MAcc (Hons) Advanced Accounting · Ulster UniversityMaster's degree · 4 years
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MAcc (Hons) Advanced Accounting Master's degree at Ulster University

MAcc (Hons) Advanced Accounting at Ulster University. Founded in 1984, the university is a recognised UK degree-awarding body. The course is accredited by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), Chartered Accountants Ireland, and the Association of Chartered…

MAcc
Award
4
Years
Full-time
Study mode
74%
continuation

About this course

MAcc (Hons) Advanced Accounting is a Master's degree (MAcc) at Ulster University, based in Belfast. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.

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.

8.3
/ 10
2 of 3 official measures
Student satisfaction
What students say in the National Student Survey
Exceptional92

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)

Continuation
Students who continue past their first year
Strong74

Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 74% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)

Curriculum & modules

A typical UK Accounting & Finance degree builds from foundations to specialist options and a final project. An indicative structure:

StageModule
Year 1Financial Accounting
Double-entry, financial statements and the reporting framework.
Year 1Introduction to Finance
Time value of money, markets and instruments, risk and return.
Year 1Quantitative Methods for Business
Statistics and spreadsheet modelling for financial decisions.
Year 2Management Accounting
Costing, budgeting and performance measurement for decision-making.
Year 2Corporate Finance
Capital structure, investment appraisal and company valuation.
Year 2Financial Reporting & Analysis
Interpreting accounts under IFRS; ratios, disclosure and audit basics.
Year 3Specialist options
Typically audit, taxation, financial risk, fintech or international finance.
Year 3Advanced Corporate Reporting
Group accounts, complex transactions and professional-exam alignment.
Year 3Dissertation / applied project
An independent study, often with professional-body exemptions in view.

Typical structure for this subject (indicative). Modules vary by university. Check the provider's course page for the exact curriculum.

Specialisations & pathways

Tip: click a specialisation → current jobs in that area.

Course in depth

What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.

What you'll study

You'll study the theory and practice of advanced accounting with a focus on professional standards and decision-making. The course builds progressively from core financial and management accounting in Year 1, covering double-entry bookkeeping, financial statements, costing and budgeting, to financial reporting and analysis in Year 2. In Year 3, you'll move to specialist options such as audit & assurance, taxation, corporate finance, financial risk and fintech, alongside advanced corporate reporting covering group accounts and complex transactions. You'll complete an independent dissertation or applied project, often designed to align with professional accounting body requirements. Throughout, you'll develop the technical and analytical skills needed for chartered accountancy practice.

Who it's for

This course suits graduates seeking advanced professional qualification in accounting. Most entrants held A-levels or equivalent qualifications; recent accepted students typically had UCAS tariffs of 128–143 points. The course is taught in English and delivered full-time.

Careers & job market

Across Accounting & Finance courses nationally, 87% of graduates were in work or further study 15 months after graduating. Starting salaries ranged from £25,000 to £32,500 nationally at that point. After three years, graduates earned £23,375–£33,000; after five years, £30,175–£42,600. Nationally, 65% of working graduates in the field were in highly skilled work or further study. First-year continuation stood at 85% across the sector.

University & format

This MAcc (Hons) Advanced Accounting degree is taught full-time over 4 years at Ulster University in Belfast. Instruction is in English. The course is accredited by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), Chartered Accountants Ireland, and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), each recognising it for exemption from some professional examinations. Ulster University is a recognised UK degree-awarding body; degrees are nationally recognised and.

Student satisfaction

How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.

The teaching on my course
95%
Learning opportunities
93%
Assessment and feedback
93%
Academic Support
94%
Organisation and management
93%
Learning resources
92%
Student voice
85%

Share of students responding positively. Overall student satisfaction: 96%.

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 entry deadlineCheck the provider deadline

Most postgraduate courses use provider-specific application dates. UCAS dates

2026 entryLive availability check

Opened 2 July 2026; last choice 19 October 2026. Check vacancies now. A cached page never claims a place is still available.

Entry & how to get in

Most entrants held A-levels or equivalent91% of accepted students came in with A-levels or equivalent (entrants over recent years).
Typical UCAS tariff: 128 - 143 pointsThe most common UCAS tariff band among accepted students. This is what entrants had, not a stated requirement.
Professionally accreditedAccredited by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) for the purpose of exemption from some professional examinations
Professionally accreditedAccredited by Chartered Accountants Ireland for the purpose of exemption from some professional exams
Professionally accreditedAccredited by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) for the purpose of exemptions from some professional examinations
Entry requirements are set by the universityGrades, subjects and contextual offers vary. Check Ulster University's official course page for the current offer.

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

QualificationShare
A-levels or equivalent91%
an Access course6%
another higher-education qualification3%

Entry & your chances

An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.

Offer-based entry

Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.

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.

Add your grades to see where you land

Your points will drop onto the distribution above, with an honest above / within / below read.

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.

