Alliance Manchester Business School - The University of Manchester
MSc in Accounting
Manchester, United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
12 months
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
04 Jul 2027*
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2027
TUITION FEES
GBP 37,800 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* Applications received after our final selection deadline will be considered at our discretion if places are still available.
** UK students per annum: £22,600 | International, including EU, students per annum: £37,800
Key Summary
About: The MSc in Accounting at Alliance Manchester Business School develops an in-depth understanding of the theory and practice of accounting and strengthens your critical thinking. You’ll be introduced to different aspects of accounting research and given guidance in conducting research. Alliance Manchester Business School, established in 1965, is one of the UK’s first two business schools and one of the largest campus-based business and management schools; Manchester is recognized for original thinkers and a long history of research excellence.
Career Outcomes: Graduates can progress to financial accountant, auditor, tax adviser, financial analyst, accounting researcher, consultancy and corporate finance positions.
Develop advanced accounting expertise through a specialist master's that combines theory, research and professional practice.
- Build the technical, analytical and critical-thinking skills needed for professional and leadership roles in the accountancy profession, while developing expertise in financial reporting, management accounting, auditing and governance
- Study in Manchester, one of the UK's leading business and financial centres, and benefit from connections to a global business community.
- Gain exposure to contemporary accounting research and practice through links with The Manchester Accounting and Finance Group, one of Europe's leading accounting and finance units.
- Study at Alliance Manchester Business School, ranked 7th in the UK and 26th in the world for Finance Masters programmes (QS Business Master's Rankings 2026).
Special Features
Accelerate your professional development with CIMA accreditation
The MSc Accounting is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). On successful completion of the programme, you can join CIMA through an accelerated route and gain exemptions from certificate, operational and management level examinations, helping you progress more quickly towards a professional qualification.
Prepare for the CFA qualification
Through our partnership with Kaplan Schweser, the 20 highest-performing students from Semester 1 who demonstrate a strong interest in the CFA qualification receive access to CFA Level I preparation resources. Support includes online study materials, question banks, mock examinations, tutor guidance and one-to-one support. This provides an opportunity to build advanced investment analysis and portfolio management knowledge while preparing for one of the world's most recognised investment credentials.
Experience financial markets through Trading BootCamp Week
Delivered in partnership with Amplify Trading, this immersive experience allows students to work on a simulated trading floor alongside experienced traders. You'll respond to live market developments, economic data and geopolitical events while applying classroom knowledge in a practical financial markets environment, helping you develop commercial awareness and decision-making skills.
Access industry-standard financial data and research tools
Students benefit from access to the Finance Zone, one of the UK's most comprehensive collections of financial and business databases used by researchers and finance professionals worldwide. Resources include Bloomberg, Datastream, Thomson ONE, Compustat, WRDS and Capital IQ, providing valuable experience working with industry-standard financial information sources.
Learn from a leading accounting research environment
Benefit from links with The Manchester Accounting and Finance Group, one of Europe's leading accounting and finance research units. Research-led teaching ensures you engage with contemporary issues in financial reporting, governance, auditing and accounting practice throughout your studies.
Original Thinking for the Next Generation
Thinking about master’s study? Join our webinar series to hear from academics, employers and alumni about the value of business education at Alliance Manchester Business School, the skills students develop, and how these can support future career goals.
Course units
During the course, you will be taking 180 credits in all. The eight taught units during semesters one and two total 120 credits and consist of both compulsory and optional taught units.
Over the summer period, you will carry out your Research Dissertation, worth 60 credits.
For an up-to-date list of modules, please visit the 'Course Details' section of the course page.
CFA training
We have teamed up with Kaplan Schweser to facilitate student preparation for the CFA exams. Students attending our finance-related Masters who perform well in Semester one and show a strong interest in CFA, will get free access to Kaplan's online training materials for CFA Part One.
Kaplan is a global firm offering professional training and helping individuals and organisations obtain financial certifications and designations. They will support our students by giving them access to tuition material, online question banks and progress tests, as well as mock exam runs. They will also offer tutor support and 1-2-1 sessions.
Students enrol in the CFA Program to build a strong foundation of advanced investment analysis and real-world portfolio management skills. Preparing for the Level I exam is the first step toward earning the Chartered Financial Analyst ® (CFA) credential, the most respected and recognised investment designation in the world.
Trading BootCamp Week
Each year, AMBS runs a five-day Trading BootCamp for all current students studying accounting or finance courses. These trading simulations provide students with an experience of real-world trading and the opportunity to engage with contemporary financial markets, enabling them to apply their classroom theory in practice.
To deliver the Trading BootCamp, the School has teamed up with Amplify Trading to provide those looking to enter the financial industry with a crucial skill-set. Amplify Tradings are a global financial trading and training firm, which offers training to some of the world's largest financial institutions, such as HSBC, Citigroup and Deutsche Bank. They have developed special software that enables students to experience a live trading floor and two experienced traders will deliver the week-long training.
Each day there will be four hours of classes in the morning followed by four hours of trading practice in the afternoon. Engaging in live breaking news, economic data and geopolitical events, students will be able to apply their understanding, technical expertise and risk management practices in trading different asset classes.
This is a fantastic opportunity for accounting and finance students at Alliance MBS and is another way in which we prepare students for successful careers after graduation.
Worshipful Company of International Bankers Affiliation
Our accounting and finance division courses are now affiliated with the Worshipful Company of International Bankers (WCIB). This means that every year the best dissertation out of the following four courses will receive the WCIB prize worth £300.
- MSc Accounting
- MSc Accounting and Finance
- MSc Finance
- MSc Quantitative Finance
The winner will also enter the competition for the prestigious WCIB Lombard Prize.
AMBS is ranked 7th in the UK and 26th in the world for Finance Masters courses (QS Business Masters Rankings 2026).
The course is linked to The Manchester Accounting and Finance Group - one of Europe's leading accounting and finance units.
- Advanced thinking around contemporary issues in the areas of financial reporting, management accounting, auditing and governance.
- Gain a broad-based understanding of the core subject areas, build knowledge and apply your expertise.
- Learn about empirical research methods and accounting practice.
- Benefit from our accounting academics’ close connections with the accountancy profession.
- Prepare for a professional career in accountancy or progression to a PhD.
Funding Opportunities for Master's Degrees
Please see our up to date funding information below. On this page, you can find funding options for UK and international students. There are also several external awards that you can apply for directly.
This course is a 12 month full-time course, based in Manchester. All our MSc courses are taught in Manchester only; they are not available to study online.