3-Term Pathway - Pre-Master's in Business and Management - Continue to Master of Science - Accounting and Financial Management

This program will prepare studsents for entry to a postgraduate degree at the triple-accredited Lancaster University Management School, ranked world top 70 for Business and Management Studies (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023).

Accounting today is increasingly complex and global in scope. The MSc Accounting and Financial Management programme provides academic training at the frontier of accounting and financial management knowledge. It’s an excellent foundation on which students can build their career in accountancy, investment banking or financial analysis.

During this programme, if students meet minimum performance criteria during their first term, they will have the chance to train for and sit the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Level 1 professional exam during the programme. Upon successful completion of the master's, students will also automatically secure Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) exemptions from most of the Fundamental level papers depending on their module choices during the second term, and 11 exemptions from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) CGMA qualification.

The programme balances theory with applied learning, using practical working examples to enhance skills and understanding. Students will learn about the principles of financial reporting and the foundation of finance, and have the chance to study modules such as financial statement analysis, advanced management accounting or advanced investment management. To help address the industry’s skills gap and give them a competitive edge in the jobs market, students will also have the opportunity to develop key transferable job market skills such as data analysis, and computer programming (using Python, R, Stata, MATLAB, and SAS); and will receive training in industry-standard data platforms such as Bloomberg and FactSet.

Students are encouraged to select their dissertation according to their future career path. Dissertations are managed in streams and students will be invited to presentation sessions by the stream leader. They will then choose from either empirical asset pricing, accounting, CFA level 1, or corporate finance. Students will attend lectures and workshops designed to introduce them to the key literature and research methods on which their dissertation topic is based.

Throughout the programme, students will have access to the School’s career support. Advisers will help shape a one-to-one plan to ensure they make the most of their time here.