Accounting and Finance BSc Hons at Lancaster University

Use your love of numbers to gain a sound technical knowledge and understanding of the business world.

Learning from leading academic researchers and experienced practitioners in the field, the degree offers the perfect blend of theory and practice, taking you to the heart of key questions such as: ‘Why do some companies excel and others go bust?’ and ‘How can profits go up while share prices fall?

We encourage you to pursue your interests, develop your strengths, and move towards your ideal career, offering flexibility and the opportunity to specialise your studies based on your strengths and interests.

The degree is accredited by globally-recognised accountancy bodies (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) and Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and CPA Australia). This provides graduates with exemptions from many core professional examinations, depending on your module choices, and means, on graduation, you will be further along the route to qualifying as an accountant than many of your contemporaries. 

In your first year, you study accounting and finance using real-world data from actual companies, and discover more about economic issues such as inflation, costs and pricing.

Second year core subjects include auditing, financial accounting, risk management, corporate finance and management accounting for business decisions. You can also select from courses such as law, management decision making and advanced finance topics. Your third year builds on this knowledge while offering specialist options such as ethics, investments and taxation.

Throughout, you learn from academics whose global perspectives inform government and regulators, and from practitioners with experience of running businesses and working in accounting and finance.

Specialist accounting and finance careers events put you in contact with potential employers, and our expert careers team help you develop practical skills and assets highly-valued in the world of work. Modules prepare you for interviews and assessment centres, build your CV and make you attractive to potential employees, placing you in a strong position to start your future career.

Whether it’s a tech start-up or a multinational industrialist, every company needs an accountant. Your studies can also be a route into corporate finance and business. Many Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) began their careers as accountants.

Accounting and Finance is also available as a four-year programme with a year in industry. It is possible to switch to that programme soon after starting your degree, subject to availability.

You can also choose to spend one term in your third year studying abroad, learning selected modules in a new environment, subject to availability. Students have previously studied in the USA and Australia, among other countries.