Apply byCheck the provider deadlinefor this course
Typical gradesAABA-level equivalent admitted students held
UCAS codeN401quote this on your application
  1. 1
    Register on UCAS Hub

    Create your UCAS application and add this course (code N401). One application covers up to five choices.

  2. 2
    Write 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.

  3. 3
    Submit by Check the provider deadline

    Most postgraduate courses use provider-specific application dates. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.

  4. 4
    Reply to your offers

    When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.

  5. 5
    Results 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.

💡 Many universities make a contextual (reduced-grade) offer, for example based on your school’s results, time in care, or where you live. Ask Ulster University whether you’re eligible before you apply; it can lower the grades you need.

Fees & funding

What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.

Tuition per year

Internationalset by the university

Set under Northern Ireland's student-finance system; the provider's page is authoritative.

Check fees at Ulster University →

If you normally live in Northern Ireland

Studying in Northern Irelandtuition loan up to £4,985
Studying elsewhere in the UKtuition loan up to £9,790

2026/27 maximum Tuition Fee Loan for eligible Northern Ireland students. Maintenance support depends on household income. Students from elsewhere use their home funding body.

Check the current amounts with Student Finance NI →

Paying for it

  • Tuition Fee Loan: up to £4,985 in Northern Ireland or £9,790 elsewhere in the UK for eligible NI-domiciled students in 2026/27.
  • Maintenance support: a mix of grant and loan from Student Finance NI, weighted to household income.
  • Repayment: only above the income threshold, and written off at the end of the plan term.
  • Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.

Northern Ireland runs its own system through Student Finance NI; check studentfinanceni.co.uk for current rates.

Funding matched to this course

Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for

All Ulster University funding →

Named awards published by the university. Compare the eligibility and application route before budgeting for one.

Amounts, exclusions and deadlines can change. An award is not guaranteed unless the university confirms it.

StudyKit · free

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.

Career quizApplication walkthroughSalary & CV check

Careers & earnings

What Accounting & Finance graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.

Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course

74%
continue past their first year
  1. 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
  2. 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in accounting & finance · 2–5 yrs
  3. 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
  4. 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs

How pay grows: this course vs Accounting & Finance nationally

Starting (15 months) HESA GO
£25,000 – £32,500
After 3 years LEO
£23,375 – £33,000
After 5 years LEO
£30,175 – £42,600
national rangeaxis £22,000 – £44,000

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.

74 of 100

continued or completed

continued into the next year or completed their qualification

Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Published threshold met. Sample size is not included in this snapshot. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.

Job market & outlook

How Accounting & Finance graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.

87%
in work or further study 15 months after graduating, across Accounting & Finance courses nationally.
Graduate Outcomes
65%
of working graduates are in highly skilled work or further study.
highly skilled
85%
of students continue past their first year (still enrolled or completed).
continuation

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.

Where they work

  • The Big Four (Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG)
  • Banks & insurers
  • Corporate finance teams
  • HMRC & public sector

Is this course right for you?

The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.

💷

Student finance

Fees for this course are set under Northern Ireland's own student-finance system, not the England cap; check the provider's course page for the exact figure. If you normally live in Northern Ireland, Student Finance NI can pay a Tuition Fee Loan directly to the university. For 2026/27 the maximum is £4,985 when studying in Northern Ireland and £9,790 elsewhere in the UK. Students from elsewhere use their ordinary-residence funding body, and maintenance support is a mix of grant and loan weighted to household income. You repay only above the income threshold.

🎯

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 8.3 out of 10: NSS 92.1% · continued 74%.

Who studies here and in this subject?

Provider- and UK subject-level context.

Ulster University

All students32,915
International32.5%
Aged 25+35%

Business and management across the UK

Students586,710
Aged 25+44.3%

HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.

Local crime-data context

A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.

Around Belfast

3,802 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.

Anti Social Behaviour 1237Violent Crime 1110Shoplifting 359Criminal Damage Arson 314Drugs 280

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 Ulster University from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.

Tuition fees

International tuition is set per course by Ulster University; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. 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 Ulster 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 Ulster University and gov.uk before you apply.

Common questions

Entry is offer-based and set by the university. The most common tariff band among recent entrants was 128 - 143 UCAS points. Use the calculator on this page to see where your predicted grades would put you; many universities also make lower contextual offers.
Set by Ulster University. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent. Check the university's course page for the exact offer.
See the career and earnings data for Accounting & Finance below (national Graduate Outcomes / LEO figures).
Fees for this course are set under Northern Ireland's own student-finance system, not the England cap; check the provider's course page for the exact figure. If you normally live in Northern Ireland, Student Finance NI can pay a Tuition Fee Loan directly to the university. For 2026/27 the maximum is £4,985 when studying in Northern Ireland and £9,790 elsewhere in the UK. Students from elsewhere use their ordinary-residence funding body, and maintenance support is a mix of grant and loan weighted to household income. You repay only above the income threshold. See Fees & funding on this page to work out your numbers.
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