• Postgraduate

Finance and Accounting MSc

Overview

Overview

The MSc Finance suite of courses is designed to equip you with the knowledge and technical skills required to meet the needs and demands of the profession and make a more meaningful contribution to the organisations they work for. 

The various pathways will provide you with further opportunities to pursue rewarding careers by exploring areas relevant to your chosen subject specialism.

The MSc Finance and Accounting is an engaging course that will develop your strategic thinking and critical understanding of the main principles of accounting, finance, taxation and auditing, including contemporary issues and developments in the profession.  

UWL’s suite of finance courses opens up a range of opportunities in a multitude of industries across the world, and our graduates are currently employed at banks and financial institutions, management consultancy firms, five-star hotel chains and healthcare organisations.

Teaching hours

Classes will be scheduled for 2-3 days per week.

Study options

As well as the full-time option, this course can be studied with:

Pre-Masters: If you have an undergraduate degree but do not meet the entry criteria or English language requirements for this course, you may qualify for our Extended Masters or Enhanced Extended Masters courses. 

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Select your desired study option, then pick a start date to see relevant course information:

Study options:
We support flexible study by offering some of our courses part-time or via distance learning. To give you real world experience before you graduate, we also offer some courses with a placement or internship. All available options are listed here. Your choices may affect some details of your course, such as the duration and cost per year. Please re-check the details on this page if you change your selection.

Start date:

If your desired start date is not available, try selecting a different study option.

Why study Finance and Accounting with us?

Why study Finance and Accounting with us?

What our students say…

CLBS gave me the opportunity to start my ACCA journey through my BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance degree. I built a strong foundation which helped me tremendously in completing my ACCA Strategic Professional exams.

I also chose CLBS to pursue my Masters in Finance and Accounting at UWL because of its incredible teaching personnel and resources. I can say without hesitation that UWL has got your back!

Djazia Benghezal, BAAF and MSc Finance and Accounting

I graduated from the Claude Littner Business School and secured the role of Treasury Accountant within the NHS! This course really enhanced my academic and technical expertise, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for that extra career boost.

Udena Wanninayake, MSc Finance and Accounting
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50% of the world's top 300 companies are located within 15 miles of our campus
Industry focused teaching
Graphic advising on-site Macs and PC Labs
Access to Perlego
Course detail & modules

Course detail & modules

We are a leading provider of national and international business and finance education, winning accolades such as Public Sector Accountancy College of the Year at the PQ Awards 2021. 

Thanks to our West London location – close to the Thames Valley’s M4 corridor, Heathrow Airport and the City of London – and our longstanding reputation, we have formed strong connections with a number of potential employers.  

If you are a Finance or Business graduate and interested in pursuing a career in accounting and finance, this course would give you the opportunity to gain more specialist knowledge. 

When you study finance and accounting at UWL, you will have direct contact with our course tutors who have extensive theoretical knowledge and industry experience. Their combined expertise will support your professional development throughout the course. 

Pre-Masters (Extended Masters and Enhanced Extended Masters)

Our Extended Masters and Enhanced Extended Masters courses are intended for students who already have an undergraduate degree but don't meet the entry requirements to study for a Masters degree.

Over a full-time semester, you will study four modules specially designed to improve your academic and English language skills:

  • Advanced Study Skills
  • Critical Thinking, Analysis and Evaluation
  • Statistics
  • English (Business English on the Enhanced course)

Once completed, you will progress directly onto the core Masters course.

What's the difference between an Extended Masters and an Enhanced Extended Masters? The Enhanced Extended Masters is similar to the Extended Masters but with a greater focus on improving your English skills. It also includes a Business English module which will allow you to gain a full understanding of this critical subject area.

For more information see our Pre-Masters page. 

Compulsory modules

We recommend you have prior experience in the relevant areas if you want to take the Taxation or Audit modules.
  • Management Skills for Finance Professionals

    This module aims to provide, through practice within authentic tasks, a comprehensive and enhanced understanding of critical enquiry, team working, presentation skills and business ideas. By learning to enquire more critically, you will become more analytical about truth, claims and learn to differentiate between evidence-based recommendations, arguments or policies and unsubstantiated opinion. Your knowledge and understanding of the Harvard referencing system would also be further developed through this module.

  • Corporate Financial Reporting

    The module covers the essentials of financial reporting principles and practices. You will learn to apply your knowledge and skills, as well as how to exercise professional judgement to a variety of business contexts and situations.

  • Corporate Financial Management

    The aims of this module are to introduce you to:

    •  a critical review of business finance theory and practice
    • capital investment decision-making techniques and their applications
    • apply acquired knowledge of theory in a real-life context.
  • Business Statistics and Forecasting

    In this module, you will be introduced to some fundamental methods of statistical analysis, research and forecasting used in business.

