Accounting and Finance

Offering a challenging and intellectually stimulating learning experience, our MSc Accounting and Finance prepares you for ACCA professional level examinations alongside a highly respected masters qualification.

• Develop your financial techniques and knowledge to an impressive level through an exciting combination of technical and strategic learning
• Improve your employability with key skills in critical thinking, communication, team work, leadership and management
• Learn in an accredited ACCA and CIMA study centre, drawing on the expertise of professionally qualified staff who have both industry and academic experience
• Take the opportunity to go on a short to medium-term finance internship, so that you benefit from relevant work experience while studying for your masters
• Add substance to your CV; by completing this course, you can apply for exemptions from professional accounting bodies such as ACCA, CIMA, ICAEW, CPA Australia, AIA.

This MSc Accounting and Finance prepares you to be operationally and strategically effective in senior finance roles in any sectors, anywhere in the world.

Enhance your career prospects

We deliver thorough and inspirational training. You’ll extend your practical skills in the core areas of finance and accounting, gain a strong theoretical framework of knowledge and develop important research and analytical abilities.

The MSc offers a dual approach to learning which will help you create a CV of real interest and substance. If you have passed ACCA F1 – F9, or have exemptions for these papers then you can start working towards your ACCA professional level papers in parallel to studying for your masters qualification, with comprehensive support and guidance from your personal tutor throughout. 

When you’ve completed the course, you’ll be fully equipped to advance your career within an increasingly complex and global business environment.

Making it real

We link the academic content of the course to real life business scenarios throughout. Via challenging consultancy projects, you’ll work with employers and leading professionals who will share their experiences with you and bring you up to date with latest developments in finance and accounting.  

They deliver guest lectures, offer professional mentoring, give their input to assessments, and provide live case studies to bring a new dimension to your learning.

Many employers also offer our students short-term or medium-term finance-related internships, either on a paid or voluntary basis. The list of opportunities is broad. You could, for instance, make a difference to a local community organisation: our students have enjoyed internships with Derby Museum and the Citizens Advice and Law Centre in Derby.

Be inspired by our expertise

You’ll be taught by a dedicated team of professionally qualified (CIMA, ACCA, CIPFA and ICAEW) accountants who have many years of teaching, learning and assessment experience in higher education and professional accountancy programmes.

Among them are staff who have also taught on ACCA and CIMA courses so are ideally placed to help you prepare for your external professional papers. They also include active researchers whose work underpins and enriches the course.

Build your networks

The College of Business, Law and Social Sciences is proud of its role at the heart of the regional business community. We provide you with an academic experience that connects you to this business world, improving your networking skills and building your professional contacts.

Our MSc Accounting and Finance students have taken part in our Geldards Debate Series and our Network of Entrepreneurs events, and have attended talks by inspirational senior figures such as Sam Rush, former CEO of Derby County Football Club. All these opportunities give you a broader picture of business in action.

A dynamic learning experience

Class sizes are small so you’ll enjoy plenty of guidance in a friendly and stimulating atmosphere. Because the MSc attracts students from across the world, you’ll also be able to deepen your knowledge of accounting and finance in other countries and the cultural implications of business practice.

In our Financial Markets Lab you can gain hands-on experience of trade floor activities and financial market analysis. It gives you the chance to work with data direct from the stock exchange to simulate what it’s like to work in such a fast-paced arena.

We encourage you to take part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities and these can lead to an additional award to show employers the breadth of your experience. Our special Derby Futures Award for the enables you to build a portfolio showing what you have achieved above and beyond your studies – from networking to volunteering, from taking part in competitions to attending leadership workshops.

It’s all about demonstrating your ambition, confidence, independent thinking and professional behaviour to help you secure your ideal job and achieve greater success in your career.

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

You will learn through a mixture of lectures, group work, discussions, workshops, case-study analysis, practical analysis and personal networking.

How you'll be assessed

The MSc Accounting and Finance uses a range of assessment methods including case study evaluation, time constrained assignments, reflective writing, research-based papers, presentations and group work. 

We have also introduced assessments that will enhance your digital literacy capabilities, such as reporting via video and presenting data using infographics.

Who you'll meet

Our staff are passionate about their subject disciplines and committed to your success. The team includes:

• Thomas Adeyemi, Programme Leader, and a senior lecturer in accounting. Thomas’s research area includes Corporate Governance, Corporate Finance, Financial Management, Financial markets and Instruments. 
   
• Parminder Johal, Head of Economics, Accounting and Finance, whose professional interests centre on how higher education can be aligned to the ever-changing nature of the accountancy profession and employers’ needs. Her research focuses on investigating accounting practices within SMEs, family-owned businesses and pedagogy practices across Accounting Education 
   
• David Thompson, Lecturer in Accounting and Finance, who specialises in advanced audit and assurance as well as governance, risk and ethics. 

For the MSc you will usually need:

• A good honours degree with an accounting background
• If English is not your first language, you will also need IELTS 6.5 with 5.5 in each skills area.

To take advantage of the dual learning offered by the MSc programme, you will need:

• A good honours degree in Accounting which provides exemptions from the first 9 ACCA papers or to have passed ACCA F1-F9.
• To be registered with ACCA - this will be your own responsibility.

2024/25 (August 2024 - July 2025)

Please note fees normally increase in line with inflation and the University's strategic approach to fees, which is reviewed on an annual basis. The total fee you pay may therefore increase after one year of study.

* UK full-time fees paid within one academic year are rounded down to the nearest £50 if applicable

Additional costs and optional extras

2025/26 (August 2025 - July 2026)

Please note fees normally increase in line with inflation and the University's strategic approach to fees, which is reviewed on an annual basis. The total fee you pay may therefore increase after one year of study.

* UK full-time fees paid within one academic year are rounded down to the nearest £50 if applicable

Additional costs and optional extras

About postgraduate awards

Please note at postgraduate level, you’ll need to gain the following number of credits in total to obtain the respective awards. If you have any questions please contact us.

This means you will gain 180 credits in total to complete the full MA or MSc. If you are studying part time you will normally complete your studies over two or three years, depending on the course structure.

Funding your studies

Find out more about fees, postgraduate loans and support you may be entitled to.

Find out about funding your studiesFind out about funding your studies

Alumni discount for Derby graduates

We offer a discount on postgraduate course fees for all Derby alumni.

Find out about the Alumni discountFind out about the Alumni discount

There is always a demand for professional accountants and the MSc Accounting and Finance will equip you to embark on a new career – or advance your existing career – in many diverse roles and sectors, anywhere in the world.

Our graduates have taken up accounting and finance careers in both public and private sector businesses, ranging from local practices to multinational accounting firms.

Among their career destinations are senior roles with PwC, HMRC, the NHS, Baker Tilly International, epm:technology group, Ashgates Accountants and Business Advisors, Bates Weston and Prime Chartered Accountants.

Our strong links with the business community have opened doors to many exciting job opportunities. Over the last two years, Rolls-Royce have recruited our graduates into their finance department on six-month contracts which have subsequently become permanent jobs.

The MSc is fully focused on helping you to realise your career ambitions. We run a series of ‘professional development’ hours that you are invited to attend to nurture your broader employability skills and help you chart your future direction.

Special sessions are devised to fill any skills gaps which students themselves identify. We have, for instance, responded to requests for extra tuition in the use of Excel. You will also strengthen your CV through the extra-curricular activities undertaken as part of the Futures Award.

Professional accounting bodies such as ACCA and CIMA visit the University to showcase the different career routes that students can explore. Our alumni often attend these sessions too, sharing their own career experiences and often highlighting current vacancies within their own organisations.

Contact us

If you need any more information from us, eg on courses, accommodation, applying, car parking, fees or funding, please contact us and we will do everything we can to help you.

Additional information about your studies

Download programme specification

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Other courses you might like

• Financial Leadership MSc
• Master of Business Administration - MBA Global