Accounting and Finance

Accounting and finance is the discipline that sits at the financial core of every organisation, responsible for measuring, reporting and analysing how money flows through an enterprise and what that reveals about its health, performance and future prospects. Accounting provides the principles and techniques for recording, summarising and communicating financial information, while finance examines how capital is raised, allocated, invested and valued. Together they equip you to understand the financial workings of organisations from the inside and to communicate financial insight to those who need it to make decisions.

At Sheffield Hallam University, this three-year full-time degree builds your technical accounting and finance knowledge alongside the analytical and technological skills that modern finance roles demand. You will study financial accounting and reporting, management accounting, corporate finance, investment analysis, auditing and taxation, developing the ability to work with financial data, apply accounting standards and construct financial arguments. The programme includes a foundation year for students who would benefit from additional preparation, as well as a sandwich year with work placement opportunities, giving you the chance to spend extended time in a professional accounting or financial environment.

This professional experience is highly valued by employers and by the professional accountancy bodies whose qualifications many graduates pursue. Typical entry is around 120 UCAS tariff points.

Graduates typically pursue professional qualifications with bodies such as ICAEW, ACCA, CIMA or CIPFA, working toward chartered accountant or management accountant status while in employment. Career destinations include audit firms, corporate finance, management accounting, financial planning, investment banking, treasury, tax and the financial functions of organisations across every sector. The combination of technical competence, analytical skill and professional experience developed through the degree and placement year provides a very strong foundation for a career in finance.