placement year / 3 year course without integrated placement year option only available for EU/international students.

UCAS Code: N420

Typical offers:

A Levels

ABB – standard offer

BBB (with EPQ or Core Maths minimum grade B)

BBB (contextual offer)*     

*For details on our Aston Ready contextual offer scheme, please see here.

IB

32 points overall in the IB diploma with 6, 5, 5 at HL. Minimum score of 5 in Maths at Standard Level.

BTEC, Access & other

BTEC Extended Diploma D*DD – standard offer.

BTEC Extended Diploma DDD – Contextual offer.

We accept the QAA-recognised Access Diploma which must consist of 45 credits at Level 3. You must obtain a minimum of 30 distinction and the rest must be at merit or distinction. Please note that we do not accept the English and Maths components within the Access qualification and you must meet the GCSE entry requirement.

The University also accepts the BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate/BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma and BTEC Level 3 National Diploma/BTEC Level 3 Diploma for entry onto degree programmes, provided that they are studied in combination with other qualifications that are equivalent to three full A2 Levels.

T Levels

The following T levels are accepted qualifications for this course:

• T-Level - Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction Grade D*
• T-Level - Digital Production, Design and Production Grade D*
• T-Level – Education and Childcare Grade D*
• T-Level – Onsite Construction Grade D*
• T-Level – Building Services Engineering for Construction Grade D*
• T-Level – Digital Business Services Grade D*
• T-Level – Digital Support Services Grade D*
• T-Level – Health Grade D*
• T-Level – Healthcare Science Grade D*
• T-Level – Science Grade D*

GCSEs

5 GCSE grades A*/9 – C/4 to include:

GCSE Maths – grade B/5

GCSE English Language OR English Literature – grade C/4

Please note that General Studies does not contribute towards the UCAS points requirement but is welcomed as an additional qualification.

Our Admissions Policy

View our Admissions Policy

Whilst the grades listed here are our entry requirements, we understand that predicted grades are only an estimate. We will therefore consider applicants with predicted grades that fall below these entry requirements if the application is of a high standard (however, initial offers will not be lower than stated above).

Entry onto our Foundation Year maybe offered as an alternative to the degree course if lower entry grades are achieved.

*For details on our Aston Ready contextual offer scheme, please see here.

The information contained on this website details the typical entry requirements for this course for the most commonly offered qualifications. Applicants with alternative qualifications may wish to enquire with the relevant admissions teams prior to application whether or not their qualifications are deemed acceptable. For less commonly encountered qualifications this will be judged on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the academic admissions tutor.

International students

Applicants whose first language is not English will be required to provide evidence of an English language qualification. Find out more about our English language requirements.

For more information about qualifications view our Aston in your country webpage. 

International students can enter at Year 2 of this course having completed an undergraduate year one programme at the required academic level with approved teaching partners ONCAMPUS Aston or NCUK.

Aston University provides a range of opportunities for international students to join our community and study on our campus. A key part of our strategy is our relationships with teaching partners, providing multiple pathways to Aston. Find out more. 

Our close links to industry and our focus on delivering practical business experiences provides a blend of learning and teaching experience to equip you for your future career.

Learning and teaching

You will experience a range of teaching methods including lectures, tutorials, group working, case studies and undertake both individual and group presentations. You’ll also hear from external employers and professional bodies who provide student talks.

Creative coursework will help you to apply your learning and you will get opportunities to work with real businesses which will develop your expertise and experience.

You will be taught by highly experienced lecturers many of whom are qualified accountants with extensive business and teaching experience with accredited business experience and supplemented by knowledgeable research staff.

Traditional teaching is supported by a virtual learning environment that is used to host a range of electronic supporting materials. For example, all business students undertake the ‘Accounting in Practice’ module which develops essential skills and enables you to work in teams ready for your placement search.

Aston University has subscriptions to both the Financial Times and The Economist, which you can benefit from whilst studying here.

Assessment

You will experience a mix of coursework and examinations.

Personal development

Our business degrees are designed to also give you a range of transferable and practical skills to succeed within your chosen career. We make use of group working and presentations to prepare you for the reality of working life. This experience will develop your team working, interpersonal and negotiating skills.

Placement Year

The Aston placement year forms an integral part of your educational journey and is compulsory for all home students. International/EU students can request permission to opt out of the placement year, but we strongly recommend that it is completed where possible.

Find out more about the Aston placement year.

The integrated placement year gives you the genuine, practical work experience that is invaluable in developing an appreciation of issues such as office politics, which cannot be replicated in the lecture room.

