Accounting and Finance with Foundation Year

Accounting and finance together provide the quantitative and analytical foundations of commercial and organisational life. Accounting is concerned with how financial transactions are recorded, reported, and interpreted, and with ensuring that organisations account accurately for their activities to stakeholders, regulators, and the public. Finance examines how capital is raised, deployed, and valued, and how risk and return are understood and managed across different kinds of assets and organisations.

At Birmingham City University, this four-year full-time programme includes a foundation year, making it a supportive and accessible route into higher education. It is particularly suited to students returning to education, changing career direction, or seeking to build confidence before beginning undergraduate study. The foundation year is not simply a preparatory stage but an integral part of your development, building the mathematical, analytical, and study skills needed to thrive at degree level.

From there you will progress through the full range of accounting and finance content, covering financial reporting, management accounting, corporate finance, taxation, auditing, investment, and the professional and ethical frameworks that govern financial practice.

The typical entry tariff is 88 UCAS points, and the programme is studied full time over four years.

Graduates from accounting and finance programmes pursue careers as chartered accountants, management accountants, financial analysts, auditors, corporate financiers, and financial controllers across professional services, industry, and the public sector. Professional exemptions available through accredited programmes accelerate the route to full qualification with bodies such as the ICAEW, ACCA, or CIMA. Further study options include postgraduate degrees in accounting, finance, and business administration.