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Our MSc Accounting and Finance has been created for graduates and professionals looking for a different style of degree study. Breaking away from the traditional, this course is an innovative exploration into real-world business, enriched by the inclusion of contemporary debate and trends in accounting and finance. This degree is also ideal for graduates and professionals from other business areas who would like to add accounting and finance knowledge to their skill set or advance their future career prospects by adding this highly respected master’s qualification to their CVs.
To support your employability and career progression in today’s fintech sector, this accounting and finance master’s will greatly develop your accounting and financial management skills by leveraging digital analysis and data handling. On the course, you’ll source, examine, and analyse live data sets from real-world business cases using industry-standard tools and then apply contemporary accounting and finance principles - developing your own solutions to the strategic challenges posed.
The course also explores new technologies such as the industry 4.0 business environment, blockchain, fintech services, and distributed ledgers, helping you refine your skill set and set yourself up for careers in a wide selection of accounting and finance roles. Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to evaluate the impact that accounting and finance have on strategic planning, preparing you to contribute to large strategic projects such as mergers and acquisitions, pricing, capital expenditure, and investment.
If you have previous accountancy qualifications from the ACCA, CIMA, or ICAEW, our master’s in finance and accounting is available with up to six possible module exemptions. This gives you a fast-track route to a Master of Science qualification with considerably reduced tuition fees.
You will study six core modules, which provide you with strategic and contemporary knowledge of accounting and finance practise. Each module has been designed to help you better understand and implement accounting in business strategy and to develop and support your entrepreneurial outlook.
The final Financial Management Project gives you an opportunity to learn more about innovative technology in accounting and finance, such as blockchain, fintech, cloud computing, and distributed ledgers. By studying the latest technologies, you’ll gain skills and knowledge that are essential for a successful career in today’s accounting and finance sector.
"I was already in the working world and running two businesses. Not to mention I also have a young family, so the freedom online learning offered, and the cost effectiveness of the course, was a big draw for me."
Our assessment strategy centres on a strong alignment with real world strategic accounting and finance situations. It embraces a range of assessment models including work related products, presentations, negotiated assessments, and report writing.
Our assessments have also been designed to replicate the real world. Rather than traditional exams, you will complete a variety of reports, presentations, and time-constrained assignments which align closely to how you will work in the industry. These assessment tools are there to prepare you for the real world, in a safe environment where you will receive meaningful feedback to further improve the application of your studies to your career.
Additionally, the MSc Accounting and Finance culminates with the submission of a Financial Management Project, where you will bring together the knowledge, skills, and attributes you have gained across all of your course modules.
This course is currently available to students as a fully online programme, which gives you the convenience of being able to study from anywhere worldwide.
It’s a great way to study if you’re looking for flexibility. It was challenging to balance a full-time job with my degree but once I was in a routine, it was much easier to manage everything. Online learning has actually helped me become very good with time management and given me the ability to prioritise tasks.
Studying your MSc Accounting and Finance with Arden gives you the ultimate in convenience. You can enrol with Arden from anywhere in the world and study your degree from the comfort of home, without the requirement to attend classes in a physical location.
Our online students study their degree through ilearn, Arden’s university campus in the cloud. ilearn provides everything you need to study at University. It offers an integrated virtual learning experience, including your virtual classroom, lecture theatre, and access to our Library Portal. The portal includes an extensive digital library including thousands of journal titles, eBooks, and academic and industry databases which you can use to research your assignments and projects. All of these materials are provided to you free of charge, and contain all the research information you’ll need to complete your degree with us.
ilearn is also integrated with Zoom, making it easier to chat with your course tutor during your scheduled seminar sessions. You can even integrate our study materials into your Kindle, making it possible to study wherever you have you Kindle handy.
Studying online with Arden University doesn’t mean studying alone. As well as receiving regular feedback and guidance from your course tutor, you’ll be studying with likeminded students who you can meet with through our Unitu community, and you’ll have access to community message boards to discuss your course and the topics being raised within it. We’ve even set up community boards embedded into each of the course modules so you can have discussions with your tutor and classmates on the topics you’re currently learning.
At Arden University we consider applications on a case by case basis. If you have significant work experience, have qualifications you have gained elsewhere, or a degree or qualification that isn't a clear pathway to this degree - we are more than happy to discuss your application.
Our aim is to make learning as accessible as possible by ensuring that you can study your degree in a flexible and convenient way. That's why we keep our requirements simple. All you need is a laptop or desktop PC (we recommend one running the latest version of Windows), and a good internet connection. Through ilearn, our online university campus in the cloud, you'll be able to access your course calendar, support services, learning materials, and our online library containing thousands of ebooks, as well as tools for creating assignments, keeping notes, and collaborating with other students on your course.
