Accounting and Finance

Accounting and finance are at the heart of how organisations understand and manage their resources, and a degree that combines both gives you a thorough grounding in the technical and analytical skills that underpin professional practice in this field. Accounting provides the language through which financial information is recorded, reported, and audited, while finance adds the frameworks for understanding investment decisions, capital markets, risk, and corporate strategy. Together, they prepare you both for professional qualifications in accountancy and for the kind of commercial awareness that makes financial professionals genuinely useful to organisations.

At the University of York, this four-year programme incorporates a year in industry, giving you the opportunity to apply your academic learning in a professional environment and to develop the practical skills and commercial perspective that employers in accounting and finance are looking for. Alongside the expected technical and problem-solving capabilities, you will develop broad commercial awareness and the ability to approach organisational challenges critically, which distinguishes York graduates in a competitive labour market. The year in industry is built into the programme's four-year structure, providing structured and substantial professional experience rather than a brief internship.

Graduates from accounting and finance programmes have an exceptional range of career options. Professional accountancy, including the ACA, ACCA, CIMA, and CIPFA qualifications, is the most direct route, and the degree's technical content provides strong preparation for the associated examinations. Financial analysis, corporate finance, investment banking, asset management, treasury, audit, and financial consulting are further destinations.

The commercial awareness and quantitative skills the degree develops also translate well into general management, entrepreneurship, and roles in the public sector. For those interested in continued study, the degree provides a strong foundation for postgraduate programmes in accounting, finance, or business. The typical entry tariff is 136 points.