Accounting with Data Science

Year 1

You will be introduced to basic theoretical and practical financial and management accounting. You will develop general business skills, and cover an introduction to programming. 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. You will also study database systems and a further introduction to programming.

Year 3

You can undertake an optional one year (minimum 48 weeks) paid work-based learning placement in a degree relevant position whilst continuing to develop your academic knowledge by studying two modules by distance learning. Alternatively you can choose to study campus delivered modules at RGU.

Year 4

You will study compulsory modules in Financial and Management Accounting, Assurance and Ethics, Business Strategy. In addition you will also study modules in data visualisation, data analytics and optimisation and decision support. The grade that you achieve in each module in year 4 determines your honours classification.

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. Modules delivered by the School of Computing will also incorporate interactive lab work.  

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 with Data Science course?

The duration of the Accounting with Data Science 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 24 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.

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

• 6 written exams, typically for 2 hours
• 4 written assignments, including essays
• 1 group report
• 1 portfolio
• 1 practical skills assessment
• 1 group presentation
• 1 class test
• 1 module has ongoing quizzes

Year 2

• 6 written exams, typically for 2-3 hours
• 1 written assignment, including essay
• 2 practical skills assessments
• 1 group presentation
• 1 class test
• 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

• 3 written exams, typically for 2-3 hours 
• 3 written assignments, including essays
• 1 individual presentation
• 1 practical skills assessment
• 1 group business plan
• 2 group presentations

Year 4

• 4 written exams, typically for 2-3 hours 
• 6 written assignments, including essays
• 1 practical skills assessment

Feedback

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

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.

Job Prospects

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

IS ACCOUNTING WITH DATA SCIENCE A GOOD CAREER CHOICE?

A degree in BA (Hons) Accounting with Data Science will enable graduates to pursue careers in areas such as:

• financial analysis
• auditing
• taxation
• corporate finance

These are traditional career pathways for accounting graduates, but the additional knowledge gained in this degree course of basic programming and data analysis will be highly sought after by employers who also now seek to recruit accounting professionals with the ability to manipulate and use data to solve real world problems.

The accounting profession is transforming with a focus on the use of Artificial Intelligence, predictive analytics and real time reporting. Accountants are viewed as a crucial link between data science and business, and graduates of this course will have valuable data literacy skills that are in great demand by many employers.

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 will typically be in a degree relevant position within a professional accounting firm or the accounting or finance department of a larger organisation. You will undertake two academic modules via online learning whilst on placement.

Previous placements for accounting students 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 are so successful in their placements that they are offered a graduate position by their placement employer.

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

What is needed for a BA (Hons) Accounting with Data Science 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

Alternative Qualifications

We welcome applications from those with equivalent qualifications to those stated, including SVQs/NVQs, access programmes and overseas qualifications. Applications from students with non-standard qualifications or work experience will be considered on an individual basis.

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.