Accounting BSc (Hons)

How will I learn during this Accounting BSc course?

You’ll learn through a combination of lectures, seminars and workshops. And in many modules there’s an emphasis on real-world scenarios involving problem-based learning and developing technical skills in financial and accounting software. 

Following introductions to the key financial accounting techniques and the role of financial managers, a full range of modules covers all accounting areas from corporate and group accounting and governance, through to management accounting, taxation, business law for accountants and more.  

We encourage you to take an optional year-long placement as it’s a great opportunity to put your knowledge into practice and gain industry experience. You’ll also have the chance to spend this optional year in another country, studying at a university with links to Northumbria. This will broaden your international horizons and help you prepare you for a career in the multicultural world of finance. 

Alongside our teaching, you’ll benefit from a well-designed support system, to help you develop the academic study skills you need. And we make sure that we build extensive feedback, from both tutors and peers, into the course. If you’re a non-UK student, you can choose optional sessions to help you develop both your academic language and study skills. 

How will I be assessed during my degree?

In some cases, assessments include exams that will exempt you from those set by professional bodies. As well as assignments, portfolios and presentations, you’ll also complete an extended piece of work such as a dissertation, management enquiry or consultancy report. 

• See all the Modules for this course

Who teaches this BSc Accounting course?

Newcastle Business School is part of an elite group of business schools worldwide with double accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) in business and accounting. So you’ll be taught by experts from the accounting and finance industries, including qualified management and financial accountants. 

The School’s teaching team is always looking to explore new fields of knowledge and generate ground-breaking concepts and insights.

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Where will I learn during my degree?

At Newcastle Business School you’ll experience a first-class education in a world-class environment. From our social spaces and hub areas to lecture theatres and exhibition spaces, our facilities are exceptional. For example, the 24/7 university library achieves some of the highest levels of student satisfaction in the UK and has held the Cabinet Office accreditation for Customer Service Excellence since 2010. 

We’re also committed to helping you make the most of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) by embedding it throughout the course. Tools such as the ‘Blackboard’ eLearning Portal and electronic reading lists are there to help you efficiently and thoroughly prepare for seminars and independent research. Lecture capture software means you can revise previously lectured material online in your time, as well as at your speed.  

What’s more, there are plenty of opportunities to put your learning into practice through volunteering, internships and placements. This includes the Business Clinic that enables our students to participate in a ‘consultancy firm’ to provide advice for our region’s businesses. 

How is research applied to teaching throughout my degree?

With us, your learning will be influenced and inspired by our teaching team’s active research into their specialist subjects. These include forensic and investigative accounting, as well as corporate governance.  

All modules reflect a research-rich approach that will help you become a more critical, reflective and independent thinker. You’ll become skilled in formulating questions, critiquing different interpretations, and developing well-founded arguments. 

You’ll develop strong research foundations in statistics and analytics. In the final year of your degree you’ll undertake a significant investigation either as a dissertation or consultancy project. 

How does this course set me up for my future career?

With 42 exemptions, our BSc Accounting will minimise the number of exams you’ll need to take after graduation to qualify as an accountant. In many cases, you’ll need to take only a few of the final level papers. 

Our Careers and Employment Service are there to help kick-start your next steps through stimulating workshops, helpful one-to-one advice and networking opportunities.  

What job can I get with a degree in Accounting?

Many of our graduates move on to one of the ‘big four’ accounting firms or into a role in industry accounting. There they take up training contracts and complete professional qualifications. Recent destinations for graduates from this course include graduate training at PWC and Tait Walker, accountant at Procter & Gamble, and accounting assistant at Billy Casper Golf. 

As an accountant you’ll undertake financial audits, manage financial systems and budgets, and provide professional advice. And as you progress in your career, you may move into wider leadership roles. One in six of the UK’s top 100 CEOs started out with a finance or accounting degree. 

If further study beckons after graduation, you can do so as a postgraduate through a course such as our MSc in Forensic Accounting.  

Whatever you decide to do, you’ll have strong employability as a Northumbria graduate as every module of Northumbria Business School courses reinforces what you need to succeed. This includes the transferable skills that really matter to employers such as critical reflection and self-learning, collaboration and curiosity, and the ability to solve problems in sustainable and ethical ways.