Accounting and Finance

As one of the UK's leading departments for Accounting and Finance, you will have the opportunity to study alongside highly motivated and enthusiastic students. Our highly rated teaching and research ensures our students have access to the most up-to-date material and you will find our courses both enjoyable and intellectually stimulating. Bristol graduates are highly sought after by leading UK employers for both their knowledge and their application skills.

Accounting and Finance courses

Why study Accounting and Finance at Bristol?

Bristol has a reputation for producing high-quality graduates, with strong quantitative skills. Our graduates are highly sought after and those of you who choose to continue into the accounting profession will find that you are eligible for several exemptions from all CCAB examining bodies including ICAEW, ACCA and CIMA. The department is small enough to be friendly and offer strong student support, including small-group tutorials for every subject, yet big enough to provide an international experience. Although most of our students come from the UK, we have a diverse international intake, as well as strong links with partner institutions in Europe, such as the University of Valencia. As one of the UK's major centres for financial services, Bristol offers plenty of opportunities for those interested in careers in accounting or finance.

What kind of student would this course suit?

You will enjoy these courses if you are interested in issues such as: how financial information can be prepared and used to support decision-making, for example how to choose between different projects or investments; how financial markets operate; and determining the values of assets such as stocks and shares. You will also enjoy studying Accounting/Finance with us if you like a balance of approaches in your learning. Our subjects are weighted between academic/theoretical study and technical/professional learning thus allowing you to maximise the practical experiences of studying accounting as well as benefit from the rigours of an academic discipline. Our teaching staff offers a balance of leading researchers and qualified accountants, and your contact time will combine lectures, small-group tutorials and informal drop-in classes. Our courses will also suit you if you are seeking exemptions from professional examinations after graduating.

How is this course taught and assessed?

We teach using a variety of methods. As well as standard lectures in which new material is introduced to a large group of students, we run exercise lectures (which involve application of material) and small-group tutorials (usually up to 15 students each). These small-group tutorials are a distinctive aspect of teaching here at Bristol and enable valuable interaction and discussion with a tutor and with peers that is simply not as effective or rewarding as in larger groups. You will prepare assignments during the year and we will give feedback to help you learn from your work. Degree classifications are determined primarily by way of examinations in the summer, although you can choose some units which include a coursework element as part of the final assessment. For Accounting and Finance with Study in Continental Europe, your year abroad contributes 10% of the final mark.

What are my career prospects?

Our graduates have among the best employment prospects in the UK. In 2011 76% of graduates entered employment, of which 65% chose accounting/auditing/taxation with major accounting firms, 25% went into investment banking/asset management/financial analysis with employers such as Morgan Stanley and UBS, and 10% chose other areas.