BA (Honours) Accounting and Finance
Four years full-time (including one year work placement) or three years full-time
UCAS code • N4N3
Location • City Campus
Subject area • Accounting, banking and finance
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Read about the extras we embed into the course to enhance your study experience and to give you greater employability and technical skills.
Read profiles of graduates from BA (Honours) Accounting and Finance.
Watch videos of our students talking about their work placements and the benefits they've gained.
At a glance
Gain a sound understanding of finance as you prepare for a career in accountancy. The course design enables you to gain specific professional accountancy body exemptions or to study topics which interest you. A paid one-year placement builds on the professional focus of the course, offering you additional experience and skills in real-world context.
Key points
• Course designed in consultation with leading employers and professional bodies.
• Learn using case studies that apply what you’ve learnt in the real world.
• Gain industry-recognised certifications from SAGE and other bodies.
• Get a head start with exemptions from some CIMA, ACCA and ICAW exams.
What is accounting and finance?
Accounting is the collection and recording of information on all financial transactions of an entity, reporting the results of those transactions, and interpreting those results. Finance is the process by which the financial operations of an entity are managed, including decisions on the ways of obtaining more capital and considering whether to buy additional assets.
Organisations place particular emphasis on managing their finances and financial risks, and as such, financial and accounting professionals need to be able to understand and communicate financial information to help organisations make key decisions. Financial managers play an important role in organisations and this is reflected in the number of senior executives of large multinational organisations with a financial background and qualifications.
This course
Train for a career in the broad field of accountancy and finance, typically as a company accountant, a financial manager or in a practice with an accountancy firm. You will learn about the links between accounting and financial management which are essential in these roles.
You develop an understanding of company finances and the importance of communicating information both internally within an organisation and externally to other users of financial information. As well as developing technical accounting and finance skills, you also enhance the numerical, decision making and communication skills needed to succeed in your career.
In the first year, you learn the main principles of accounting and finance and we familiarise you with the business environment that companies work in through the use of business games. We also provide you with opportunities to develop vital IT and numerical skills as part of the course.
The second year deepens your understanding of the role and scope of accounting and financial management, while allowing you to study other related areas. You also have the opportunity to specialise in areas that reflect your career aims and objectives with modules that give you accountancy body exemptions.
You then get the chance to put what you’ve learnt into practice with a paid work placement in your third year. This is an excellent opportunity to gain an insight into the workings of a business, and employers really value this experience. You may even find it leads to the offer of a permanent job after you graduate.
All students returning from placement will study professional development modules to reflect and build on what they’ve learnt. Those students not going on placement will study financial decision making which aims to recreate some of the skills students would have developed on placement, whilst also covering career planning and reflection.
After graduation you may be exempt from some of the examinations of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).
Key areas of study
This course gives you an in depth knowledge of accounting and finance and covers key areas such as • financial accounting • management accounting • corporate law • corporate finance • taxation • managing financial risks • ethics, social responsibility and corporate governance.
Enhanced study experience
We embed a wide range of extras into your course to enhance your study experience and to give you greater employability and technical skills after graduating. Visit the enhanced study media box to view examples of our many initiatives.
Our experienced staff have close links to accounting and financial professional bodies. This enables us to offer a range of guest talks from companies such as KPMG and Grant Thornton and professional bodies such as CIMA, ACCA and ICAEW.
Related courses
You apply for this course through UCAS.
2013/14 academic year
For 2013 entry, membership of a professional body is included in the course fee.
The course fee may be subject to annual inflationary increase. For further information on fees and funding see www.shu.ac.uk/study/ug/fees-and-funding
2013/14 academic year
Typically £11,880 a year
2014/15 academic year
Typically £11,880 a year
The course fee may be subject to annual inflationary increase. For further information on fees, scholarships and bursaries see www.shu.ac.uk/international/fees
• individual reports and essays • multiple choice and phase tests • group and individual presentations • consultancy projects • group work tasks • examinations.
Find out about work placements and how we can support your placement experience.
Optional year-long work placements are normally gained by competitive interview and are not a guaranteed part of a course.
This course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). Graduate exemptions are available from some of the professional body examinations.
Key Information Set 
Enhanced study experience
These are examples of some of the extras we embed into the course to enhance your study experience and to give you greater employability and technical skills after graduating.
The Sewell Academy
All final students attend the Sewell Recruitment Academy as part of their course giving them an excellent basis on which to gain employment after graduting. This involves attending a number of sessions throughout the academic year to get career advice, CV help, job searching tips and guest talks from prominent local recruiters. Sessions are run from a specialist financial recruitment company. We are the only university with such an arrangement and there has been a number of notable successes, such as students gaining prominent positions in global companies, as a direct result of this programme.
Sage certification
All students on accounting courses attend a two day Sage masterclass to learn key techniques using recognised industry accounting software. Those who attend both days receive a joint Sheffield Hallam and Sage certificate. Given the prominence of the use of Sage in businesses, having a recognised certificate to demonstrate your ability will help you to jump straight into a job and hit the ground running.
Excel training
All students gain additional training on the more advanced tools in preparation for placement and graduate roles. This is achieved through a number of half day masterclasses held in semester two. Excel is widely used throughout the business world and by having advanced skills we try to ensure our graduates are one step ahead of the competition.
Professional body certification
All students are able to gain additional accounting professional body accreditation in the first year. This enables you to demonstrate to both placement and other employers your ability to sit professional examinations. This helps you to differentiate yourself to potential employers.
Student Finance Society
Students are encouraged to take part in the Finance Society which arranges guest speakers, trips and social events. The society also organises a finance careers event where all the major professional bodies attend along with key employers such as KMPG, Aviva, Grant Thornton and the Cooperative Bank. It gives students an opportunity to discuss future career plans and find out about the latest placement and graduate vacancies.
Maths help
Many think accountancy and finance is maths and yet this really isn’t the case. However any role in finance will involve numbers we have a comprehensive range of support in place to help students enhance their numeracy skills. All students have access to further support through one-to-one help and drop in sessions to improve skills and confidence.
Links to business
We have a comprehensive range of links to regional, national and international companies. This ensures that • our courses stay up to date • a range of guest lectures are embedded in modules • a number of companies recruit directly from us for internship’s • we maintain our excellent reputation with business which enhances your job prospects.
Teaching expertise and professional body links
We have two Professors of Accounting Education who have extensive links with professional bodies and who have a strong influence on the content of our modules and courses. We also have staff who have won the University's Teaching Excellence Award. Many staff are involved with the key professional bodies which means that your courses carry substantial professional accreditation and that our reputation is enhanced within the industry.
Nicola Clark
Recent graduate
'Sheffield Hallam were extremely influential in me gaining a position at Ernst & Young Llp. They not only provided me with first class academic foundations, but furthermore gave me the confidence and social skills which are essential in securing a contract with the big four.
Profiles
Nicola Clark
Recent graduate
Lauren Haggar – part 1 (1:29)
Lauren Haggar talks about her experiences on placement at PricewaterhouseCoopers and the benefits she's gained from it.
Download the video transcript (DOC, 78KB).
Andy Ward, PricewaterhouseCoopers Director, and Lauren Haggar (1:53)
Andy Ward, a Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers, talks about the relationship the company has with Sheffield Hallam and why they choose our graduates.
Lauren Haggar also talks about her experiences on placement at PricewaterhouseCoopers and the benefits she's gained from it.
Download the video transcript (DOC, 79KB).
Placement opportunities at Coats Plc (2:32)
Find out about the placement opportunities at Coats Plc.
Elizabeth Bada (3:13)
Elizabeth Bada talks about her experiences on placement at Coats Plc and the benefits she’s gained from it.
