Accounting and Finance

Accounting and finance are the languages through which organisations understand, report, and manage their financial resources. Accounting provides the structured systems for recording transactions, producing financial statements, and ensuring that resources are managed with integrity and transparency. Finance extends that foundation into the analysis of how money flows through markets and institutions, how investment decisions are made, and how organisations fund their activities and manage risk.

Together, the two disciplines form the core of commercial and public-sector financial management, and they underpin virtually every sector of the economy.

At the University of the West of England, Bristol, this three-year, full-time degree balances technical skill development with professional application. You will study financial reporting, management accounting, auditing, corporate finance, investment theory, and the regulatory frameworks within which financial professionals work. The programme is accredited and designed to align with the requirements of the major professional accounting bodies, so the qualifications you study for at undergraduate level count towards later professional examinations.

A professional development stream runs throughout the course, helping you build the professional skills and graduate attributes that employers look for. The degree includes a sandwich placement year, giving you extended experience in a professional financial environment, as well as the option of a year abroad and work placement opportunities.

Graduates from accounting and finance degrees are among the most consistently employed across all disciplines. Direct routes into accountancy practice, corporate finance, audit, tax, and treasury are the most common, with many graduates going on to qualify as chartered accountants or chartered financial analysts. Investment banking, financial planning, management consultancy, and the public sector also recruit strongly from this degree.

For those drawn to further study, postgraduate programmes in finance, accounting, or business administration offer pathways to specialist or senior professional roles.