Accounting and Finance

Accounting and finance sits at the heart of how organisations understand and manage money, from the meticulous recording and reporting that ensures accountability to the strategic analysis that guides investment and business decisions. Accounting provides the language in which financial performance is expressed and governed; finance applies economic reasoning and quantitative tools to questions of value, risk and capital allocation. Together they equip you with skills that are in demand in accountancy firms, financial institutions, corporations and public sector organisations around the world.

At the University of Reading you will study this three-year programme full time, developing knowledge and technical skills across both disciplines. You will cover the principles of financial and management accounting, financial reporting, auditing, taxation, corporate finance, investment analysis, and financial markets. The programme includes a sandwich year, which gives you the opportunity to spend a substantial period gaining professional experience before returning to complete your studies, and this placement experience is widely valued by graduate employers.

A year abroad is also available, opening up the possibility of studying in an international environment. Work placements are part of the programme, connecting your academic development directly to professional practice.

Accounting and finance graduates are consistently among the most employable in the UK. The most straightforward path is into professional accountancy, with many graduates pursuing qualifications with bodies such as the ICAEW, ACCA or CIMA alongside their early careers at accountancy firms or in industry finance functions. Others move into investment banking, asset management, corporate treasury, financial analysis, or consultancy.

The analytical and quantitative skills the degree develops are also valued more broadly in business, the civil service and the not-for-profit sector. Postgraduate study in finance, financial economics, or related fields is a further option for those wishing to specialise.