Program Overview

What’s the difference between financial and management accounting? How can accountants help improve business for the better?

Accounting informs almost all areas of business, from strategy to outsourcing and operational planning to environmental policies. At Essex Business School, accounting means more than cutting costs and managing transactions. It’s vital for ensuring accountability by encouraging sound, ethical decision making so that you can make a positive impact in the workplace.

From an undergraduate accounting degree at Essex you gain a firm understanding of the financial drivers underpinning business leadership, strategy, planning, governance and ethics. You explore both financial and management accounting and use case studies to apply theory to practice, skills which will be in an increasingly high demand from employers over the coming years.

You’ll gain a broad understanding of accounting and benefit from academic expertise in a range of areas, studying topics such as:

• Preparation and analysis of financial statements
• Regulation in governing accounting practice
• Principles of cost accumulation
• Financial and management accounting theory
• Providing information to managers to assist their decision making

We ensure you gain a fully-rounded business education by introducing you to subjects such as finance, management, marketing and economics in your first year. In your second and final years, you can choose from selected optional modules to tailor the programme to your accounting career aspirations.

In your final year of your accounting degree, you have the opportunity to put your knowledge into practice by completing an in-depth, independent research project or dissertation. This will give you the chance to further develop vital employability skills in areas of research, time management and critical thinking.

You join an international community of students and staff, working to make organisations better places to do business.

Placement year

You may decide to opt for a placement year, where you develop your professional skills and build a network of business contacts. A placement year can give you a career advantage by showing future employers that you are a dedicated and experienced professional.

The Student Development Team can offer bespoke support throughout the process of researching, applying and interviewing for placements. However, it is your responsibility to apply, prepare for and secure your own role. Most recently, our students have gained placements with organisations such as BMW, Samsung and Cummins.