  • Tax System and Policy

  • Auditing in Practice

  • Dissertation

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

You should have an honours degree (2:2 or above) from a UK university or equivalent in accounting and finance subjects. We will also consider anyone with an associate membership of a recognised professional accountancy body. We may also offer you a place based on relevant experience or training, normally from within the work environment. All applications are considered individually. 

Find out more about our processes for recognising previous experience

Extended Masters Degree

To study the Extended Masters programme you will need:

  • a Bachelor's degree
  • international students need to meet our English language requirements of IELTS 6.5 or above and a minimum of 5.5 for each of the individual components (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening).
Enhanced Extended Masters Degree

To study the Enhanced Extended Masters programme you will need:

  • a Bachelor's degree
  • international students must meet our English language requirements at IELTS 6.0 or above, and a minimum of 5.5 for each of the individual components (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening).

Please note: If you qualify for a regular Masters, you will not be accepted on the Extended Masters or Enhanced Extended Masters course.

6.5 IELTS or above

You need to meet our English language requirement of 6.5 overall score for IELTS, with a minimum of 5.5 for each of the 4 individual components (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening). Visit our English language requirements page for information on other English language tests we accept.

You also need academic qualifications at the same level as UK applicants. In some countries where teaching is in English, we may accept local qualifications. Check for local equivalents.

We offer pre-sessional English language courses if you do not meet these requirements. Find out more about our English Language courses.

Extended Masters Degree

To study the Extended Masters programme you will need:

  • a Bachelor's degree
  • international students need to meet our English language requirements of IELTS 6.5 or above and a minimum of 5.5 for each of the individual components (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening).
Enhanced Extended Masters Degree

To study the Enhanced Extended Masters programme you will need:

  • a Bachelor's degree
  • international students must meet our English language requirements at IELTS 6.0 or above, and a minimum of 5.5 for each of the individual components (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening).

Please note: If you qualify for a regular Masters, you will not be accepted on the Extended Masters or Enhanced Extended Masters course.

Fees & funding

Fees & funding

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Please note:

  • Fees for the 2026/27 academic year and onwards may be subject to Government regulation and change.
  • Tuition fees are charged for each year of your course. If your course runs for two years or more, you will need to pay the fee for each academic year at the start of that year.
  • If your course runs for less than two years, the cost above is for your full course and you will need to pay the full fee upfront.
  • If no fee is shown above then the fees for this course are not available yet. Please check again later for updates.

Funding your studies

If you are studying a Masters course you may be eligible to apply for a Postgraduate Loan, this may help contribute towards your course fees and living costs.

Additional funding is available to some types of students, such as disabled students or those with dependants.

We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries, including awards for specific subjects. Awards for business students are also on offer. 

{{ formatCurrencyValue(currentVariantData.field_p_cv_int_main_fee.name) }} per year

Please note:

  • Fees for the 2026/27 academic year and onwards may be subject to Government regulation and change.
  • Tuition fees are charged for each year of your course. If your course runs for two years or more, you will need to pay the fee for each academic year at the start of that year.
  • If your course runs for less than two years, the cost above is for your full course and you will need to pay the full fee upfront.
  • If no fee is shown above then the fees for this course are not available yet. Please check again later for updates.

International students - funding your studies

We offer scholarships for international students including International Ambassador Scholarships. 

Further information about funding and financial support for international students is available from the UK Council for International Student Affairs.

 

Teaching staff

Teaching staff

Study & career progression

Study & career progression

Two people looking at stats and charts

Once you graduate with an MSc Finance and Accounting you will be ready to apply for senior roles in accountancy. You could go on to work as a: 

  • financial controller
  • audit senior
  • financial analyst
  • senior accountant.

On completion of the course, you may be eligible to apply for a doctoral programme.

How to apply

How to apply

Important notes for applicants

Disclaimer

*Modern universities - defined as higher education institutions that were granted university status in, and subsequent to, 1992.

**The National Student Survey 2023 and 2024 - Average of answers to all questions by registered student population. Excludes specialist institutions.

Testimonials - our students or former students provided all of our testimonials - often a student from the course but sometimes another student. For example, the testimonial often comes from another UWL student when the course is new.

Optional modules - where optional modules are offered they will run subject to staff availability and viable student numbers opting to take the module.

Videos - all videos on our course pages were accurate at the time of filming. In some cases a new Course Leader has joined the University since the video was filmed.

Availability of placements - if you choose a course with placement/internship route we would like to advise you that if a placement/internship opportunity does not arise when you are expected to undertake the placement then the University will automatically transfer you to the non-internship route, this is to ensure you are still successful in being awarded a degree.