Accounting and Finance MSc

If you have a degree in any discipline and would like to significantly enhance your career prospects in the wider business practice of accounting and financial management, our Accounting and Finance MSc course is ideal. It offers a rigorous and challenging programme of study that will provide you with a well-integrated knowledge of financial accounting, finance and investment, and management accounting, together with the ability to relate this to the wider issues of management and corporate strategy.

What will you study?

You will develop your understanding of the purpose and nature of financial accounting and reporting. You will look at the integration of theoretical and conceptual issues within the operational and practical activities of management accounting.

You will also look at the political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors that influence an organisation's social responsibilities and how they integrate with a company's strategic decision-making processes. In addition you will examine the core theories of finance and investment and how they can be used in practical decision-making contexts.

Kingston Business School works closely with the business world's principal professional bodies in order to harmonise its education provision with the needs of today's business practitioners. You will learn how to turn theory into practice and gain a qualification that has real value in the real world. Find out more...

"From my first phone call to arrange an interview with my present employer, it quickly became apparent that without my Accounting and Finance MA it was very unlikely that such a large investment bank would respond to my application. When the interview came, I elaborated on the knowledge gained at Kingston – my interviewers were particularly impressed with the diversity this qualification contained." Matthew Spencer, UBS Warburg

"The Accounting and Finance MA at Kingston Business School really did change my life! Three weeks after I circulated my CV, I found my dream job. I found the course content challenging, but confidence building – and we managed to have a lot of fun too!" Helen Metcalf, FBM Consulting

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Please note that this is an indicative list of modules and is not intended as a definitive list. Those listed here may also be a mixture of core and optional modules.

Available modules

• Quantitative Methods in Accounting and Finance

• Quantitative Methods in Accounting and Finance

  This module provides an underpinning and understanding of numerical techniques used in the business and finance world to aid strategic decision making. It aims to provide students with the mathematical and statistical foundations that are necessary in the areas of accounting and finance. The module will provide candidates with the computer and research skills required by employers in this highly competitive sector.

  
   
• International Money and Finance

• International Money and Finance

  This module explores the theories and empirical evidence about international risk management with respect to foreign exchange and interest rates. It also looks at how firms utilise risk management techniques and source debt on the international financial markets.

  
   
• Financial Accounting

• Financial Accounting

  This module introduces you to financial accounting in a business context. It provides you with a mix of practical 'know how' and deeper theoretical underpinning. The module covers:

  • the principles for constructing the key financial statements;
  • how to produce financial statements from transaction records using double entry principles;
  • how to conduct an appraisal of the financial statements of entities; and
  • company financial statements and their regulation.

  The module uses an active-learning approach in the lectures with informal feedback through discussion and practice questions.

  
   
• Market-based Accounting

• Market-based Accounting

  Market-based accounting deals with the interrelationship between capital markets and accounting information. This module familiarises students with important issues in empirical accounting research and applies the concepts underlying accounting and finance, as applicable in capital market settings. The module builds on the knowledge gained in both ‘Financial accounting' and ‘Corporate Finance and provides skills necessary in both the accounting and finance profession.

  
   
• Management Accounting

• Management Accounting

  This module will enable you to understand and prepare management information to support the decision making in an organisation. It covers:

  • how to calculate the costs associated with the production of products and provision of services, and determine their price;
  • budgeting approaches and how budgets are produced; and
  • effective performance management systems, including performance measures, to assist management decision making.
  
   
• Corporate Finance

• Corporate Finance

  This module aims to develop a critical knowledge and understanding of the core theories and concepts in the field of corporate finance and of the issues related to the corporate decision-making process and the application of corporate finance theories in real life.

  
   
• Financial Statement Analysis

• Financial Statement Analysis

  This module will analyse and interpret financial statements as well as accompanying notes and information in order to assess a company's financial situation and conduct a sound fundamental valuation. The focus of this module is analysis and valuation froma financial accounting perspective. Financial statement analysis builds on the knowledge learned in ‘Financial Accounting' and takes students a step further towards applying this knowledge in practise from the perspective of the users of financial statements. This module will be most useful for prospective financial analysts and other professionals who might use accounting information to judge a company's future prospects.

  
   
• Financial Management

• Financial Management

  This module covers how organisations arrange their external financing and manage their internal resources. It looks at:

  • sources of capital and theories of how capital structures behave in response to changes in the choices of capital sources;
  • methods and costs of protecting the firm's capital and operational cash flows against currency, interest and maturity risk;
  • treasury and working capital management; and 
  • the firm's choice in of growth through acquisition or or reduction through spin-off, demerger or reconstruction will be studied.
  
   
• Audit and Control

• Audit and Control

  This module integrates theory and conceptual considerations with the practicalities of auditing. You will gain an understanding of processes and techniques, as well as the constraints and pressures in the environment in which audit is carried out.

  
   
• Research Methods and Dissertation

• Research Methods and Dissertation

  Initially this module will equip you with the skills and knowledge needed to successfully complete a research project.

  You will then investigate a specific business problem via a substantial piece of independent work, which demonstrates your proficiency in:

  • the design of a research project;
  • the application of appropriate methods;
  • the collection and analysis of data; and
  • the presentation of results.
  
   
• Taxation
• Financial Reporting

This course is taught by staff from Kingston Business School.

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The Faculty of Business and Law runs a number of postgraduate and post-experience open days. Visit us to find out how we can help you achieve your career ambitions.

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Read what some of our current and recent students think about the course.

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