MSc Accounting & Finance

MSc Accounting and Finance is structured around four core module blocks which will allow you to develop specialised knowledge in accounting and finance. Two additional modules offer the opportunity to undertake specialised study in areas that may be of interest to your future career.

We recognise that you may be making a transition from studying accounting and finance at the undergraduate level in a national context. The introductory module addresses this by integrating professional and academic perspectives in a broader international and social context.

The modules that follow will help you consider the latest research and practice in accounting and finance including core areas such as corporate reporting, management accounting, corporate finance and investment.

There is the opportunity for specialisation through modules that explore innovative and contemporary ideas such as behavioural finance, financial technology, social and environmental accounting, capital markets and their use of accounting information.

You will develop and apply the key technical and soft skills required to be an effective accounting or finance professional, as you reflect on your engagement in a variety of contemporary business and social issues.

The programme concludes with the completion of either an individual piece of in-depth research or a collaborative live business problem.

Core Modules for Year One

• Research Dissertation
• Accounting and Finance in Context
• Contemporary Issues in Corporate Reporting
• Corporate Finance
• Advanced Management Accounting

Optional Modules for Year One

• Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Accounting
• Global Investment
• Accounting and Capital Markets
• Financial Technology and Behaviour

How will I be Assessed?

The block programme structure provides plenty of opportunities for you to reflect on your learning and development informally. Short knowledge/skill review activities are built into each module to help you check your progress and improve your approach to learning. This will build your confidence and enhance your approach to formal assessment tasks.

A variety of formal assessment tasks provide the opportunity to explore concepts and models in creative and practical ways. These include presentations, reports, and exams. You will work individually and as part of a team, just as you would in the workplace.

All formal assessments are completed within each module. This enables more in-depth consolidation and application required for successful performance in assessment tasks based on the complex functional-level work undertaken by professionals. It also reflects realistic workplace timescales for the completion of tasks.

What Skills Will I Practise and Develop?

The Learning Outcomes for this Programme describe what you will be able to do as a result of your study at Cardiff University. They will help you to understand what is expected of you.

The Learning Outcomes for this Programme can be found below:

Knowledge & Understanding

On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to:

• Draw on discipline-based knowledge to analyse contemporary challenges in accounting and finance
• Postulate the linkages between principles, theory, techniques and practice of accounting and finance
• Critically evaluate the relevance of modern theoretical concepts in the context of the ever-changing business environment
• Critically evaluate accounting and finance research and professional practice for addressing real-world business scenarios

Intellectual Skills

On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to:

• Find and discriminate between competing sources of research and professional practice
• Evaluate alternative sources of data and evidence
• Analyse methods for generating management information
• Critically analyse and synthesise contrasting perspectives and their supporting evidence
• Generate and communicate well-evidenced conclusions and recommendations for effective decision-making

Professional Practical Skills

On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to:

• Apply relevant knowledge of the financial reporting and management accounting functions within a range of organisational contexts
• Propose evidence-based financial solutions
• Apply technical accounting and finance skills in an organisational context through personal research and practical work
• Manage personal development within a range of professional landscapes
• Develop effective working relationships with peers, clients and other professionals
• Reflect on your role within and impact on society

Transferable/Key Skills

On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to:

• Communicate to diverse audiences through a range of media
• Challenge assumptions based on robust evidence
• Appreciate diversity and different views
• Work independently
• Engage others to work collaboratively
• Use technology to solve problems

At Cardiff Business School, you’ll receive a career-changing education from world-leading academics who have different points of view. They’ll challenge your thinking as you consider the world of business from a range of alternative perspectives.

On our MSc in Accounting and Finance, you’ll benefit from the knowledge and expertise of our Career Enhancer Team. They’re ready and waiting to identify events and opportunities to help you achieve your future aspirations.

We’ve developed relationships that range from the largest multinationals to the smallest micro-businesses, and include a wide variety of social enterprises and cooperatives. We use these networks to deliver value for our students through:

• Real-world case studies and insights
• Guest lectures
• Field trips and workshops

This wide-ranging and varied learning experience will help enhance your career and demonstrate how you can make a difference along the way.

Although this is a specialist programme, you will have a wide range of employment options to choose from, including professional accountancy, the financial services sector, management consultancy or a specialist position in the public sector.

How will I be Taught?

An active learning approach is embedded in the MSc Accounting and Finance. We believe that effective learning is founded on two things – your involvement in diverse experiences, and the way you make sense of those experiences, both individually and with others.

Consequently, each block of learning includes a variety of activities which can include case studies, videos, company visits, and industry speakers, all designed to introduce new ideas and develop your understanding.

We will help you to enhance the technical and critical skills that you were introduced to during your first degree, to develop your profile as a leading professional. We will also support you to work with other students to reflect on your existing knowledge and skills. Sharing your understanding with others is also important and the collaborative learning will enable you to build new insights into the nature of accounting and finance in a variety of contexts. You will be encouraged to work collaboratively in diverse teams to consider a range of alternative understandings and practices.

Trying out new learning is important too. You will integrate and apply new understandings, together with new technical and critical skills, in practical tasks embedded in each learning block, and in formal coursework and examination activities.