Accounting and Finance | MSc | University of Lincoln

Welcome to MSc Accounting and Finance

MSc Accounting and Finance is designed to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and understanding of core accounting and finance principles.

The programme provides students with the opportunity to gain a clear understanding of the joint role of accounting and finance in ensuring successful operations in a range of business settings. Students can develop their understanding of the key principles and practical skills required to prepare and analyse accounts and related financial information, and learn about financial management decision making and the methods used to raise finance for companies.

MSc Accounting and Finance students will be exempted from CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accounting) papers BA1, BA2, BA3 and BA4, AIA (Association of International Accountants) Paper 1 and Paper 6 as well as ACCA F1, F2 and F3 papers.

This programme is available for both a September and February start.

The course is offered with two separate pathways. Students can either complete one year of study or undertake a two-year course where one year is spent in Professional Practice to gain hands-on experience through a paid placement. Students will be responsible for sourcing their own paid placements but will be supported by dedicated employability specialists. Please note: the Professional Practice pathway is only available for a September start.

How You Study

The taught element of the programme consists of six compulsory modules and one optional module.

Term 1 modules:
- Financial Accounting - Single Entity (30 credits)
- Decision Analysis for Managers (15 credits)
- Corporate Finance I (15 credits)

Term 2 modules:
- Financial Accounting - Group Reporting (15 credits)
- Current Issues in Governance and Finance (15 credits)
- Corporate Finance II (15 credits)
- Option (15 credits)

Optional modules:
- Bond Markets and Investment Analysis
- Community Organisation, Sustainability, and Development
- Comparative Human Resource Management
- Global Supply Strategies
- International Entrepreneurship
- Investment Banking
- International Macroeconomics and Finance
- Quantitative Methods for Economics and Finance II
- Strategy Making

Optional modules will run if at least ten students select them. Timetabling arrangements may limit the availability of modules to some students. As the options reflect staff research interests, they may change over time.

In addition to the modules above, students are expected to undertake a compulsory element comprising Research Methods (15 credits) and Independent Study (45 credits).

Delivery methods vary between modules but will include a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops, guest speakers, and case studies, allowing students the opportunity to not only learn from experts in each module but also have the time to undertake independent research and practice questions to consolidate learning.

This programme is available for both a September and February start. Optional modules may be restricted for those choosing to enrol in February due to student numbers, timetabling, and staffing constraints. Please note that February admission is only available for full-time study.

Students must enrol for one of these options:
- the one-year option without placement, or
- the two-year option which includes a placement.

Students will not be able to change from the one-year option to the two-year option after enrolment. For the two-year option, students must choose the course title that states 'With Professional Practice' when they enrol.

Professional Practice

The two-year Professional Pratice pathyway provides the opportunity to undertake a period of professional practice at the end of the first year to gain hands-on experience through a paid placement. Students will be responsible for sourcing their own paid placements but will be supported by dedicated employability specialists. Students who are accepted onto the Professional Practice programme will attend a consultation with the Placement Coordinator early in their first term to discuss timelines, processes, and requirements. For more information, contact Stephanie Schiaffonati at sschiaffonati@lincoln.ac.uk.

The Professional Practice year is not assessed. However, students will be required to present a placement project linked to their experience. Students who successfully complete their degree with a year in Professional Practice will receive the award title MSc Accounting and Finance with Professional Practice. Those who do not will receive the MSc Accounting and Finance award, or equivalent exit award.

Please note: the Professional Practice pathway is only available for a September start.

Contact Hours and Independent Study

Each module typically consists of two or three weekly teaching hours over a teaching term. Four modules are usually studied per term, equating to eight to 12 hours per week. Part-time students usually study two modules per term, equating to four to six hours of contact time per week. Hours of study can vary from term to term for both full and part-time students and can be spread throughout the week.

