This course equips you with in-depth financial knowledge and the practical skills needed for a rewarding career in accounting or banking in multinational organisations.

MSc International Accounting and Banking is a unique degree amongst UK universities, giving you a competitive edge by combining theory and practice with real-life examples. You gain an advanced understanding of contemporary accounting and banking issues and produce a business report on a listed company. You develop your ability to research issues, analyse and solve business problems and operate effectively in a fast-paced international business environment.

Whether you have a first degree in accounting, or are looking to study the subject for the first time, this course is for you if you’re looking for a career in international organisations, such as banks, accountancy firms, accountancy and finance departments or business consultancy.

You explore topics including:

• international management accounting
• international financial reporting
• corporate reporting and analysis
• modern banking
• bank strategy and risk

Essex Business School, where this course is taught, is an internationally diverse place to study, with more than half of our staff and students joining us from overseas. As a result, this course is informed by a wide range of global perspectives, preparing you for the demands of an international career in accounting or banking.

You benefit from academic excellence in two fields where you work with researchers who are at the cutting-edge of accounting and banking 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 real-world impact across the globe.
• The Essex Accounting Centre is at the forefront of the field of accounting and produce empirical and theoretical research.

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

• Accredited by ACCA with up to four exemptions from ACCA professional examination papers.
• You don’t need a first degree in accounting or banking to study this course.
• Our Bloomberg virtual trading floor will give you hands-on experience of working in a busy financial hub.

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 Ileana Steccolini, Professor of Accounting.

Professor Steccolini’s research explores accounting in the context of public administration and management. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was granted rapid response funding for a project to help vulnerable communities in Brazil. Through the project, Ileana helped local community leaders to work with their populations to identify how public interventions (such as vaccinations) could be most effectively rolled out to those most in need.

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; coordinate 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