Accounting and Finance

Accounting and finance is the language of business and public life, providing the tools through which organisations track performance, make investment decisions, manage risk and satisfy their obligations to investors, regulators and the public. Accountants and finance professionals work in virtually every sector, from multinational corporations and investment banks to small businesses, government departments and charities, and the demand for qualified practitioners remains consistently strong. At Birmingham Newman University this four-year programme includes a foundation year designed to give you a thorough grounding before the main degree begins.

The foundation year provides an accessible entry point into degree-level study, building the quantitative skills, academic confidence and subject knowledge that will support your learning across the full programme. You will then move into the three-year degree, covering financial reporting and analysis, management accounting, corporate finance, auditing, taxation and the legal and regulatory environment in which accountants operate. You will also develop the professional skills in communication, teamwork and ethical judgement that professional accounting bodies expect of their members.

The programme is designed to align with the requirements of major professional qualifications, providing exemptions or mapped coverage that reduces the time needed to qualify after graduation.

Graduates pursue careers in public practice as trainees with accounting firms working towards qualifications such as ACA or ACCA, or move into finance roles within industry and commerce as management accountants, financial analysts and finance managers. The public sector, including local government, the NHS and central government departments, recruits graduates for finance and audit roles. Banking, insurance and investment management are further destinations for those with an interest in financial markets and corporate finance.

Many graduates complete professional qualifications alongside their early career roles, building towards chartered status over the years following graduation.