Postgraduate level study involves a significant proportion of independent study, exploring the material covered in lectures and seminars. As a general guide, for every hour spent in class, students are expected to spend at least four hours in independent study. For more detailed information please contact the Programme Leader.

An Introduction to Your Modules

† Some courses may offer optional modules. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed. Optional module selection may also be affected by staff availability.

Corporate Finance 1 2023-24FIN9006MLevel 72023-24Corporate Finance introduces the constructs of financial management decision making in modern firms and focuses on investment appraisal and the financing of the firm, dividend policy, capital structure and risk. It will familiarise students with the major theoretical developments and practices in the areas of corporate finance, and aims to encourage students to develop critical thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of diverse practices in areas of capital budgeting, dividend policy, capital structure and risk analysis. Throughout the module students will be expected to draw upon their own experiences and relate these to the theories, concepts and methods being presented.CoreCorporate Finance 2 2023-24FIN9007MLevel 72023-24Following from Corporate Finance 1, this module looks further into the topic of Corporate Finance and advances the perspective that modern organisations can use the ideas of Modern Financial Theory (MFT) to enhance shareholder wealth through the use of derivatives, for example, to manage cash flow volatility. The module then moves to present a detailed analysis of the assumptions of the classical approach to Corporate Finance, by analysing the standard assumptions and presenting other approaches to the understanding of MFT. These are mainly the implications of alternative modus operandi of financial logic, mainly from the perspective of behavioural finance.CoreCurrent Issues in Governance and Finance 2023-24ACC9020MLevel 72023-24This module aims to provide an understanding of, and a challenge to, the wider relevance of the continuing evolution of corporate governance, its basis in law and code, and its interaction with the expectations under the International Financial Reporting Standards environment. You will have the opportunity to develop a critical understanding of current issues affecting financial and non-financial reporting in an international context. The role of the accountant as a financial analyst and advisor is also considered and students are expected to develop their ability to advise on the implications of accounting regulation on reporting.CoreDecision Analysis for Managers 2023-24BUS9040MLevel 72023-24The aim of this module is to enhance the students decision capabilities when confronted with strategic or operational choices. Students will have the opportunity to learn how decision analysis tools can be used to structure and analyse decision problems and how a mix of data and judgement can help decision makers to better achieve their objectives.CoreFinal Project 2023-24BUS9052MLevel 72023-24The final project provides an opportunity for students with a range of experiences and interests to apply and develop their existing skills and knowledge to an independent study project, which affords an opportunity for both the expression of original thought and creativity, together with the application of analytical skills and critical reasoning. Our approach to research projects is to facilitate innovative approaches and diverse pathways to the final assessed piece of work.CoreFinancial Accounting - Group Reporting 2023-24ACC9005MLevel 72023-24This module is designed to provide an introduction to single level group structures and the concept of fair value and inter-group transactions. Students have the opportunity to develop a solid foundation in the techniques of complex group accounting, including foreign subsidiaries and changes in structure.CoreFinancial Accounting - Single Entity 2023-24ACC9021MLevel 72023-24This module looks at financial accounting and financial reporting under International GAAP. It commences with the role and requirements of corporate financial reporting in the UK and explores the increasingly important subjects of ethics and corporate governance. Students will have the opportunity to develop a solid foundation in the techniques of accounts preparation and a critical understanding of key areas of financial accounting for single companies. Throughout the module issues of codes of professional conduct and ethical behaviour are considered.CoreResearch Methods and Design 2022-23BUS9056MLevel 72022-23This module aims to prepare students for undertaking the research for their Masters dissertation or project, and other assignments. It is designed to introduce students to the core principles of research design, the research methods they are likely to encounter in their research, the basics of research design and the organisation of independent study.CoreBond Markets and Investment Analysis 2023-24FIN9097MLevel 72023-24This module provides students with a chance to develop an understanding of the concepts and theory of portfolio analysis with a focus on straight bonds. It explores the analytical framework of bond management