We have a dedicated Employer Team within our Careers and Placements department who have links with local, national and international organisations and advertise vacancies to students through an online platform exclusively for Aston students and graduates.  

Aston University was recognised as the 'Best University Placement Service'.

The Careers and Placements team at Aston University won the 'Best University Placement Service' category at the National Undergraduate Employability (NUE) Awards 2022. This was achieved by launching Virtual Employability Festivals and recognising the power of peer-to-peer communication by pairing 500 students looking for placements with 500 students who had completed placements.

The United Kingdom government has confirmed that European Union (EU), other European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss nationals commencing academic courses in England from August 2021 will no longer be charged the same tuition rates as Home students.

Further information

Tuition fees for students are reviewed annually and may increase in subsequent years in line with inflation linked to the Retail Price Index (RPI) to take account of the University’s increased costs of delivering the Programme. Any such increase shall always be in accordance with the law. When undertaking a placement year a placement year fee applies.

More information on fees and funding

Scholarships

At Aston University we are committed to supporting the most talented and hardworking students to achieve their potential by providing a range of scholarships to help lower tuition and living costs. Find out more about our scholarships here.

This course will provide you with the theoretical knowledge and skills you can apply to real-world situations in an international business context and, is beneficial to a broad range of career paths. You will develop analytical, problem-solving skills enabling you to provide logical solutions to challenging business problems.

During your placement year, you will be able to develop your learning and showcase your skills, helping you to accelerate your employability, through real work experience. The creative coursework will provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate your applied learning through real business-case solutions that you’ll put forward.

You’ll also benefit from our extensive range of professional accreditations and exemptions, which along with your placement year, contribute to demonstrable skills which will help you progress your career path.

Recent graduates

Our recent graduates were successful in finding graduate accounting and financial management roles such as:

• Accountants Associate
• Commercial Analyst
• Auditor, Tax Analyst
• Tax Trainee
• Risk Consultant
• Business Analyst
   

Graduates went on to work at companies such as Grant Thornton, Carphone Warehouse, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), RSM UK, Deloitte LLP, BDO and Grant Thornton.

Find out more about Hasaan Khan's experience studying Accounting and Finance and his current role with Deloitte as an M&A Tax Analyst. 

Why study accounting and finance at Aston?

If you are interested in a career in either an accounting or a more broadly focused management role, or want a career leading a business or not-for-profit organisation, this course will equip you with business-critical skills and knowledge that are transferable in any sector.

If you want to progress into accounting roles, your accreditation exemptions mean that you will graduate with a proportion of the qualification already achieved.  Accounting and finance knowledge and expertise provides you with significant analytical, problem-solving transferable skills that are valuable in all manner of business disciplines. 

Does accreditation matter for accounting and finance?

Yes. You can graduate with recognised technical knowledge that can instantly be applied, whether that’s specifically in an accounting role or more broadly within business. You’ll get theoretical, technical and practical experience within this programme. 

Why is a placement useful for accounting and finance?

Being able to demonstrate that you have industry-ready understanding of a subject alongside significant work experience gives prospective employers the confidence in your capacity to transfer your skills to the workplace. It also brings what you’ve learnt in lectures to life, and gives you a great opportunity to better understand the kind of career you want to develop once you graduate.

Why Aston Business School?

We are part of just 1 per cent of universities globally to be awarded a triple crown and be recognised by AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS. We are rank first in the UK for ‘added value’ in the Guardian University Guide 2020. All of this demonstrates our commitment to your learning experience and the skills you develop and demonstrate as part of your course.

What is the Exchange Partnership Second Degree Pathway at Aston Business School?

You can deepen your learning and stand out from other graduates whilst gaining a fantastic learning experience overseas. The Exchange Partnership Second Degree Pathway is similar to an exchange programme, but during your placement year you’ll follow a particular curriculum, setting you on the track for our partner institutions degree award. This means, if successful, you will graduate with two undergraduate degrees. 
Find out more about the Exchange Partnership Second Degree Pathway

Why should international students choose Aston University?

Aston University is a diverse, close community and welcomes international students. Students from over 120 different countries choose to study with us every year.  Based in the centre of Birmingham, Aston is not only a great place to study, it’s also a great place to live.

Aston’s professional work placements can improve your chance of securing a graduate job. Placements give you experience, confidence and opportunities and as an Aston student, you’ll be better prepared for your future career.

You also have the option to join our foundation programme in business to help you develop specialist knowledge and ensure that you are fully prepared to study your chosen undergraduate course.