BSc Accounting and Finance

Our BSc Accounting and Finance degree is designed for students who are interested in pursuing a career in accountancy, finance or business, including those students going on to obtain professional accounting qualifications.

The programme gives you an understanding of the legal, business and social environments in which accountancy operates and enables you to be conversant in the technical languages and practices of the accounting sector in a market economy. These include measurement and disclosure in financial statements, managerial accounting, auditing, taxation, business law, and corporate finance.

Exemption from professional accountancy examinations

As a graduate of this programme you will be able to gain exemptions from professional accountancy examinations by application to the relevant accounting body. The level of these exemptions will depend on the modules taken during the programme and the marks attained.

Programme structure

The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.

You may take option modules as long as any necessary prerequisites have been satisfied, where the timetable allows and if you have not already taken the module in question or an equivalent module.

Learning and teaching

Lectures

Lectures of either one or two hours in length are held once a week for the duration of each module. The aim of lectures is to give you information on ideas that are central to the module and to help you in developing your understanding of complex ideas. Many of the teaching materials for lectures are made available to you electronically to accompany the notes you take during the lecture. Lectures are given by a range of staff members, including leading professors, who integrate their latest research findings into the teaching that you receive. Guest lecturers, including members of industry, also contribute to some modules.

Seminars and tutorials

Seminars and tutorials are held either every week or every other week throughout the duration of each module. They involve an in-depth exploration of the issues covered in lectures as well as giving you the opportunity to discuss various concepts and theories and receive feedback on your written assignments. Some modules do not have tutorials and others in the final year are taught solely by tutorials.

Study hours

Timetabled contact hours, made up of lectures, seminars and tutorials, vary over the duration of programmes and between programmes and are on average between 11 and 14 hours. In addition, you will be expected to complete an average of 20-25 hours of independent or group study per week.

Assessment

Modules are assessed through a mixture of group work, coursework, project work and examinations; the weighting of each of these components will vary according to the academic requirements of the module. Coursework assignments are typically between 2,500 and 6,000 words in length and examinations are normally held at the end of the module, in January and May/June.

You must pass your first year assessments in order to proceed to the second year. There is provision for students to be referred to in examinations in August/September if they fail any exam in any year. Degree classification is awarded on the basis of performance in assessments at the end of the second and final years.

Entry requirements 2020

Typical offer

AAA; IB: 36; BTEC National DDD

Required subjects

GCSE Maths minimum grade B or 5 or GCE AL/AS Maths, Pure Maths or Further Maths or Core Maths; GCSE English Language minimum grade B or 5.

Additional selection criteria

We are looking for well-qualified students with a genuine interest in and enthusiasm for the subject.

In addition to the specific requirements listed above, we look for excellent A level* results/predictions and we may also take into account results up to and including GCSEs* and AS Levels* as part of our holistic assessment of an application.

*Equivalent qualifications will be considered.

International students

International students should check the details of our English language requirements.

If your academic qualifications or English language skills do not meet our entry requirements our INTO University of Exeter centre offers a range of courses to help you reach the required language and academic standards.

Careers

A degree in accountancy from the University of Exeter will help you to develop a wide range of skills such as analytical problem solving, teamwork, research and organising and communicating information. The majority of graduates from the Business School follow their degree with graduate careers in economics, accounting, business, actuarial science, marketing, insurance, banking, finance or management both in the commercial and public sectors. A large number of graduate recruiters in these sectors visit Exeter to recruit our students. Some of our graduates pursue their interest in their studies to a greater depth by following a higher degree, often here at Exeter.

Developing your skills and career prospects

The University of Exeter Business School provides a range of support to help you develop skills attractive to employers.