techniques and also seeks to introduce and evaluate the measures of investment funds performance. The module is designed to complement the Portfolio Analysis module by providing opportunities to explore how bond pricing works in conjunction with the term structure and credit risk. The module unit is also designed to enable students to develop a conceptual understanding of how investment funds performance can be evaluated.OptionalCommunity Organisation, Sustainability and Development 2023-24BUS9028MLevel 72023-24This module aims to introduce students to a range of non-traditional business models and to challenge established expectations and norms about business ethics, motivations, value-systems and practices. The module presents the notion that enterprises can operate due to motives other than profit-maximisation and that Social Purpose Organisations can exist to fulfil social functions using business models to create an alternative basis for sustainability and development. Students are challenged to think critically about these forms of organisation and their impact on societies (positive and negative). Students are also challenged to consider how issues such as performance management can translate into the operations of community enterprises.OptionalComparative Human Resource Management 2023-24HRM9039MLevel 72023-24This module is designed to introduce students to the principal issues underlying international and comparative human resource management (IHRM) in a global context. Such issues have risen in prominence due to increasing trade liberalisation, globalisation, spread of multinational corporations (MNCs), outsourcing to Asia, developmental focus on Africa and economic integration within the European Union. As firms increasingly internationalise, suitable strategies for managing human resources have become critical to competition between the MNCs. Students can develop an insight into managing human resources in different national contexts and examine those global and national factors that impact approaches taken to international human resource management. More specifically, the module aims to discuss and analyse those factors which result in variations in HRM practices and policies across national business systems.OptionalGlobal Procurement and Supply Strategy 2023-24LOG9705MLevel 72023-24In order to ensure organisational success, we must seek to manage relationships with upstream and downstream suppliers and customers to deliver increased customer value at less cost to the supply chain overall. It is often argued that an organisation is only as a good as its supply chain and that the global supply chain can be a key source of competitive advantage. In the age of globalisation, many organisations are only as good as their global supply chains. Global supply chains give the organisation access to strategic resources and enable them to compete in global markets. Procurement and Supply Chain Management as a discipline has changed considerably in many companies and organisations in the recent past. Considering the amount of money generally involved in the preparation and execution of procurement and supply decisions, this is not a surprise and it has been argued that an effective and efficient operating purchasing and supply function can make an important contribution to company results and also add significant value. Traditionally, the procurement department has acted as the intermediary which negotiates the agreements and contracts with suppliers and subsequently monitors their compliance to those agreements. However, this traditional role is changing rapidly and procurement and supply chain managers are assuming more strategic roles within organisations, focused on achieving better performance from suppliers though approaches such as more active management of supplier relationships.OptionalInternational Entrepreneurship 2023-24BUS9024MLevel 72023-24Entrepreneurship is an essential skillset in the development at global level of new and existing businesses, social enterprises, and more broadly societies and their economies. Enterprise is defined as the application of creative ideas and innovations to practical situations, combining creativity, ideas development, and problem-solving with expression, communication, and practical action. Entrepreneurship is the application of enterprise skills to creating and growing organisations in an international context in order to identify and build on opportunities. This module draws on the latest UK QAA Guidance on Enterprise and Entrepreneurship in Higher Education and aims to develop, at an international level, enterprise awareness, an entrepreneurial mindset, and entrepreneurial capability, which can lead to entrepreneurial effectiveness which can be applied in a range of contexts.OptionalInternational Macroeconomics and Finance 2023-24FIN9026MLevel 72023-24This module equips students with an in-depth and applied-oriented understanding of theoretical and empirical problems addressed in the field known as International Finance (also known as International Macroeconomics / Open Macroeconomics) and to bring students up to the research frontier in International Finance. It draws heavily on financial modelling and financial econometrics.OptionalInvestment Banking 2023-24FIN9023MLevel 72023-24The module focuses on the