Accounting and Finance

Year 1

You will be introduced to basic theoretical and practical financial and management accounting. You will develop general management skills, enabling you to apply your knowledge in a general management context. You will also develop transferable skills: writing reports, presenting to peers and working in a small team.

Year 2

You will study specialist modules in business finance and financial and management accounting whilst continuing to develop your business acumen through business focused modules.

Year 3

You can undertake an optional one year (minimum 48 weeks) paid work-based learning placement in an accounting or finance position whilst continuing to develop your academic knowledge by studying two modules by distance learning. Alternatively you can choose to spend a year studying abroad at one of our partner institutions or study campus delivered modules at RGU.

Year 4

You will study compulsory modules in Financial and Management Accounting, Taxation, Corporate Finance, Corporate Ethics and Business Strategy. The grade that you achieve in each module this year determines your honours classification.

Student stories

Hear from our students and graduates about their experiences studying this course:

Learning Methods

Each term has a block of 12 weeks of teaching and you will study 3 or 4 modules per term. Each module has approximately 3 hours of class teaching per week. While there are variations between modules, most consist of a lecture delivered to the entire class supported by tutorials delivered to smaller groups. Your course resources will be available on CampusMoodle, our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and will enhance your learning experience and keep you up-to-date with coursework and assignments.

How long is a BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance course?

The duration of the Accounting and Finance degree is 4 years.

Activity Summary

Year 4

• Lectures - 90 students per group, 8 hours per week
• Tutorial - 30 students per group, 7 hours per week

Independent Study

In addition to lectures and tutorials you will spend approximately 26 hours per week outside of class working on your own.  For example undertaking prescribed reading, preparing answers to tutorial assignments or researching and writing course assignments.

Feedback

We aim to provide you with feedback within 20 working days of hand-in for all written exams, coursework and practical exams.

Staff delivering on this course

All of the staff who lecture on the accounting modules are professionally qualified and have substantial experience working within industry or professional practice. In our Honours year, all staff teaching accounting modules are Chartered Accountants, many of whom qualified with a Big Four firm: Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Assessment

Typically students are assessed each year:

Year 1

• 7 written exams, typically for 2 hours
• 2 written assignment, including essays
• 1 group report
• 1 group presentation
• 1 practical skills assessment
• 1 class test
• 1 module has ongoing quizzes

Year 2

• 7 written exams, typically for 2-3 hours
• 1 written assignment, including essay
• 1 group presentation
• 1 practical skills assessment
• 2 class tests
• 1 module has ongoing quizzes

Year 3

Placement Route

• 1 written exam for 2 hours
• 1 written assignment, including essays
• 1 individual presentation

Continuing Students

• 4 written exams, typically for 2-3 hours 
• 2 written assignments, including essays
• 1 individual presentation
• 1 group presentation
• 1 group critique
• 1 class test

Direct entrant route

• 5 written exams, typically for 2- 3 hours 
• 3 written assignments, including essays
• 1 individual presentation
• 1 group presentation
• 2 class tests
• 1 module has ongoing quizzes

Year 4

• 7 written exams, typically for 2 - 3 hours 
• 2 written assignments, including essays
• 1 report 

Academic Support

The Inclusion Centre advises and supports students who disclose a sensory or mobility impairment, chronic medical condition, mental health issue, dyslexia and other specific learning differences. Applicants are encouraged to arrange a pre-entry visit to discuss any concerns and to view the facilities.

Online Learning & Support

All undergraduate and postgraduate students, whether you are learning on campus or by online learning, benefit from using our collaborative virtual learning environment, CampusMoodle. You will be provided with 24/7 online access to your learning material and resources, along with the ability to interact with your class members and tutors for discussion and support.

Study Skills Support

The Study Support Team provides training and support to all students in:

• Academic writing
• Study skills (note taking, exam techniques, time management, presentation)
• Maths and statistics
• English language
• Information technology support

Library Support

The Library offers support for your course, including the books, eBooks, and journals you will need. We also offer online reading lists for many modules, workshops and drop-ins on searching skills and referencing, and much more.

Placements

Unique among Accounting and Finance courses in Scotland, in Year 3 you will have the opportunity to undertake a year long, paid work placement. Placements are typically in an Accounting or Finance position within a professional accounting firm or the accounting or finance department of a larger organisation within specialist function areas such as Audit or Tax. You will undertake two academic modules by distance learning whilst on placement.

Previous placements have included Big 4 Chartered Accountant firms, medium and small Chartered Accountants firms as well as multinational companies and financial institutions. Some of our students do so well in their placements that they are offered a job by their placement employer to return to the organisation after graduation.

The Placement Office team advertise opportunities and also work closely with employers through the selection process.

Study Abroad

As an alternative to placement, in Year 3 you can study abroad at one of our partner institutions in Europe.

 Job Prospects

A career in accounting and finance is both challenging and rewarding with career opportunities available locally, nationally and internationally.

Is Accounting and Finance a good career choice?

Previous BA Accounting and Finance graduates of Robert Gordon University have gone on to pursue the following careers:

• Chartered Accountancy
• Financial Analysis
• Auditing
• Taxation
• Corporate Finance

Our graduates are highly sought after by employers, including the Big Four accountancy firms, multinational companies in a wide range of industries, investment fund managers and banks. Employers find that our accounting and finance graduates add significant and immediate value to their organisations due to the dynamic combination of accounting, finance and management subjects which are taught on the degree.

What is needed for a BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance degree?

Standard Entry Requirements

Entry to Year 1

• SQA Higher: BBBB
• GCE A Level: BCC
• Irish Leaving Certificate: H2H2H3H3
• IB Diploma: 28

Minimum Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirements for widening access applicants are:

Entry to Year 1

• SQA Higher: BBC/BCCC

Applicants from Partner Colleges

An Accounting HND from one of our partner colleges will be considered for entry into Year 3. Students entering Year 3 of the course will follow the class based taught route as an alternative to a placement in Year 3.

Applicants from Foundation Pathway Providers

Entry to year 1 or year 2 may be possible for students who have completed a Foundation Certificate or Foundation Undergraduate Pathway programme, from an approved UK provider, at 60% or above. For courses which require a specific subjects match, such as English or Maths, these would need to provided in addition to the Pathway Programme Certificate or result.

Advanced Entry

All other applicants who are interested in applying for advanced entry will be considered on an individual basis.

International Students

International students who do not meet our direct entry requirements for this course can gain additional entry points through our International College at Robert Gordon University. 

English Language Requirements

Applicants whose first language is not English should have an IELTS of 6.0 overall, with no component lower than 5.5, or an equivalent.

We accept a variety of in-country and secure English language tests, find out more:

Please note, some courses may require a higher standard of English than stated in this page. Contact admissions@rgu.ac.uk for further information.