Accounting and Finance is a very broad sector with many career opportunities to work in all sorts of industries and businesses.
Whether you decide that you would like to work in an accounts team in a small business, finance for a big corporate, an investment bank, or as a management accountant at one of the big firms, an undergraduate degree is a great starting point that will help you learn many key skills.
The types of roles within accounting include (but are not limited to):
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Business Recovery
- Finance Director
- Forensic Accountant
- Fraud Prevention
- Finance Analyst
- Stockbroker
- Corporate Reporting
- Tax
- Auditor
To become a qualified accountant, you will need a professional accountancy qualification. Work experience can also help you learn how to implement the skills and techniques that are covered in your studies.
What are examples of the different professional qualifications I can study?
ACCA
The ACCA qualification is based on international accounting standards and is independently benchmarked for quality. Awarded by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, this qualification is for those who would like to progress in finance, business or accountancy. When you complete the qualification you will be a Chartered Certified Accountant.
If you have completed an undergraduate accounting-based degree you may be exempt from completing some of the papers required to gain the ACCA qualification. The BSc Hons Accounting and Management at the Ulster University branch campuses carries exemptions for 9 of the ACCA papers.
CIMA
The Chartered Institute of Management Accounts (CIMA) qualifications are aimed at those who want to be a Chartered Management Accountant in business or industry. CIMA’s Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) Professional Qualification is recognised worldwide as a highly relevant global finance qualification for careers business.
There are 2 different levels: the Certificate in Business Accounting, which also serves as an entry route to the professional qualification, and the CGMA Professional Qualification.
Other qualifications
There are of course still lots of other professional accounting qualifications that you can study to further progress your career depending on your personal goals. These include ACA (ICAEW), AAT, ATT, CFAB, CIPFA and FIA.
Average salaries
Salaries will vary across industries, qualifications, by city and of course in different parts of the world. However, an average salary for an entry-level accountant in the UK is £25,000-£30,000. The average national salary in the UK for an accountant is around £50,000, rising to over £60,000 for senior and managerial roles and £90,000-£150,000+ for Director and Partner roles.
BSc Hons Accounting and Management
The BSc Hons Accounting and Management undergraduate programme delivered at the Ulster University London branch campus is taught over 3 years and provides a comprehensive grounding in theory and practice, and an excellent foundation to becoming a qualified accountant with exemptions for 9 papers for the ACCA qualification. This programme also has triple accreditation from ACCA, CIMA, and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).
Upon completion of your degree, you should find your combination of knowledge and skills in demand with a wide range of potential employers and you will be empowered either to embark immediately on a professional career in accountancy or to undertake further study at Masters level.