role of investment bankers who have to deal with typical transactions in the capital markets from debt and equity capital market products to mergers and acquisitions and more structured products such as leverage buyouts. The module also analyses typical products, the process of investment banking and how typical investment banking transactions are implemented.OptionalLincoln Student Managed Investment Fund - Masters 2023-24FIN9106MLevel 72023-24Initiated from 2015 and officially founded in 2018, the LSMIF is set up with a structure similar to any other professionally run fund management company with students running every aspect of the fund, from CEO to analyst. It is one of only few of this kind in the United Kingdom. The fund uses money raised from donors to invest in shares of companies listed on London Stock Exchange. It is organized, run and managed the same way as an investment company in the real world. The fund has got sponsorship and advisory support from UK leading wealth management companies such as Brewin Dolphin and Mattioli Woods with senior officers from them joining the Board of Advisors. This fund gives students the opportunity to work as analysts, investment managers, CFO, CIO, CEO etc. Students also have the chances to meet, discuss and learn from experts in the field in Quarterly Investment Committee Meetings series. Students are given additional training relating to their works.OptionalProfessional Practice 2023-24TOU9167MLevel 72023-24This course is also available with a Professional Practice pathway. This two-year version of the degree provides the opportunity to undertake a period of professional practice at the end of first year to gain hands-on experience through a paid work placement. Students will be responsible for sourcing their own paid placements but will be supported by academic staff. Students will be interviewed before being accepted onto the Professional Practice programme to assess their understanding of the work involved and commitment to finding a Professional Practice placement. The professional practice (PP) period is not credit bearing and will not count towards the overall degree; however, to have the PP element attached to the degree, students are required to present a placement project linked to their experience while being in industry (e.g. learning outcomes, key skills developed, nature of the work and responsibilities). The presentation can be delivered face-to-face while the academic placement supervisor is visiting the student/organisation or via Skype if there are limitations (e.g. location). Throughout the PP period, students will be in touch with the University by having regular contact with their allocated supervisor. Students will be expected to complete a negotiated work based project as their dissertation.OptionalQuantitative Methods for Economics and Finance II 2023-24FIN9028MLevel 72023-24The aim of this module is to build on the work in Quantitative Methods for Economics and Finance I while focusing on specific quantitative analytical techniques. The models examined are: Dynamic, ARIMA, GARCH, VAR and ECM, among others. The EViews statistical software and the BLOOMBERG data provider are essential to the learning objectives and assessment of the module.OptionalStrategy Making 2023-24BUS9048MLevel 72023-24Strategy is the heart of every organisation. This module explores how strategy is conceived, how it affects the organisation and how the organisation can be designed to realise its strategy efficiently and effectively. The module aims to support students in developing their strategic thinking skills through a review of diverse theories, models and practical exercises.OptionalSustainability Reporting and Business Ethics 2023-24ACC9027MLevel 72023-24Sustainability practices are wide ranging and include various managerial decisions, monitoring environmental damage, and external financial reporting. In light of climate change and recent environmental disasters, sustainability practices are a growing concern to investors, creditors and regulators, all of whom demand greater transparency and accountability. The first part of the module provides an in-depth overview of current issues and best practices in sustainability and integrated reporting from both managerial and financial perspectives and develops an understanding of an essential role that sustainability practices and transparency play in corporate governance worldwide. The second part of the module, which is designed with support of the Institute of Business Ethics, focuses on business ethical issues and ethical decision-making. The module aims to develop students, as future business leaders, managers or governance professionals, who understand and appreciate the importance of going beyond numbers and supporting good ethical business practices to help companies to sustain long-term success. The module examines the responsibilities of organisations to different stakeholder groups and develops an understanding of fundamental ethical principles and ethical dilemmas in organisations across different job roles. The module also aims to explore the role of information technology (IT) in sustainability governance, a range of ethical questions that arise from the use of IT in business, and how IT can support organisations sustainability strategies.Optional

