BSc (Hons) Accounting Bachelor's degree at Durham University
BSc (Hons) Accounting at Durham University. Studying Accounting at Durham means training within a degree that has been shaped in close consultation with the accounting profession and industry itself, rather than being built solely from academic theory.
About this course
Accounting N408 - Durham University Skip to main content BSc (Hons) Accounting Developed with strong links to the accounting profession and industry, when you graduate from this professionally-accredited degree you’ll be perfectly placed to embark on a career in the world of accounting. From the provider’s course page.
BSc (Hons) Accounting is a Bachelor's degree (BSc (Hons)) at Durham University, based in Durham Campus. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Accounting graduates from this provider, 95% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 85% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £40,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Accounting & Finance, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Limited evidence Published sample: 20; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 95% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 86% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 7 modules
- Financial AccountingCompulsory
Module details
teaches the techniques of double entry accounting and its application in recording transactions, adjusting financial records and preparing non-complex financial statements
- Quantitative Methods 1Compulsory
Module details
provides the fundamental quantitative techniques needed for your degree. Additionally, it provide a rigorous introduction to the foundation mathematical techniques needed for various modules throughout the degree programme
- Fundamentals of Management AccountingCompulsory
Module details
teaches you to understand, apply and critically appraise the fundamental knowledge and techniques that underpin the area of management accounting, from planning and control to costing and decision making
- Ethics and Sustainability in AccountingCompulsory
Module details
will introduce you to the social and ethical contexts in which business operate, using real-world examples. You will learn about the professional codes of ethics, learn to identify when an issue arises and develop the skills to propose alternative solutions. Additionally, you will gain understanding of the UN Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) and their implication in the wider business societies
- Introduction to Financial EconomicsCompulsory
Module details
introduces the basic principles of microeconomics and macroeconomics. Microeconomics explores areas including the role of consumers and businesses in the marketplace, markets in action, market structure, strategic rivalry and growth strategies. Macroeconomics includes exchange rates and the balance of payments, globalisation, fiscal policy, inflation, unemployment and economic growth
- Foundations of FinanceCompulsory
Module details
introduces the key principles of corporate finance and their importance to firms. It also provides you with a solid grounding in issues of finance as they relate to business and financial markets
- Professional Skills DevelopmentCompulsory
Module details
enables you to develop the skills you need to be successful as a professional in the world of work
Year 2 5 modules
- Financial ManagementCompulsory
Module details
explores the areas of financing, managing financial risk and investment decisions. You will learn how businesses operate and how accounting and finance functions support businesses in achieving their objectives
- Management AccountingCompulsory
Module details
covers the major techniques in modern management accountancy including decision making, appraising risk and budget control
- Personal TaxationCompulsory
Module details
looks at areas such as income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, corporation tax, inheritance tax, VAT and stamp taxes
- Intermediate Financial ReportingCompulsory
Module details
explores international accounting and reporting concepts and ethics, single company financial statements and consolidated financial statements. You will also learn about International Financial Reporting Standards and how it applies to specified scenarios
- AssuranceCompulsory
Module details
develops your understanding of the critical aspects of managing an assurance engagement (including audit engagements). It covers the process from acceptance, planning and managing through to concluding and reporting
Year 3 1 modules
- Dissertation in AccountingCompulsory
Module details
on an accounting topic of your choice, develops your ability to plan and manage your own learning. It provides you with an opportunity to research the topic and present your findings and conclusions
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
The course is built around a progression that moves from grounding to independence. You'll begin with core theory, establishing the accounting principles, frameworks and financial concepts that everything else builds upon. Alongside this sits work on research and methods, giving you the analytical tools to interrogate financial information and evidence rather than simply accepting it. As you move through the degree, applied practice becomes more central, connecting theory to the kinds of problems and decisions that arise in real accounting and business contexts. You'll also have the chance to pursue specialist options, allowing you to steer part of your studies toward areas that interest you most, such as particular strands within accounting and finance that suit your intended career direction. Professional skills are woven throughout rather than treated as an afterthought, reflecting the course's links to the profession. The degree culminates in an independent project, where you take ownership of a substantial piece of work from start to finish, a useful test of the judgement and rigour that accounting work demands.
Who it's for
This course suits someone who is comfortable with numbers but equally drawn to the reasoning behind them, the rules, judgements and frameworks that shape how financial information is prepared, checked and interpreted. If you like problems that have a right answer but also require you to justify how you got there, the analytical and research-based elements of this degree will feel like a natural fit. You should be someone who doesn't mind precision and detail, but who also wants to see how that detail connects to bigger organisational and economic decisions, the applied practice and specialist options are there for exactly that kind of curiosity. It also suits students who like the idea of building toward something substantial and self-directed, since the independent project asks you to work autonomously over a sustained period. Given that most entrants arrive with A-levels or equivalent, typically within the 160–175 UCAS tariff range, you're likely to be joining a cohort of similarly prepared, quietly ambitious students who are serious about a future in the accounting profession without needing that seriousness to be loudly stated.
Careers & job market
Nationally, across Accounting & Finance courses, 87% of graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with 65% of working graduates in highly skilled roles or further study, figures that reflect the broader graduate labour market for this field rather than any outcome specific to Durham. National earnings data (Graduate Outcomes/LEO) for the field show starting salaries 15 months after graduation ranging from £25,000 to £32,500, moving to £23,375–£33,000 after three years, and £30,175–£42,600 after five years. These are national figures across the subject area, not guarantees tied to this particular course, and individual outcomes will vary considerably depending on sector, region and role. Nationally, 85% of students in this field continue past their first year, either still enrolled or having completed their studies, which gives some indication of how manageable the transition into this kind of degree tends to be.
University & format
Durham University is a public, research-intensive institution and a member of the Russell Group, founded in 1832 and home to around 19,520 students in total. It holds a Silver award for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023 assessment and was. This particular degree is delivered full-time over three years at Durham's campus, entirely in English, and carries accreditation from AACSB and the EFMD Quality Improvement System, tying it into recognised international standards for business education alongside its status as a nationally recognised UK degree.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
The provider publishes contextual-offer information. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
Placement year. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 100% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students typically held strong UCAS tariffs. Check how your predicted grades compare and whether a contextual offer applies.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at Durham University →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Accounting & Finance graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £40,000 | £32,000 – £50,000 | 20 |
| 3 years after | £44,000 | £31,000 – £52,500 | 160 |
| 5 years after | £55,000 | £39,000 – £71,500 | 165 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 20; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in accounting & finance · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Accounting & Finance nationally
National figures for Accounting & Finance graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 20; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Accounting & Finance courses at the same study level.
Compared with 957 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Finance ProfessionalsSOC 2020 242 · 60% of published destinations · ASHE median £47,173
- Administrative occupationsSOC 2020 41 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,006
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 65; response rate: 60%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Accounting & Finance graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Accounting & Finance graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- The Big Four (Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG)
- Banks & insurers
- Corporate finance teams
- HMRC & public sector
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Accounting & Finance graduates.
Accounting & FinanceLecturerGEDU Global EducationAccounting Engineer - Pre-Sales & Post SalesStacksAccounting Advisory Manager | Lead Client Projects HybridCFGIAccounting, Insight and Advisory ManagerRSM UKAccounting & FinanceLecturerGEDU ServicesAccounting Associate Apprentice Business Services (September 2026)Best ApprenticeshipsIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
95% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £40,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 9.1 out of 10: NSS 92% · in work or study 95% · continued 86%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
University of Durham
Business and management across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Durham Campus
698 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Accounting & Finance right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to Durham University from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £42,000 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check Durham University’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with Durham University and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Durham University
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
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