What is the MSc Accounting and Financial Management degree?
The MSc Accounting and Financial Management develops your understanding of accounting, financial management and financial decision-making.
You'll gain a comprehensive grounding in corporate analysis and reporting while building your confidence in financial decision-making. You can also tailor your studies towards your preferred career direction through optional modules.
Why this course
Develop your understanding of how accounting and financial management contribute to effective decision-making within organisations.
You'll take a theoretical and critical approach to accounting and financial management, considering how financial decisions can support business performance while recognising their wider impact on society.
Choose from optional modules to tailor your studies towards careers in industry, commerce or professional services.
Who should apply
Those interested in accounting, financial management and financial decision-making
Analytical thinkers looking to develop their understanding of corporate reporting and financial analysis
Those interested in careers in industry, commerce or professional services
Future financial professionals looking to understand the wider impact of financial decisions
What you'll learn
Financial reporting: Explore theories of financial reporting and their application within organisations
Management accounting: Develop your understanding of management accounting and control
Financial management: Explore theoretical and critical approaches to accounting and financial management
Financial analysis: Develop your ability to analyse and understand financial statements
Financial decision-making: Build your confidence in using financial information to support business decisions
Your learning experience
Critical thinking: Take a critical approach to accounting and financial management
Financial decision-making: Develop your confidence in making and evaluating financial decisions
Corporate analysis: Build your understanding of corporate reporting and financial statement analysis
Flexible study: Choose from optional modules to tailor your studies towards your preferred career direction
Careers and outcomes
An MSc Accounting and Financial Management develops skills for careers in areas including:
Financial analysis
Management
Public administration
Accountancy
Professional services
The course can also support those looking to pursue careers in industry or commerce, as well as graduates interested in developing their own entrepreneurial ventures.
Employers of Accounting and Financial Management graduates
Graduates have progressed to organisations including:
They can help you find work experience, internships, placements and voluntary opportunities, as well as providing access to employer talks on campus.
We also work closely with the Essex Startups team to support students looking to develop their own business ideas.
Professional accreditation
Accredited by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) for the purpose of exemptions from some professional examinations.
Why we're great.
You don't need an accounting or finance Bachelor's degree to study this Masters.
Accredited by ACCA with up to four exemptions from ACCA professional examination papers.
Our virtual trading floor offers a fantastic opportunity to hone your practical skills in financial management.
“I work as a Junior Risk Specialist at the Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan. In my experience, employers look for a Masters degree from a well-respected UK university, like the University of Essex. I’ve found that many organisations give priority to candidates who have studied in another country.”
Orkhan Mehdiyev, MSc Accounting and Financial Management
Course content
Course structure
We offer a flexible course structure with a mixture of core/compulsory modules, and optional modules chosen from lists. Please be aware that we are planning changes to our first year to make it more relevant to your chosen course.
Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field. The following modules are based on the current course structure and may change in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.
We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We'll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website and in line with your contract with us. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, we'll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.
Components and modules explained
Components
Components are the blocks of study that make up your course. A component may have a set module which you must study, or a number of modules from which you can choose.
Each component has a status and carries a certain number of credits towards your qualification.
Status
What this means
Core
You must take the set module for this component and you must pass. No failure can be permitted.
Core with Options
You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component but you must pass. No failure can be permitted.
Compulsory
You must take the set module for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.
Compulsory with Options
You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.
Optional
You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.
The modules that are available for you to choose for each component will depend on several factors, including which modules you have chosen for other components, which modules you have completed in previous years of your course, and which term the module is taught in.
Modules
Modules are the individual units of study for your course. Each module has its own set of learning outcomes and assessment criteria and also carries a certain number of credits.
In most cases you will study one module per component, but in some cases you may need to study more than one module. For example, a 30-credit component may comprise of either one 30-credit module, or two 15-credit modules, depending on the options available.
Modules may be taught at different times of the year and by a different department or school to the one your course is primarily based in. You can find this information from the module code. For example, the module code HR100-4-FY means:
HR
100
4
FY
The department or school the module will be taught by.