How you are assessed

The programme utilises a range of assessments including project work, group presentation, assignment, objective test, and examination. Students are also expected to write a research proposal and 12,000-word dissertation.

Fees and Funding

For eligible students, there are more ways than ever before to fund your postgraduate study, whether you want to do a taught or research course. For those wishing to undertake a Master's course, UK students can apply for a loan as a contribution towards the course and living costs. Loans are also available to those who wish to undertake doctoral study. The University offers a number of scholarships and funded studentships for those interested in postgraduate study. Learn how Master's and PhD loans, scholarships, and studentships can help you fund your studies on our Postgraduate Fees and Funding pages.

Programme Fees

Programme-Specific Additional Costs

For each course you may find that there are additional costs. These may be with regard to the specific clothing, materials or equipment required, depending on your course.

With regards to text books, the University provides students who enrol with a comprehensive reading list and you will find that our extensive library holds either material or virtual versions of the core texts that you are required to read. However, you may prefer to purchase some of these for yourself and you will be responsible for this cost.

Entry Requirements 2023-24

First or second class honours degree and grade C in GCSE Mathematics.

Please note that this course may not be suitable for students who have completed an undergraduate programme in accounting or finance within the UK.

If you have studied outside of the UK, and are unsure whether your qualification meets the above requirements, please visit our country pages https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studywithus/internationalstudents/entryrequirementsandyourcountry/ for information on equivalent qualifications.

Overseas students will be required to demonstrate English language proficiency equivalent to IELTS 6.0 overall, with a minimum of 5.5 in each element. For information regarding other English language qualifications we accept, please visit the English Requirements page https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studywithus/internationalstudents/englishlanguagerequirementsandsupport/englishlanguagerequirements/.

If you do not meet the above IELTS requirements, you may be able to take part in one of our Pre-session English and Academic Study Skills courses. https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studywithus/internationalstudents/englishlanguagerequirementsandsupport/pre-sessionalenglishandacademicstudyskills/ . These specialist courses are designed to help students meet the English language requirements for their intended programme of study.

Accreditations and Memberships

Student Managed Investment Fund

Lincoln International Business School offers the Student Managed Investment Fund (LSMIF), which is an investment fund created, operated, and maintained by students within the school, with everything running within the real-world environment of finance.

Students will be managing real money with the objective of positive returns while managing risk. Industry veteran and long-time lecturer Hao Quach will help support the students throughout, with many years of experience in all aspects of investment banking and 20 years teaching in multiple countries, Hao will use his experience to ensure the stability of the fund and provide guidance. Read more about the Student Managed Investment Fund.

Industry Expertise

Students on this programme can benefit from working alongside an experienced team of staff consisting of academically and professionally qualified lecturers with relevant industrial experience and wide-ranging research interests. The School also hosts a series of visiting speakers each year, enabling students to hear and learn from industry experts. Previous speakers have included representatives from organisations such as Deloitte, Santander, HSBC, Innocent, The Institute of Internal Auditors, and Sir David Tweedie (ex-Chairman of the IASB).

Broaden Your Horizons

Lincoln International Business School students can expand their horizons, visit our partner universities, and see international business in action by joining funded international trips to exciting overseas destinations. Places are awarded competitively to eligible students each academic year.

Find out more about our funded field trip places for students.

Career and Personal Development

This course provides the opportunity to develop analytical skills which can be highly valued by employers in the public and private sectors. Graduates have gone on to careers as accountants and roles in financial management and financial reporting.

Working in Partnership

Lincoln International Business School works with students and organisations to enhance the contribution of business to society. For students, that means developing their business skills and knowledge to improve their career readiness.

The University of Lincoln is a member of AACSB, a global nonprofit association connecting educators, students, and businesses to achieve a common goal: to create the next generation of great leaders. Find out more.

Postgraduate Events

Find out more about how postgraduate study can help further your career, develop your knowledge, or even prepare you to start your own business at one of our postgraduate events.

Find out More