Accounting and Finance with Placement Year
Entry requirements
A level
A strong proficiency in Mathematics is required. If not taken as an A level, a grade 6 (or grade B) in Mathematics at GCSE is required. We welcome the Core Mathematics Qualification and accept a grade 5 minimum (or grade B) in lieu of our GCSE mathematics requirement.
Access to HE Diploma
We require 60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at level 3 (or equivalent). At least 30 level 3 credits at Distinction and in addition at least 15 level 3 credits at a minimum of merit. A strong proficiency in Mathematics is required. If Mathematics is not taken beyond GCSE, a grade 6, (or B) in GCSE Mathematics or equivalent, or Core Mathematics grade B is essential.
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
A strong proficiency in Mathematics is required. If Mathematics is not taken beyond GCSE, a grade 6, (or B) in GCSE Mathematics or equivalent, or Core Mathematics grade B is essential.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Seventeen points (6, 6, 5) in Higher Level subjects. If Mathematics is not taken at higher level, then it is required at standard level 5.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
A strong proficiency in Mathematics is required. If Mathematics is not taken beyond GCSE, a grade 6, (or B) in GCSE Mathematics or equivalent, or Core Mathematics grade B is essential.
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
If Mathematics is not taken beyond GCSE, a grade 6, (or B) in GCSE Mathematics or equivalent, or Core Mathematics grade B is essential.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
A strong proficiency in Mathematics is required. If Mathematics is not taken beyond GCSE, a grade 6, (or B) in GCSE Mathematics or equivalent, or Core Mathematics grade B is essential.
Scottish Advanced Higher
A strong proficiency in Mathematics is required. If Mathematics is not taken beyond GCSE, a grade 6, (or B) in GCSE Mathematics or equivalent, or Core Mathematics grade B is essential.
Scottish Higher
Departments will normally make offers based on Advanced Highers. In the absence of 3 Advanced Highers, where these are not offered by the applicant’s school, offers comprising of Advanced Highers and Highers or a number of Highers may be made on a case by case basis. A strong proficiency in Mathematics is required. If Mathematics is not taken beyond GCSE, a grade 6, (or B) in GCSE Mathematics or equivalent, or Core Mathematics grade B is essential.
At Durham we welcome applications from students of outstanding achievement and potential from all educational backgrounds. We will consider applicants studying T level qualifications for entry to many of our courses. Where a course requires subject specific knowledge and this is not covered within the T level being studied, you may need to supplement your T level studies with a suitable qualification to meet this requirement, for example at A level. Where this is needed this will be clearly stated in our entry requirements. Detailed entry requirements can be found on individual course entries on our courses database: https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/ If Mathematics is not taken beyond GCSE, a grade 6, (or B) in GCSE Mathematics or equivalent, or Core Mathematics grade B is essential.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Course details
From preparing and presenting financial information to interpreting data and business planning, this degree opens the door to opportunities with leading organisations in both business and the financial sector and beyond.
Please note: The information on these pages is indicative of the current course structure and title and is subject to change. For 2024 entry we are reviewing all of our accounting programmes and, amongst other things, as a result of the review the title of this degree may change from BA to BSc (this will not affect the purpose or the aims of the degree, it will more accurately reflect a modern interpretation of an accounting-based degree).
Course structure
Year 1
Core modules:
Financial Accounting covers the basic concepts and techniques involved in financial accounting reports, including the preparation of basic financial statements.
Fundamentals of Management Accounting. In this module you will learn about the role of the management accountant. The module introduces the basic concepts of management accounting and will give you an understanding of the objectives of management accounting within an organisation.
Foundations of Finance introduces the key principles of corporate finance and their importance to firms. From bonds and stocks to capital structure and dividend policy, it provides you with a solid grounding in issues of finance as they relate to the business and financial markets.
Introduction to Financial Economics introduces the basic principles of economics. The study of subjects like market structure, fiscal policy and economic growth will provide a solid foundation for further study.
Quantitative Methods 1 introduces the mathematical concepts you will need throughout your degree. It supports other Year 1 modules and provides a foundation for further study.
Business Law This is an introductory law module for accounting students. Specifically, the module aims to provide accounting students with an overview of the principles of English law, the legal framework within which businesses operate, and the requirements and restrictions imposed by relevant aspects of English law.
Examples of optional modules:
Principles of Taxation
Ethics and Finance
Global Financial Markets
Year 2
Core modules:
Financial Reporting builds on the skills introduced in Year 1. You will learn about preparation of financial statements for a single company and a company group, including the application of relevant International Financial Reporting Standards.
Management Accounting further develops your knowledge of management accounting practice and helps you apply your knowledge to business scenarios and decision making. You will learn to present calculations, critically evaluate the benefits and limitations of management accounting techniques and provide reasoned recommendations.
Assurance explores the audit process from planning and risk assessment, gathering evidence, drawing conclusions, through to reporting. Learning is set within the context of professional ethics.
Corporate Finance provides theoretical knowledge and practical understanding of key theories in finance and corporate policy decisions.
Examples of optional modules:
Taxation
Business Strategy and Technology for Accountants
Financial Management for Accountants
Introduction to Financial Econometrics
Financial Markets and Institutions Banking and Finance Technology.
Year 3
Core modules:
Research Methods
The Dissertation
Examples of optional modules:
Big Data Analytics
Tax Planning for Business
Corporate Reporting
Audit and Assurance
Corporate Governance
Security Investment Analysis
Financial Econometrics 2
Financial Derivatives and Financial Engineering
Behavioural Finance
Real Estate Finance.
Modules
Year 1
Core modules:
Financial Accounting
Fundamentals of Management Accounting
Foundations of Finance
Introduction to Financial Economics
Quantitative Methods 1 i
Business Law
Examples of optional modules:
Principles of Taxation
Ethics and Finance
Global Financial Markets
Year 2
Core modules:
Financial Reporting
Management Accounting
Assurance
Corporate Finance
Examples of optional modules:
Taxation
Business Strategy and Technology for Accountants
Financial Management for Accountants
Introduction to Financial Econometrics
Financial Markets and Institutions Banking and Finance Technology.
Year 3
Core modules:
Research Methods
The Dissertation
Examples of optional modules:
Big Data Analytics
Tax Planning for Business
Corporate Reporting
Audit and Assurance
Corporate Governance
Security Investment Analysis
Financial Econometrics 2
Financial Derivatives and Financial Engineering
Behavioural Finance
Real Estate Finance.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
Durham City
College allocation pending
Durham University Business School
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Accounting
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Accounting
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
You don't have to be an accountant if you take this degree, but over half of graduates take a look at the rewards on offer for accountancy trainees and go into the job. Many others go into other parts of the finance industry as advisors or book-keepers, and some go into management or marketing. London is very popular for accountancy graduates going into their first job, but it's also quite common to work in Scotland, with Glasgow a perennial hotbed of Scottish accountancy recruitment. If you want to find a job in finance as an accountancy graduates, recruitment agencies were particularly important last year, so try to get in touch with one as soon as you can to improve your chances.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Accounting
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£31k
£42k
£45k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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