The dual disciplines of accounting and finance complement each other to create a wide-reaching view of an organisation’s financial status which makes MSc Accounting and Finance a desirable Masters degree. At Essex we encourage you to practice fair finance and ethical accounting to mitigate and manage risk.

MSc Accounting and Finance builds on your existing knowledge of financial reporting and corporate analysis to develop you into an agile and confident financial manager.

You cover topics including:

• recent developments in theoretical approaches to accounting and corporate finance
• quantitative and qualitative approaches to empirical research
• financial reporting
• portfolio management

Our MSc Accounting and Finance is taught at Essex Business School. You will join one of the UK’s largest and most respected finance groups and experience a Masters education that combines theory with practice. You will further your understanding of advanced accounting and corporate finance and can tailor your studies to your professional ambitions by choosing from a range of optional modules.

You will benefit from academic excellence in two fields where you will work with researchers who are at the cutting edge of accounting and finance theory:

• The Essex Finance Centre (EFiC) works with leading financial services firms and public sector organisations, governments and policy institutions to produce work that makes a real-world impact across the globe.
• The Essex Accounting Centre is at the forefront of the field of accounting and produces empirical and theoretical research.

Our world-renowned academics embed the latest thinking into your course to ensure you stay up-to-date with the current developments and major issues in accounting and financial reporting.

Whether you’re thinking about continuing your studies to PhD level or targeting a senior role in the world of accounting or finance, this is the course to advance your career.

Professional accreditation

Accredited by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) for the purpose of exemptions from some professional examinations.

Completion of this course gives you accreditation exemptions from up to four professional examination papers with The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

This means that you are able to gain a professional qualification faster by taking fewer exams when you graduate, giving your career a head start.

Why we’re great

• Further your understanding of accounting and finance with this specialist programme.
• Work with world-leading experts in both accounting and finance, who bring their research into your teaching.
• Learn how accounting and finance practitioners play an essential role in ethical and sustainable business.

Our expert staff

Essex Business School has a number of established research strengths in accounting, including:

• accounting in emerging economies
• sustainable accounting
• governance
• global development
• public sector accounting
• regulation and reporting

Our researchers make a significant impact on the lives of people all around the world, with past and current research projects covering five continents.

The experience and findings of our experts will feature throughout your teaching. For example, you’ll hear from Professor Teerooven Soobaroyen, Professor of Accounting at Essex Business School.

Professor Soobaroyen’s research focuses on the connection between accounting, accountability and governance in the context of companies in developing or emerging economies, corporate foundations, the public sector, charities, non-governmental organisations and higher education institutions.

His focus on accounting in emerging economies resulted in the founding of a specialist research journal, the Journal of Accounting in Emerging Economies, of which he is Associate Editor. He was recently elected President of the British Accounting and Finance Association (BAFA).

Two research centres support the research activities taking place in the accounting group. They organise seminars by external invited speakers; Essex Business School staff and research students; co-ordinate workshop programmes; and schedule bi-annual conferences of international renown. These offer a further excellent opportunity for you to engage with the very latest research and ideas in the field of accounting.

The Essex Accounting Centre conducts distinctive world-class research, with a particular focus on accounting research applied in developing countries, including topics such as social responsibility and corporate governance; management accounting change; and corruption and accountability.

Our new interdisciplinary centre, the Centre for Accountability and Global Development (CAGD), is a dynamic hub for social justice research, with a particular focus on accountability across all sectors in both developed and emerging economies. The Centre contributes to impactful global development through rigorous research and engagement with the policy community, which complements the existing research strengths and expertise established within the Essex Accounting Centre.

Specialist facilities

Our MSc Accounting and Finance is based at our Colchester Campus.

You’ll be studying at Essex Business School, home to the first zero carbon business school?in the UK– demonstrating our sustainable approach to business first-hand. Set around a lush winter garden, with shared spaces to encourage collaborative working, you’ll find a wealth of inspiring teaching and study zones:

• a virtual trading floor with Bloomberg Financial Market Labs, where you’ll gain hands-on experience and learn how to model financial data in a practical setting
• access to company reporting databases, Passport (GMID) and NEXIS advance UK
• learn in modern lecture theatres with ‘listen again’ recording to aid your study
• utilise study booths in our winter garden and versatile break out areas for group working throughout the building
• study skills support provided by the Essex Business School Learning Team
• networking opportunities with visiting businesses and careers events
• Bonds café and adjacent foyer to enjoy on-site fresh food and drink

You’ll also benefit from fantastic University facilities located close by, including our state-of-the-art Silberrad Student Centre, complete with an open-access 24-hour Learning Hub and a cutting-edge media centre.

Our building is located on the Knowledge Gateway, home to some of the region’s most exciting enterprises in the science, technology and creative sectors. The Knowledge Gateway provides potential networking and career opportunities for students directly on campus.