In this example, the module would be taught by the Department of History.
This module equips you with a critical understanding of research methods and methodologies in the field of accounting. You develop the skills needed to explore issues in accounting and identify, choose and implement research designs and strategies.
This module introduces you to financial reporting, governance, regulation, and analysis of financial statements. You also gain an understanding of the role of published financial statements in aiding users in their decision-making.
This module introduces you to management accounting and management control principles, investment appraisal and financial control principles, and market and managerial behaviours. You examine a range of issues that relate to financial and managerial decision-making, including incremental costing, budgeting, activity-based costing, capital structure and long term financing, and financial analysis of commercial projects.
Build the academic, research and professional skills needed to succeed at postgraduate level and beyond. This module supports your transition to master’s study by developing independent learning, research and critical thinking skills, alongside ethical and effective use of AI as a learning tool. You’ll also enhance your employability and professional practice, gaining the confidence and capabilities required for graduate-level roles and advanced academic work.
Tailor the content of your course to more closely fit your interests and aspirations
Courses focus on practical applications and links with industry
We run an open seminar series
Assessment
Regular assessment is by coursework, presentations, case studies, group work, tests and examinations
Dissertation
You submit a 15,000 word dissertation.
Entry requirements
UK entry requirements
A 2:2 degree in any discipline.
A professional qualification such as ACCA, CIMA or any other Professional accounting qualification recognised by IFAC (International Federation of Accountants) may compensate for the absence of an academic degree equivalent. To see if your professional qualification is recognised, click here: IFAC website
Applicants with a degree below 2:2 or equivalent will be considered where they have at least a year's professional work experience in Banking, Finance or Accounting.
International & EU entry requirements
We accept a wide range of qualifications from applicants studying in the EU and other countries. Get in touch with any questions you may have about the qualifications we accept. Remember to tell us about the qualifications you have already completed or are currently taking.
Sorry, the entry requirements for the country that you have selected are not available here. Please contact our Graduate Admissions team at pgquery@essex.ac.uk to request the entry requirements for this country.
English language requirements
If English is not your first language, we require IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum component score of 5.5
If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.
Additional Notes
The University uses academic selection criteria to determine an applicant’s ability to successfully complete a course at the University of Essex. Where appropriate, we may ask for specific information relating to previous modules studied or work experience.
We hold Open Days for all our applicants throughout the year. Our Colchester Campus events are a great way to find out more about studying at Essex, and give you the chance to:
tour our campus and accommodation
find out answers to your questions about our courses, student finance, graduate employability, student support and more
meet our students and staff
If the dates of our organised events aren’t suitable for you, feel free to get in touch by emailing tours@essex.ac.uk and we’ll arrange an individual campus tour for you.
We aim to respond to applications within two weeks. If we are able to offer you a place, you will be contacted via email.
For information on our deadline to apply for this course, please see our ‘how to apply' information.
Visit Colchester Campus
Set within 200 acres of award-winning parkland - Wivenhoe Park and located two miles from the historic city centre of Colchester – England's oldest recorded development. Our Colchester Campus is also easily reached from London and Stansted Airport in under one hour.
If you live too far away to come to Essex (or have a busy lifestyle), no problem. Our 360-degree virtual tour allows you to explore our University from the comfort of your home. Check out our Colchester virtual tour to see accommodation options, facilities and social spaces.
At Essex we pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive student community. We offer a wide range of support to individuals and groups of student members who may have specific requirements, interests or responsibilities.
The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its programme specification is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to courses, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include, but are not limited to: strikes, other industrial action, staff illness, severe weather, fire, civil commotion, riot, invasion, terrorist attack or threat of terrorist attack (whether declared or not), natural disaster, restrictions imposed by government or public authorities, epidemic or pandemic disease, failure of public utilities or transport systems or the withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to courses may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications. The University would inform and engage with you if your course was to be discontinued, and would provide you with options, where appropriate, in line with our Compensation and Refund Policy.
The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and
Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.
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