The University of Manchester

Take your skills and knowledge to the next level with the best accounting and finance group in the world. Whether you want to further your professional career, or go on to study for a PhD , this course gives you the qualification you need to succeed.

A career in accounting, financial services or related sectors of the economy requires a high level of understanding of both the theory and practice of accounting and finance. This course is designed to give you a broad-based understanding of the core subject areas with an emphasis on empirical research methods and on accounting and finance practice.

Our wide range of modules allows you to specialise and during the course you have the chance to build on your growing knowledge and expertise by completing a dissertation on a research area of your choice. This, coupled with the support you get from our staff, ensures a first class learning experience. 

The MSc Accounting and Finance is recognised by the Economic and Social Research Council as postgraduate preparation for a PhD. It also holds the award of partnership status from the CFA Institute, the global association for investment professionals.

CFA training

We’re pleased to announce that we have teamed up with Kaplan Schweser to facilitate student preparation for the CFA exams. Students attending our finance-related Masters – MSc Accounting , MSc Accounting and Finance, MSc Finance and MSc Quantitative Finance – 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, Alliance MBS runs a five-day Trading BootCamp for all current students studying MSc Accounting, MSc Accounting and Finance, MSc Finance and MSc Quantitative Finance. These trading simulations provide students with 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 Trading 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 specialist 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 geo-political events, students will be able to apply their understanding, technical expertise and risk management practises 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.

The Finance Zone  

The Finance Zone in Alliance Manchester Business School gives you access to one of the UK’s most comprehensive collections of specialist financial and business databases that are used by top researchers around the world. These include Bloomberg, Datastream, Thomson ONE, Compustat, WRDS, Capital IQ and many more. 

Special features

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. The Lombard Prize consists of a solid silver Armada dish, a cheque for £1500, one-year honorary membership to the Company and attendance at the Annual Banquet to collect the prize.

Coursework and assessment

Assessment is by taught examinations, coursework, assignments, group assessment and presentations and finally by a 60 credit dissertation.

Course unit details

The course consists of both compulsory and optional taught units. 

Semester 1

Core units:

• Asset Pricing
• Cross Sectional Econometrics
• Corporate Financial Reporting

Optional units:

• Portfolio Investment
• Derivative Securities
• International Accounting Practice & Regulation
• International Finance
• Inter-Disciplinary Perspectives on Accounting

Semester 2

Core units:

• Corporate Finance
• Qualitative Research Methods

EITHER

• Advanced Management Accounting

OR

• Corporate Governance

One elective unit from:

• Financial Statement Analysis
• Time Series Econometrics
• Mergers & Acquisitions: Economic & Financial Aspects
• Current Issues in Empirical Finance
• Advanced Management Accounting
• Corporate Governance
• Real Options in Corporate Finance

Summer period

Dissertation (60 credits)

Apply what you have learned in the taught part of the course. Normally consists of a literature review followed by a piece of work based on qualitative or statistical research.

Course unit list

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

Title	Code	Credit rating	Mandatory/optional
Cross Sectional Econometrics	BMAN70211	15	Mandatory
Corporate Financial Reporting	BMAN70241	15	Mandatory
Asset Pricing	BMAN71111	15	Mandatory
Corporate Finance	BMAN71152	15	Mandatory
Qualitative Research Methods	BMAN71282	15	Mandatory
Derivative Securities	BMAN70141	15	Optional
Current Issues in Empirical Finance	BMAN70162	15	Optional
Advanced Management Accounting	BMAN70232	15	Optional
Mergers & Acquisitions: Economic & Financial	BMAN70432	15	Optional
Time Series Econometrics	BMAN71122	15	Optional
Displaying 10 of 14 course units
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Scholarships and bursaries

Masters scholarships for Accounting and Finance programmes for UK/EU students

We are delighted to be able to offer five scholarships available across the four Accounting and Finance programmes with a value of £10,000 towards the cost of the tuition fee. The scholarships will be awarded in line with our scholarship deadlines so early application is advisable.

University of Bradford

A full-time Master’s degree designed to produce fully rounded managers with an emphasis on finance. You’ll focus on how a business creates and measures value, and how to approach accounting and finance from a strategic perspective.

The programme combines finance and accounting with a detailed examination of other disciplines required for the management of organisations. This also allows you to consider financial decision-making from multiple perspectives. You will be able to apply your knowledge and skills gained from these disciplines in your final dissertation.

Key elements include:

• business economics
• operations management
• strategic accounting and financial management
• international business
• marketing planning and strategy

As you will study and gain skills in all areas of business, you’ll have a broad range of career paths open to you on graduation. You will be able to explore further to study for a professional accountancy qualification after completing this programme.

Professional accreditation

We are proud to be in an elite group of business schools to hold the triple accreditations of Equis, AMBA and AACSB, often referred to as the “Triple Crown“.

Entry requirements

You must have a degree (not necessarily in business and management) from an approved university.

The usual entry requirement is: a UK 2:2 degree or its equivalent in any discipline from an approved higher education institution. Equivalent professional qualifications will also be eligible if supported with appropriate practical experience. Further guidance can be found in our international section.

Applications are welcome from students with non-standard qualifications or mature students (those over 21 years of age on entry) with significant relevant experience.

English language requirements

If we need evidence of your proficiency in English, you will be required to achieve the following minimum scores in one of these recognised tests:

IELTS: 5.5 overall, with no sub-test below 5.0, and successful completion of an additional six week , which must be completed prior to the start of the course; or

IELTS: 6.0 overall, with no sub-test less than 5.5; or 

Internet-based TOEFL: 80 overall, with minimum scores of Listening 17, Reading 18, Speaking 20, Writing 17); or 

PTE-A (Pearson Test of English-Academic): 55 overall, with no sub-test less than 51.

Candidates who are not citizens of the European Union will also be subject to further requirements imposed by the government for the issue of a student visa. Please check the UK Home Office website for the most up-to-date information, as these requirements are subject to change.

Exceptionally, holders of a UK degree awarded within 2 years prior to entry to the Bradford programme may be exempt from these English test requirements.

If you do not meet the IELTS requirement, you can take a University of Bradford pre-sessional English course.

What you will study

All module information is for 2021 entry, and is subject to change.

Modules

Core

Strategic Management

Marketing, Planning and Strategy

Operations Management

Business Economics

Contemporary Issues in Accounting and Finance*

Strategic Management Accounting*

Dissertation

Option

International Finance*

Corporate Finance*

Corporate Social Responsibility

Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Corporate Governance and Risk

International Master’s Summer School

International Master’s Summer School (Non-Credit Bearing)

*These modules contribute towards exemptions from the professional qualification of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants