BSc (Hons)Applied Accounting

Core modules

Academic and Personal Development

As a future business, finance, marketing, maritime or law professional, awareness of personal strengths and development areas is essential to your success. This module teaches you critical academic and communication skills, and introduces the living CV concept.

Introduction to Business

Understanding the business environment is vital for running a business. Learn about the various forms, purposes, types of ownership and governance structures across different sectors and scales, explore strategy and its implementation, and look at measurement and environmental modelling.

Introduction to Marketing and Consumer Law

Effective marketing allows businesses to develop sustainable and valuable relationships with their audiences. Exploring real-world case studies, this module covers introductory marketing theories alongside branding, customer insight and data, GDPR, consumer rights and the latest innovations.

Introduction to Law

Understand the nature and sources of law and key concepts underlying legal systems. This module will look at the English legal system, consider the different courts and their functions, legal personnel and the legislative process.

Understanding Finance

Understanding finance requirements is key to ensuring a business thrives. You will learn fundamental terms and concepts, such as key performance indicators (KPIs), regulation, cashflow, financial statements and accountability – ensuring you are an asset to your team.

Business or Law Project

Study the value and social impact of enterprise, working as a group to analyse local organisations and provide valuable insights – and developing vital skills that employers are looking for, from research and teamwork to effective communication.

Core modules

Management Accounting

In this module, you'll gain a foundational understanding of how management accounting supports decision-making, planning, and control within an organisation. You will explore how different types of cost are classified, recorded, and analysed to inform operational decisions and how budgeting supports organisational planning and resource allocation. You'll also learn how to apply core costing methods, and how to distinguish between marginal and absorption costing approaches.

Business and Corporate Law

To succeed as an accountant or financial professional, a solid understanding of corporate law is essential. This module will help you develop a professional grasp of the legal principles relevant to business and finance. You'll explore the key areas of business and corporate law, including the law of obligations, employment law, the formation and structure of business organisations, legal frameworks for company financing, corporate regulation and governance, and insolvency law.

Financial Accounting

This module will provide you with essential foundational knowledge and practical skills in financial accounting theory and practice. You'll be introduced to fundamental concepts and techniques for recording, processing, and reporting business transactions to external stakeholders, developing critical competencies in double-entry bookkeeping, ledger management, trial balance preparation, and financial statement construction.

Economics

In this module, you will learn the fundamental principles that govern how individuals, firms, and markets make decisions about the allocation of limited resources. You'll explore key concepts such as supply and demand, elasticity, consumer and producer behaviour, cost structures, and market dynamics. You'll also be introduced to different types of market structures and examine how these influence pricing, output, and business strategy. In addition, you'll learn about market failures, government intervention, and the economic rationale behind regulation and taxation.

Core modules

Financial Reporting

This module provides you with a structured understanding of financial reporting principles and practices, focusing on the preparation, presentation, and interpretation of financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). You will explore the conceptual framework of accounting, the regulatory environment, and the role of financial reporting in supporting transparency, accountability, and decision-making.

Taxation

This module introduces the fundamental principles of the UK tax system, equipping you with the knowledge and skills to compute taxes, navigate regulations, and advise on compliance. By exploring real-world tax scenarios and regulatory frameworks, you will understand how taxes impact individuals and businesses, fostering the ability to apply ethical and practical solutions in professional contexts.

Optional modules

Please note: Not all optional modules are guaranteed to run each year.

Applied Economics

This module aims to develop your ability to use economic theories and quantitative tools to analyse real-world issues. You will learn how to apply economic theory to real-world problems using data-driven methods, quantitative tools, and emerging artificial intelligence (AI) techniques. The module combines applied microeconomics and macroeconomics with hands-on training in econometrics and AI-powered data analysis, reflecting how modern economic and financial research is conducted in both academia and industry.

Banking

This module is designed to provide you with a thorough understanding of the modern banking sector’s operations, financial intermediation, risk management, and regulatory environment. It will prepare you to critically engage with the challenges faced by banks in a rapidly evolving global financial landscape, including the rise of fintech and sustainability concerns.

Financial Technology

The module introduces you to the dynamic field of financial technology (FinTech) and artificial intelligence (AI), which is revolutionising the financial services industry. It covers the role of technology in transforming payments, lending, banking, investment, and financial infrastructure. This is all done in the context of financial markets and institutions on the global stage. You will learn about blockchain, artificial intelligence, digital currencies, and other technologies, exploring how they address existing challenges in finance.

Financial Crime, Law and Litigation Support

This module explores the intersection of financial crime, legal frameworks, and the role of forensic accountants in litigation support. You will examine various types of financial crime, understand relevant legislation, and learn how forensic accounting contributes to legal processes, including investigations, expert witness testimony, and case preparation.

Core modules

Audit and Assurance

Auditors play a critical role in fostering trust in financial reporting and corporate accountability. This module equips you with the professional tools and ethical foundation to plan, perform, and report on audits with integrity and sound judgement. You will engage with real-world case studies and apply core auditing principles - such as risk assessment, evidence gathering, and professional scepticism - aligned with industry standards. A key feature of this module is the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) as a transformative tool in modern auditing.

Performance Management and Data Analytics

This module builds on foundational concepts introduced in your first and second year in performance and cost management, advancing your ability to apply strategic, analytical, and data-informed approaches to real-world operational challenges. You will explore how organisations manage resources efficiently, evaluate performance in dynamic and uncertain environments, and make decisions that support long-term value creation. A key feature of this module is the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital tools to enhance decision-making.

Finance and Investment

This module will introduce you to the function, principles, and techniques of financial management. In particular, it focuses on the relationship between companies seeking to raise finance, and the investors who provide that finance. You will apply your technical skills and knowledge to evaluate potential funding strategies for business.

Optional modules

Please note: Not all optional modules are guaranteed to run each year.

Investment Banking and Risk Management

This module is essential if you want to work in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, or financial advisory roles. It gives you practical, career-focused insight into how investment banks help clients raise capital, structure complex transactions, and make high-level financial decisions. You will learn the tools, techniques, and strategic thinking used in real investment banking deals - skills that are highly valued by leading employers in the finance industry.

Advanced Economics and Econometrics

This module will equip you with a deep understanding of the economic forces and quantitative tools that influence financial decision-making in both corporate and policy contexts. It builds on foundational economic principles to explore how macroeconomic variables - such as interest rates, inflation, exchange rates, and economic growth - affect business strategy, investment decisions, and financial reporting. You will also be introduced to advanced econometric techniques for modelling economic relationships, interpreting empirical data, and evaluating the impact of economic policies.

Financial Markets and Institutions

In this module, you will develop a critical understanding of how financial markets operate and the role institutions play in supporting the global financial system. You will explore the structure and function of capital markets, focusing on equity and debt instruments, and examine how these markets influence corporate finance and investment decisions. You will also learn how financial instruments are issued, priced, and traded, and how market forces and investor behaviour impact valuation and performance.

Cybercrime and Business Analytics

This module explores the growing threat of cybercrime and the role of business analytics in detecting, preventing, and responding to digital threats. You will learn about cybercrime typologies, data-driven investigative techniques, and how analytics tools can be used to support forensic investigations and strategic decision-making.