Develop specialist accounting and finance skills, and learn to apply them in an organisational context.
Year of entry: 2023/24
NN4F
Y50
4 years full-time
Accounting is the language of business. It gives managers, investors and governments the information they need to make financially sound decisions.
In the increasingly complex modern business environment, there is a high demand for skilled professionals who can work flexibly in teams across business boundaries. You’ll need strategic focus and the ability to influence decision making and apply judgement responsibly.
This course places accounting and finance skills in a broader business context. You’ll gain the technical skills and problem solving abilities you might expect from an accounting and finance programme, but you will also have the opportunity to develop strong communication skills, a broad commercial awareness and a critical approach to business problems. An industry placement lets you put theory into practice and will give you valuable experience working in an accounting or finance role.
Accredited by a number of professional bodies, this academically challenging and vocationally relevant degree is an ideal stepping stone into careers in accountancy and management.
This course is available as a three-year degree, without a year in industry: Accounting, Business Finance and Management (BSc).
Accredited by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) and the Association of International Accountants (AIA)
The responsibility you are given as a placement student is amazing. It may seem daunting at first, but everybody is so willing to help. I have had the opportunity to travel quite a bit, having meetings across the country with senior members of the business. It has been a great way of developing my negotiating skills, and learning first hand from the best.Charlie, 3rd Year, BSc Accounting, Business Finance and Management (with a year in industry)
Our business and management, accounting and finance degrees share some common elements in Year 1 to introduce you to the core concepts underpinning these key disciplines. As you progress, you'll develop the knowledge and skills acquired in your first year, giving both depth and breadth to your learning.
In your third year, you'll undertake a 12-month paid placement in industry. You'll develop your understanding of business and management, apply the theories you've learned and enhance your employability.
By the end of your course you'll have a good understanding of accounting and finance practices, and how they relate to business and management.
There are opportunities for you to spend time abroad during your course:
Year 1 introduces you to business and management, and some of the key concepts and techniques used in accounting and finance. Modules will give you a broad overview of topics you can study in more detail in later years. You'll also learn important skills for accountancy and statistical analysis.
In addition to the above you will also need to complete our online Academic Integrity module.
This module covers some of the essential skills and knowledge which will help you to study independently and produce work of a high academic standard which is vital for success at York.
This module will:
In Year 2 you'll develop your understanding further, and explore some new areas of study. You'll learn new research techniques, become familiar with important business processes, and apply your practical skills in planning and problem-solving.
You will also study one option module. In previous years, options have covered topics such as:
A year in industry gives you the opportunity to apply your academic learning to a real-life business. The average salary for placements in 2019/20 was £17,000, ranging from £14,800 to £21,500.
Our dedicated Placements Office advertise hundreds of vacancies each year. You can find placements in all sorts of industries, all over the world. If you have an idea of where you'd like to work, our team can help you find and apply for a suitable position. In recent years placements have included:
Before starting a placement that forms part of your course, you are likely to be asked by the placement provider to sign a confidentiality agreement. This is to ensure that you do not disclose any information that is confidential to the placement provider.
In your final year you can choose option modules to develop new skills, take a closer look at topics you're familiar with, or investigate an interesting subject in detail.
Be aware that the modules you choose may affect which professional accreditations you qualify for.
You will also study two option modules. In previous years, options have covered topics such as:
A dissertation draws on the knowledge and skills you have developed throughout your degree. You'll collect and analyse empirical data to illuminate or solve a complex issue or problem in the field of accounting, business finance and management. You'll write a longer and more complex document, sustaining a well-reasoned argument and drawing sound conclusions.
Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff.
Every course at York has been designed to provide clear and ambitious learning outcomes. These learning outcomes give you an understanding of what you will be able to do at the end of the course. We develop each course by designing modules that grow your abilities towards the learning outcomes and help you to explain what you can offer to employers. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.
| UK (home) | International and EU |
|---|---|
| £9,250 | £21,950 |
The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.
For more information about tuition fees, any reduced fees for study abroad and work placement years, scholarships, tuition fee loans, maintenance loans and living costs see undergraduate fees and funding.
You may find it useful to buy textbooks, and for some modules this may be required. Textbooks usually cost around £30 - £60 each.
We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2023/24 throughout the year.
Our Accounting, Business Finance and Management scholarship provides £3,000 for each year of your studies (payments are paused while on your year in industry). UK students, with their first year of study being 2023/24, and from lower income households ie less than £42,875 per annum, will be eligible to apply.
You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.
You’ll study and learn with academics who are active researchers, experts in their field and have a passion for their subjects. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.
We focus on teaching the skills and expertise that employers want. We use practical problems and case studies from our industrial partners to ensure our modules are relevant to modern industry. Our passionate tutors' research-led teaching puts you at the forefront of current issues in business and management.
We use a wide range of teaching methods to suit different learning styles, including:
Our courses are designed to encourage you to take responsibility for your own learning and development, but with all the support you need available from our academics.
In your first year, you can expect:
| Lectures | 3-7 hours per week |
|---|---|
| Seminars | 4 hours per week |
| Workshops | 0-3 hours per term |
| Practicals | 0-3 hours per term |
These figures are representative of a typical week. Your contact hours will vary throughout the year due to your module choices, non-compulsory classes, exam periods and changes to scheduled activities.
Outside your timetabled hours, you'll study independently. This may include preparation for classes, follow-up work, wider reading, practice completion of assessment tasks, or revision.
In the UK, full-time students are expected to spend 1,200 hours a year learning. That's about 40 hours of classes and independent study each week during term time. Everyone learns at a different rate, so the number of hours you spend on independent study will be different to other students on your course.
You will be based in the School of Business & Society on Campus West. Most of your teaching will take place in the Church Lane Building, with additional contact hours elsewhere on Campus East and Campus West.
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.
You will be assessed using a mixture of essays, projects and examinations. For some modules you'll produce reports, strategy documents or group presentations. This course puts greater emphasis on examinations in order to comply with the requirements of accreditation by the Institute of Chartered Accountants for England and Wales.
In your final year you will have some scope to choose forms of assessment that you prefer through selection of optional modules. You can pick modules which emphasise presentation skills, essay writing or exams. You could choose to work on an extended dissertation based on your own research and analysis of a current issue or problem in management.
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written exams | 50% | 50% | 0% | 83% |
| Coursework | 50% | 48% | 0% | 17% |
| Practical exams | 0% | 2% | 100% | 0% |
The figures above are based on data from 2016/17.
I had a fantastic experience here. You have people around to support you and guide you whenever you find something difficult. They make sure that you understand how the academics can be applied, so you don't just understand the theory... I think that's really important.Narissa, BSc Accounting, Business Finance and Management
Our bespoke employability sessions help you identify and improve your skills. Our dedicated support team will help you to build an employability portfolio and to present yourself at your best for the next step of your career.
Our graduates go on to careers in all aspects of business and management. Many progress to postgraduate degrees at York and other leading universities.
The thing about this degree programme is that it's very broad. In interviews I could talk about tax, I could talk about capital markets, I could talk about accounting... I really feel that gave me a good advantage.Luke, BSc Accounting, Business Finance and Management
| Typical offer | |
|---|---|
| A levels | AAB |
| Access to Higher Education Diploma | 36 credits at Distinction and 9 credits at Merit or higher |
| BTEC National Extended Diploma | DDD |
| Cambridge Pre-U | D3, D3, M2 |
| European Baccalaureate | 80% overall |
| International Baccalaureate | 35 points |
| T levels | We will consider a range of T Level qualifications for entry. Please visit our dedicated T Levels page for a full list of accepted T Levels. |
| Scottish Highers / Advanced Highers | Scottish Highers - AABBB Advanced Highers - not required for entry We may also be able to consider three Advanced Highers or a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers, where an applicant does not meet the grade requirement through Highers alone. Please contact us to discuss your qualifications. |
| International foundation programme | Foundation Certificate from our International Pathway College or an appropriate alternative. |
| Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
We also require GCSE Mathematics at grade 5 (B) or equivalent. We do not accept adult numeracy in lieu of GCSE Maths.
Meeting the following additional criteria may qualify you for an alternative offer.
| Criteria | Adjustment |
|---|---|
| Widening participation | If you successfully complete one of the following programmes, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to three A level grades (or equivalent) below our typical offer: Black Access Programme, Next Step York, Realising Opportunities, YESS, YorWay to York. More about widening participation. |
| Contextual offers | If you have experience of local authority care or live in an area with low progression to university, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to two A level grades (or equivalent) below our typical offer. More about contextual offers. |
| EPQ | If you achieve B or higher at EPQ, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to one A level grade (or equivalent) below our typical offer. |
| Core Maths | If you achieve B or higher in Core Maths, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to one A level grade (or equivalent) below our typical offer. |
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
| Minimum requirement | |
|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic and Indicator) | 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component |
| C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency | 176, with a minimum of 169 in each component |
| Duolingo | 120, minimum 105 in each component |
| GCSE/IGCSE/O level English Language (as a first or second language) | Grade C / Grade 4 |
| LanguageCert SELT | B2 with a minimum score of 33/50 in each component |
| LanguageCert International ESOL | B2 Communicator with a minimum score of 33/50 in each component |
| PTE Academic/PTE Academic Online | 61, with a minimum of 55 in each component |
| TOEFL | 87 overall, with a minimum of 21 in each component |
| Trinity ISE III | Merit in all components |
For more information see our undergraduate English language requirements.
You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.
The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.
After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.
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