MSc in Accounting and Finance

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.

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 and Finance, MSc Finance, MSc Finance and Business Economics 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

Together with Amplify Trading, a global financial trading and training firm, we offer a week-long Trading BootCamp for MSc Accounting, MSc Accounting and Finance, MSc Finance and MSc Quantitative Finance course students.

• experience a live trading floor provided by two experienced traders with specialist software
• engage with contemporary financial markets and apply your classroom theory in practice
• watch live breaking news, economic data and geopolitical events, and use your knowledge and skills in trading different asset classes
• a fantastic opportunity to prepare you for successful careers after graduation.

Amplify Trading is 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 special 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 geopolitical events, students will be able to apply their understanding, technical expertise and risk management practices in trading different asset classes.

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.

Course units details

The course consists of both compulsory and optional taught units.

Semester 1

Core course modules:

• Asset Pricing
• Cross-Sectional Econometrics
• Corporate Financial Reporting

Optional modules:

• Portfolio Investment
• International Accounting Practice & Regulation

Semester 2

Core course modules:

• Corporate Finance
• Qualitative Research Methods

Either

• Advanced Management Accounting

Or

• Corporate Governance

Optional modules:

• Financial Statement Analysis
• Time Series Econometrics
• Mergers & Acquisitions: Economic & Financial Aspects
• Current Issues in Empirical Finance
• Advanced Management Accounting
• Corporate Governance
• Accounting & Financial Perspectives for Small & Medium Enterprises

Coursework and assessment

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

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 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.