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Accounting and Financial Management

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Accounting and Financial Management

MSc

The closing date for applications to start this course in September 2024 has now passed. Further detail here.

Key information

Duration: 1 year full time

Institution code: R72

Campus: Egham

UK fees*: £16,500

International/EU fees**: £23,900

The course

Accounting and Financial Management (MSc)

This course will develop your understanding of the theory and practice of accounting and financial management, regardless of your undergraduate background. You will study financial accounting, management accounting, financial management and other important topics in accounting and finance. The course draws upon the extensive research, practical knowledge, and teaching expertise of our accounting and finance academics.

The MSc in Accounting and Financial Management is suitable if:

  • you have an academic background in accounting, finance, business or management and wish to advance your knowledge in accounting and financial management.
  • you have graduated from another discipline, whether arts, sciences or social sciences, and wish to obtain a postgraduate qualification which will provide you with an understanding of accounting and financial management issues.

On graduating you will have acquired a number of transferable skills, including the ability to assess and employ a variety of analytical techniques, write reports, give presentations and work as a team.

Reasons to choose Accounting and Financial Management MSc at Royal Holloway: 
  • Strong career prospects in accounting, finance and commercial areas; organisations value graduates with knowledge and understanding of contemporary accounting and financial management who can also reflect on their broader setting and implications.
  • Outstanding research; Royal Holloway sits in the top 25 per cent of UK universities for research which is rated as ‘world-leading’ and ‘internationally excellent’
  • Inspiring international community; approximately 60% of our Management students come from overseas, with over 130 countries represented across the University.

From time to time, we make changes to our courses to improve the student and learning experience. If we make a significant change to your chosen course, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.

Core Modules

The mandatory modules you will take during your studies are:

  • In this module you will develop an understanding of contemporary issues in the theory and practice of international financial accounting and reporting. You will look at the fundamental characteristics, aims, contents, and structures of the main financial reports through which organizations measure and report their financial performance and position. You will examine the usefulness of financial accounting reports, and the tools and techniques of financial analysis. You will consider issues related to the recognition and measurement of intangible assets, ways of valuing assets, key regulatory differences, the conceptual framework and differences between IFRS and US GAAP. You will also critically evaluate the reporting and the financial performance of companies.

  • In this module you will develop an understanding of current issues in management accounting and related social, organisational and international influences. You will look at performance management and investment appraisal in an international context, perspectives on culture, control and accountability, and the transition to a knowledge and service-based business environment. You will consider the differences in management accounting across countries, and examine issues in the context of the private sector and new public management, making comparisons between the two.

  • This course aims to introduce you to the key concepts of Financial Management through a combination of sound intuition and theoretical rigour; to prepare the foundations for more advanced study of Finance by encouraging you to develop a critical understanding of the main theories and models of Financial Management; to provide you with structured opportunities to apply the key tools and techniques of Financial Management; to encourage you to read widely and built links between what you are learning in the classroom and the financial reality.

  • This module aims to provide an understanding of the economic way of thinking about the world around us and how eg. government policies, changes in product price, cost and market structures affect businesses. The process is achieved through studying business economics from both microeconomics and macroeconomics perspectives. In microeconomics, you will learn to apply basic but fundamental economic concepts underlying the theory of the firm – profit maximisation, consumer behaviour – utility maximisation, and market competitions. In macroeconomics, concepts of key economic indicators and government economic policies are introduced.

  • In this module you will develop your analytical research skills so that you are better prepared for your dissertation project. You will look at approaches to research in accounting and financial management and the assumptions upon which they are based, and consider how to critically evaluate primary and secondary data sources. You will examine how to choose appropriate quantitative and qualitative research methods for data collection and subsequent analysis, and how to conduct research in a systematic and critical reflective manner. You will also analyse the ethical implications of research investigations and their impact upon findings.

     

  • This module will describe the key principles of academic integrity, focusing on university assignments. Plagiarism, collusion and commissioning will be described as activities that undermine academic integrity, and the possible consequences of engaging in such activities will be described. Activities, with feedback, will provide you with opportunities to reflect and develop your understanding of academic integrity principles.

     

Optional Modules

There are a number of optional course modules available during your degree studies. The following is a selection of optional course modules that are likely to be available. Please note that although the College will keep changes to a minimum, new modules may be offered or existing modules may be withdrawn, for example, in response to a change in staff. Applicants will be informed if any significant changes need to be made.

Students can choose between:

Accounting and Finance Dissertation plus 45 credits of optional modules or Accounting and Finance Research Project plus 60 credits of optional modules.