To be eligible for our MSc Accounting and Finance degree, you should usually have:
For holders of professional qualifications:
We welcome applications from applicants who can demonstrate appropriate work experience. In such cases, at least 5 years of work experience is required for consideration, ideally within a business-related discipline (not limited to accounting and finance). Membership in a professional body is also desirable, but not essential.
For students whose first language is not English, IELTS 6.5 (no less than 6.0 in any element) or TOEFL iBT 80 or a recognised equivalent qualification is required.
The Arden University Postgraduate Merit Scholarship offers UK Online Learning students with a 2.1 undergraduate degree or higher £2,000 off our postgraduate tuition fees. You can also apply for up to £12,167 funding from Student Finance England fund your studies.
If you’re an international student, we have a number of Regional Offers that can help you save money on your tuition fees.
When you help a friend or family member to study with Arden through our Refer a Friend programme, both you and the person you refer will receive a £500 Amazon e-voucher or £500 tuition fee credit.
Hassaan studied accounting and finance at the University of Kent, followed by an MSc and PhD in Finance from Durham University. Prior to joining Arden, Hassaan was associate dean at Global Banking School, looking after the finance and business management degree courses. He was director of programmes at BPP University where he was responsible for degree programmes in finance and applied management as well as professional courses and degree apprenticeships in accountancy.
Our MSc Accounting and Finance will help you apply a strategic focus to problem solving and decision-making. Throughout the course you’ll be encouraged think creatively, supported by the inclusion of contemporary debate around trends in accounting and finance that permeates your course modules. This means you’ll graduate with the confidence to address workplace issues in innovative ways.
The MSc Accounting and Finance gives you a broad understanding of contemporary accounting and finance principles and issues. Importantly, the course examines how to act with integrity within the industry, through having an awareness of current ethics and themes with corporate social responsibility. Whilst studying this course, you will also:
Your MSc Accounting and Finance qualification will give you access to a range of careers within finance and accounting. Here are just a few of the roles graduates may want to explore further:
The course will also give you the skills and knowledge required to become a fully qualified member of a recognised finance and accounting professional body after graduation.
Our MSc Accounting and Finance course is approved by ACCA and CIMA. We’ve mapped out our modules against the largest professional accounting bodies: the ACCA, CIMA, and ICAEW. This ensures that your course content will readily prepare you to pass your accounting qualifications. Also, if you are an already qualified accountant, you can gain direct entry to our MSc Accounting and Finance Top-up course
The course is fully aligned to the Strategic Professional Level syllabus of the ACCA qualification, you can earn 120 credits towards your MSc Accounting and Finance, as well as progressing towards ACCA membership by sitting ACCA Strategic exams alongside your Arden assessments.
The BGA is a membership and quality assurance body. As a member, Arden University have signed up to the BGA Charter, committing their institution to responsible management practices and lifelong learning, positively impacting their students, communities, and the economy. This shows our students that we are demonstrating responsible management ourselves, as well as it being a central theme that runs through our own courses.
As Arden University is a member of the Business Graduates Association (BGA), students will receive complementary BGA student and graduate membership. Through this membership, current students will have access to the BGA Career Development Centre, packed with interactive tools, e-learning content, partner discounts and the latest job opportunities. This is a lifetime access, which means students will continue to have access to these services even after they graduate.
Additionally, CIMA's 'Gateway' route gives our MSc Accounting and Finance graduates the opportunity to sit one paper which combines their Management level papers P2, F2 and E2. If you complete this successfully, you'll also be exempt from all of CIMA's Operational level and Certificate level papers. The Gateway is a fast-track route where you enter CIMA at the Management Case Study bypassing 11 exams.
You’ll have access to Bureau van Dijk throughout your studies. Bureau van Dijk is a leading publisher of business information specialising in private company data combined with software for research and analysis. It’s the world’s most powerful comparable data resource on private companies, with information on more than 400 million companies across the globe and 41 million of these including detailed financial information.
Through this, you’ll be able to gain a holistic overview of different companies and how data can be used for better decision-making and increased efficiency. You can use the database to explore areas such as credit risk, compliance and financial crime, corporate finance, business development and strategy, and much more.
Arden University is a member of the prestigious Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). AACSB International is a global association of leaders in education and business dedicated to supporting and advancing quality business education worldwide.
This membership reflects the fact that Arden University has successfully matched the high standards required by the AACSB, and enables the sharing of ideas and the exchange best practises between global business schools. Membership also gives our faculty members access to in-depth data and research to support the development of our courses and teaching methods, ensuring that we are able to provide you with the best possible university experience.
All Arden students will have free access to LinkedIn Learning through the Library Portal. LinkedIn Learning is a video-based online learning platform offering over 16,500 expert-led courses across a wide range of subjects including business, technology, and creative skills.
With LinkedIn Learning, you can:
