Accounting & Finance - BA (Hons) Degree

​This degree can be studied as a three-year full-time degree or a four-year degree that includes a year of foundational study. Our foundation year is intended to prepare you for your subsequent years of studying, offering you the chance to strengthen your skills, knowledge and confidence.

The foundation year will be relevant to:

1. Students who have not achieved the required A-level points (or equivalent) score to enter the first year of the degree programme.
2. Mature students who have been out of the formal education system for some time.

Find out more about the foundation year.

Please note: You will need to apply using a specific UCAS code if you wish to undertake the 4 years including foundation. Please refer to Key Course Information at the bottom of this page.

Degree:

Year One:

• Financial & Digital Accounting (20 credits)
• Global Financial Services (20 credits)
• Management Accounting (20 credits)
• Quantitative Methods (20 credits)
• The Economy – Microeconomics (20 credits)
• The Economy – Macroeconomics (20 credits)
  

Year Two:

Compulsory:

• Financial Management (20 credits)
• Investment Markets & Principles (20 credits)
• Money, Banking & Risk (20 credits)
• Performance Management (20 credits)
  
• Work Experience OR Volunteering Project (20 credits)
  

Options*:

• Audit and Assurance (20 credits)
• Bank Management (20 credits)
• Corporate and Business Law (20 credits)
• Financial Accounting in Islamic Finance (20 credits) 
• Financial Reporting (20 credits)
• Public Finance (20 credits)
• Taxation (20 credits)
  

Year Three:

Compulsory:

• Advanced Financial Management (20 credits)
• Advanced Performance Management (20 credits)
• Investment Management  (20 credits)
  
• Contemporary Finance (20 credits)
  

Options*:

• Advanced Financial Reporting (20 credits)
• Advanced Taxation (20 credits)
• Audit and Corporate Governance (20 credits)
  
• Capital Markets and Derivatives (20 credits)
• Economic Tools for Government
  
• Forensic Accounting (20 credits)
• International Banking Regulation (20 credits)
• Islamic Capital Markets (20 credits)
• Strategic Management (20 credits)
  
• Dissertation (40 credits)
• Industrial Work Experience (20 credits)

*Please note that optional modules are delivered subject to demand and availability.

In most modules teaching consists of one lecture and one seminar per week.  Seminars are practically based and are usually run as workshops where students have an opportunity to practice the material covered in the lecture.  All modules are fully supported by the university’s VLE and students may also make an appointment with module tutors and personal tutors at any mutually convenient time. ​

Coursework is generally of a very practical nature to reflect the skills and techniques required by a professional accountant. Assessment for professionally accredited modules includes closed book examinations in order to satisfy exemption requirements.

There is a considerable demand from UK employers for accounting graduates and past experience suggests that a significant proportion of graduates will obtain graduate training places in 'the big four' (Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG), finance sections of businesses, high street practices and the public sector.

Students will engage with university experts in Employability alongside their core curriculum throughout their course of study and will be invited to attend regular workshops with the professional accounting bodies delivered specifically for students at Cardiff Metropolitan University.

Many modules on the course are accredited by the main accounting bodies and you will be able to obtain exemptions from the ACCA, ICAEW and CIMA examinations. This is therefore a demanding course, which combines academic content with the development of the knowledge and skills required to pass the accounting bodies' final examinations.

Progression to postgraduate study within the Cardiff School of Management is also an option. 

Typical Offers

​The following requirements are based on typical offers relevant to entering year 1 of the degree.

If you do not meet these entry requirements, we also offer a Foundation Year which allows progression to Year 1 upon successful completion.​

• Tariff points: 112
  
• Contextual offer: See our contextual offers page.
  
• GCSE: Five GCSEs at Grade C / 4 or above to include English Language / Welsh First Language, Mathematics / Mathematics – Numeracy.
  
• English Language Requirement: Academic IELTS 6.0 overall with at least 5.5 in all elements, or equivalent.
  
• A level subjects: Minimum three A levels to include Grades CCC. No specific subjects required. Welsh Baccalaureate – Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate considered as a third subject.
  
• BTEC National / Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma: DMM
  
• T Level: Merit.
  
• Access to Higher Education Diploma: No specific subjects required.
  
• International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma: 2 x H5. No specific subjects required.
  
• Irish Leaving Certificate: 2 x H2 grades. No specific subjects required. Higher level subjects only considered with a minimum grade H4.
  
• Scottish Advanced Highers: Grades DD. No specific subjects required. Scottish Highers are also considered, either on their own or in combination with Advanced Highers.
  

Combinations of the above qualifications are accepted if they meet our minimum requirements. If your qualifications aren’t listed, please contact Admissions or refer to the UCAS Course Search.

Further information on Overseas qualifications can be found here.

If you are a mature applicant, have relevant experience or RPL that you would like us to consider, please contact Admissions.​

How to Apply

Further information on how to apply can be found here.

For general enquiries please contact the Admissions Team on 029 2041 6044 or email askadmissions@cardiffmet.ac.uk.

For course specific enquiries, please contact the programme leader Judi Stockford: 
Email: jstockford@cardiffmet.ac.uk
Tel: 029 2020 5638