Accounting and Finance

Accounting and finance is the foundation of commercial and public sector financial management, developing the skills to prepare, interpret, and act on financial information. Accounting covers financial reporting, auditing, management accounting, and the regulatory frameworks that govern how organisations account for their activities. Finance adds the tools for investment appraisal, corporate financial strategy, risk assessment, and the management of assets and liabilities.

Together they prepare you for the professional qualifications and career paths that sit at the centre of business and the economy.

At the University of Sussex, the BSc in Accounting and Finance with a professional placement year is a four-year full-time programme that includes a foundation year as well as the placement itself. The foundation year provides a supported entry for students who need to build their mathematical and analytical foundations before degree-level accounting and finance study. The programme is accredited by five industry accounting bodies, meaning that modules align with professional syllabi and exemptions from some examinations may be available on graduation, accelerating your journey towards full professional membership.

The placement year provides extended professional experience in an accounting, finance, or business setting, giving you direct insight into professional practice before you complete the degree.

The combination of academic rigour, professional accreditation, a supported entry route, and a substantial placement year makes this programme particularly well suited to students who want to be genuinely ready for professional training on graduation.

Graduates typically go on to professional training as chartered accountants, chartered management accountants, or chartered financial analysts, working in public practice, corporate finance, financial services, the public sector, or management accounting in industry.