Accounting and Finance

Entry requirements

We require a UK bachelor degree with first or upper second class honours or the overseas equivalent, with excellent results in accounting and finance subjects.

When assessing your academic record, we take into account your grade average, position in class and the standing of the institution where you studied your qualification.

You need to have studied or be studying a degree in accounting or finance. We can also consider exceptional candidates with degrees in economics or mathematics. You must have taken a significant number of courses in accounting and finance during your degree, and a major or specialisation in accounting and/or finance in your final year, with top level results in final year accounting and finance subjects. You must also demonstrate a solid background in quantitative skills, econometrics or maths.

We can consider applicants studying degrees in business administration or commerce who can demonstrate a very strong background in accounting and finance throughout their degree and a final year major or specialisation in accounting or finance, and strong quantitative skills. Due to competition for places, we give preference to applicants with a bachelor degree in accounting or finance.

A GMAT/GRE is not required to apply for this course but in some cases The Admissions Team may request this after the initial review of your application if your degree does not contain enough relevant quantitative modules.

Months of entry

September

Course content

MSc Accounting and Finance will help you to take your skills and knowledge to the next level. Whether you want to further your professional career, or go on to study for a PhD , this course gives you the qualification you need to succeed. A career in accounting, financial services or related sectors of the economy requires a high level of understanding of both the theory and practice of accounting and finance. This course is designed to give you a broad-based understanding of the core subject areas with an emphasis on empirical research methods and on accounting and finance practice.

Our wide range of modules allows you to specialise and during the course you have the chance to build on your growing knowledge and expertise by completing a dissertation on a research area of your choice. This, coupled with the support you get from our staff, ensures a first class learning experience. 

The MSc Accounting and Finance is recognised by the Economic and Social Research Council as postgraduate preparation for a PhD. It holds the award of partnership status from the CFA Institute, the global association for investment professionals. It also allows you to join the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), the global professional management accounting body.

CFA training

We're pleased to announce that we have teamed up with Kaplan Schweser to facilitate student preparation for the CFA exams. Students attending our finance-related Masters - MSc Accounting , MSc Accounting and Finance, MSc Finance and MSc Quantitative Finance - who perform well in Semester one and show a strong interest in CFA, will get free access to Kaplan's online training materials for CFA Part One.

Kaplan is a global firm offering professional training and helping individuals and organisations obtain financial certifications and designations. They will support our students by giving them access to tuition material, online question banks and progress tests, as well as mock exam runs. They will also offer tutor support and 1-2-1 sessions. Students enrol in the CFA Program to build a strong foundation of advanced investment analysis and real-world portfolio management skills. Preparing for the Level I exam is the first step toward earning the Chartered Financial Analyst ® (CFA) credential, the most respected and recognised investment designation in the world.

CIMA accreditation

The MSc Accounting and Finance is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), the global professional management accounting body based in the UK. On successful completion of the course, you will be able to join CIMA though an accelerated route that allows you to get up to 11 exam exemptions towards CIMA's certificate, operational and management levels. 

Trading BootCamp Week

Each year, Alliance MBS runs a five-day Trading BootCamp for all current students studying MSc Accounting, MSc Accounting and Finance, MSc Finance and MSc Quantitative Finance. These trading simulations provide students with experience of real world trading and the opportunity to engage with contemporary financial markets, enabling them to apply their classroom theory in practice. To deliver the Trading BootCamp, the School has teamed up with Amplify Trading to provide those looking to enter the financial industry with a crucial skill-set. Amplify Trading are a global financial trading and training firm, which offers training to some of the world's largest financial institutions, such as HSBC, Citigroup and Deutsche Bank. They have developed specialist software that enables students to experience a live trading floor and two experienced traders will deliver the week-long training.

Each day there will be four hours of classes in the morning followed by four hours of trading practice in the afternoon. Engaging in live breaking news, economic data and geo-political events, students will be able to apply their understanding, technical expertise and risk management practises in trading different asset classes.

This is a fantastic opportunity for accounting and finance students at Alliance MBS and is another way in which we prepare students for successful careers after graduation.

The Finance Zone  

The Finance Zone in Alliance Manchester Business School gives you access to one of the UK's most comprehensive collections of specialist financial and business databases that are used by top researchers around the world. These include Bloomberg, Datastream, Thomson ONE, Compustat, WRDS, Capital IQ and many more. Read more about the specialist financial and business databases.

Information for international students

For the latest information on demonstrating your English proficiency for those whose first language is not English, please see our language requirements.

English language test validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

Other international entry requirements

We accept a range of qualifications from different countries. For these and general requirements see entry requirements for your country.

Fees and funding

See University website