  • The dissertation provides you with an opportunity to learn and practice researching and writing skills for your future career. You will apply the analytical and problem-solving techniques you have acquired throughout your studies to explore a specialist interest in greater depth. You will critically evaluate academic literature, collect data systematically, organise your findings, and present your research results in a clear and logical and manner. To help, your research proposal will be read by the programme director, who will select an appropriate member of staff to act as your dissertation supervisor. Your final submission will be between 12,000 and 15,000 words in length. 

  • This module provides you with an opportunity to learn and practice researching and writing skills for your future career. You will demonstrate how to apply the analytical and problem-solving techniques you have acquired throughout your studies to investigate, analyse and make recommendations for a project in the area of accounting and/or finance. You will critically evaluate academic and business-related literature, collect data systematically, organise findings, and present research results in a clear and logical and manner in a 6,000 words project.

  • The objective of this module is to provide students with a critical appreciation of the relevance and overall role of sustainability accounting and accountability. To achieve this objective, the module will explore contemporary issues in the growing area of sustainability accounting including: notions of accountability in the context of sustainability, the role of accounting in embedding sustainability in decision making, sustainability reporting research and practice, and accounting's role in addressing key contemporary sustainability issues.

  •  

    In this module you will develop an understanding of investment management in theory and practice. You will look at the contexts in which investment management takes place in an increasingly globalised market. You will consider theoretical perspectives, such as the capital asset pricing model, arbitrage pricing theory, and models of systematic risk, alongside empirical evidence and current practice. You will examine the techniques of financial risk management, with particular emphasis on derivatives, and critically analyse issues of international investments, behavioural finance and corporate restructuring. You will also gain experience in using professional sources of data such as those provided by Bloomberg Professional.

  • The aim of this module is to develop in-depth understanding of the characteristics and operation of the international financial markets. The analysis of international equity, bond, exchange and derivatives markets will be linked to the main concern of governments and international financial organisations taking part in these flows. This also enables students to appreciate the different trends in the integration of financial markets and financial intermediation within countries, regions and at global level.

  • This module provides students with the knowledge and techniques required to analyse a company’s financial statements and to estimate a company’s value. The following are the core topics to be covered: accounting analysis, financial analysis, forecasting and valuation.

Assessment is carried out by a variety of methods including coursework, examinations and a dissertation. 

2:2

UK Honours degree or equivalent.

Candidates with substantial and relevant professional qualifications or professional experience in an associated area will also be considered.

International & EU requirements

English language requirements

  • IELTS: 6.5 overall. No subscore lower than 6.0.
  • Pearson Test of English: 61 overall. Writing 61. No other subscore lower than 54.
  • Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English (ISE): ISE III.
  • Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) grade C.
  • TOEFL iBT: 88 overall with Reading 22 Listening 20 Speaking 22 Writing 24.
  • Duolingo: 120 overall and no sub-score below 115.

On graduating with a Masters degree in Accounting and Financial Management you will be in a strong position to start a career in a variety of accounting, financial or commercial related areas. You will also have a solid foundation to continue PhD studies.

Our graduates have moved into roles in accounting and financial management-related areas including:

  • Personal Relationship Manager at HSBC
  • Auditor at Deloitte
  • Senior Risk Analyst at Bank of Azerbaijan
  • Corporate Tax at PwC

Home (UK) students tuition fee per year*: £16,500

EU and international students tuition fee per year**: £23,900

Other essential costs***: There are no single associated costs greater than £50 per item on this course.

How do I pay for it? Find out more about funding options, including loans, grants, scholarships and bursaries.

* and ** These tuition fees apply to students enrolled on a full-time basis in the academic year 2024/25. Students studying on the standard part-time course structure over two years are charged 50% of the full-time applicable fee for each study year.

Royal Holloway reserves the right to increase all postgraduate tuition fees annually, based on the UK’s Retail Price Index (RPI). Please therefore be aware that tuition fees can rise during your degree (if longer than one year’s duration), and that this also means that the overall cost of studying the course part-time will be slightly higher than studying it full-time in one year. For further information, please see our terms and conditions.

** This figure is the fee for EU and international students starting a degree in the academic year 2024/25. Find out more 

*** These estimated costs relate to studying this particular degree at Royal Holloway during the 2024/25 academic year, and are included as a guide. Costs, such as accommodation, food, books and other learning materials and printing, have not been included.

Accreditation

Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business

This course is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). This means your qualification is recognised in the industry, giving you a competitive edge when applying for jobs.

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