BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance (with a placement year) Bachelor's degree at Staffordshire
BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance (with a placement year) at Staffordshire. The integrated placement year gives you hands-on experience in a professional environment before your final year, allowing you to apply classroom learning to real-world practice.
About this course
Whether your dream is to become a chartered accountant or a financial officer within a larger organisation, you’ll learn the essentials of accounting and finance for your future career. The course will give you an excellent grounding in core accounting, including taxation, financial accounting, auditing and corporate g From the provider’s course page.
BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance (with a placement year) is a Bachelor's degree (BSc (Hons)) at Staffordshire, based in Stoke on Trent Campus. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.
For Accounting graduates from this provider, typical earnings around £27,500. (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)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 85% (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 6 modules
- Economics And Law For ManagersCompulsory20 credits
Module details
You will learn how to apply economics to make informed business decisions through the study of key microeconomic and macroeconomic principles. You will learn to apply economic analysis to different personal, business and societal situations. The knowledge you will gain will be your most reliable guide in the understanding market and firm behaviour, and government decisions.
- Financial ManagementCompulsory20 credits
Module details
You will examine the development of financial strategy within an organisation. The starting point is the main financial objective of a company, which is to maximise shareholder wealth. We look at various financial and non-financial strategies to achieve this objective as well as ensure organisation goal congruence through effective decision making.
- Introduction To Financial AccountingCompulsory20 credits
Module details
You will learn how to record the accounting entries, record entries to t-accounts, prepare trial balance, prepare a statement of financial positions and Income Statement.
- Introduction To Management AccountingCompulsory20 credits
Module details
All those who work for, or deal with businesses need to understand accounting. This module aims to look at the nature of accounting, exploring the main concepts underpinning management accounting. The main branches of cost accounting and decision making as well as cost minimisation and revenue maximisation are explored using a blend of theory and practice. Also, how to use the metrics for ascertaining business performance and explore the different types of KPIs that help you understand the perfo
- Personal TaxationCompulsory20 credits
Module details
You will develop your knowledge and understanding of the UK taxation policy as applicable to individuals with the latest United Kingdom Finance Act which received Royal Assent. You will explore the application of technical knowledge and professional judgement to identify and critically appraise alternative tax treatments to personal taxation issues.
- Professional Accountant ToolkitCompulsory20 credits
Module details
Professional Accountant Toolkit enables you to learn important digital and contemporary skills. This module is tailored toward your chosen career path and the expertise you gain will ensure that you are effective and efficient in the workplace.
Year 2 6 modules
- Advanced Management AccountingCompulsory20 credits
Module details
This module builds on your previous study of management accounting and begins by distinguishing between strategic, managerial and financial planning and controls. The module will introduce you to control theory; particularly aspects of information systems and control, including internal and external sources of information. Focusing on managing the costs of creating value and capital investment decision-making. You will study investment appraisal and planning, as well as control and performance e
- Business Research MethodsCompulsory20 credits
Module details
You will identify and justify an appropriate research topic of relevance to the broad area of accounting and finance and produce a research proposal which reflects a critical awareness of a range of research philosophies, strategies, and methodologies and evaluate their relevance to your proposed topic.
- Business TaxationCompulsory20 credits
Module details
You will develop your knowledge and understanding of the UK taxation policy as applicable to single companies, and groups of companies with the latest United Kingdom Finance Act which received Royal Assent. You will explore the application of technical knowledge and professional judgement to identify and critically appraise alternative tax treatments to business taxation issues.
- Financial ReportingCompulsory20 credits
Module details
You will learn how to apply accounting standards, theoretical frameworks and principles to a range of financial statements including a statement of financial position which conforms with international accounting standards.
- Fintech And DigitalisationCompulsory20 credits
Module details
Looking forward to solving yesterdays problems. In this module, you will analyse the ways in which Financial Technology (FinTech) is revolutionising finance. You will gain an appreciation for the role of digitisation in business by exploring concepts such as automation, artificial intelligence and data mining and the challenges and opportunities these concepts present.
- Management AccountingCompulsory20 credits
Module details
You will build on the skills you have learnt in your first year and focus on decision-making techniques such as multi-stage cost allocation, marginal and absorption costing, activity-based costing and variance analysis.
Year 3 5 modules
- Advanced Financial ReportingCompulsory20 credits
Module details
You will build on the financial reporting knowledge apply accounting standards, theoretical frameworks and principles to business combinations financial statements which conforms with international accounting standards.
- Auditing And AssuranceCompulsory20 credits
Module details
You will develop your knowledge and understanding of the Legal and Regulatory Framework within which the audit is conducted. You will explore the application of technical knowledge and professional judgement to identify and critically appraise audit issues.
- Corporate FinanceCompulsory20 credits
Module details
You will build on the financial management knowledge to examine the development of financial strategy within an organisation. The starting point is the main financial objective of a company, which is to maximise shareholder wealth. We look at various financial and non-financial strategies to achieve this objective as well as ensure organisation goal congruence through effective decision making.
- Corporate GovernanceCompulsory20 credits
Module details
You will learn the impact of ethics and corporate governance on corporations. The module will present the theoretical and practical implications of using ethics and effective governance methods for better monitoring which can, in turn, enhance firm performance.
- Term ProjectCompulsory40 credits
Module details
The undergraduate project represents an opportunity for all undergraduate students to select a suitable topic and demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the contemporary issue in accounting and finance. Topics will be wide-ranging drawing on different aspects of business but all aiming to address a specific business challenge or problem.
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
You'll develop practical knowledge in accounting and finance from day one, with a grounding in core accounting, taxation, financial accounting, auditing and corporate governance. In Year 1, you'll typically start with financial accounting (double-entry and financial statements), introduction to finance (time value of money, markets and risk), and quantitative methods for spreadsheet modelling. Year 2 shifts towards management accounting, corporate finance and financial reporting under IFRS, building your ability to interpret accounts and analyse financial decisions. In Year 3, you'll choose specialist options such as audit and assurance, taxation, corporate finance, financial risk or fintech, alongside advanced corporate reporting and a dissertation or applied project, often aligned with professional-body exemptions for chartered accountancy or corporate finance roles.
Who it's for
You're suited to this course if you're analytically minded, enjoy working with numbers and financial information, and want to build a structured career in accountancy or finance. You should be comfortable with detail-oriented work and willing to engage with both technical concepts and professional practice standards. If you're curious about how organisations manage money, comply with regulations and plan financially, and you're prepared for sustained study over four years including a full-year placement, this programme will challenge and develop you purposefully.
Careers & job market
Nationally, 87% of graduates from accounting and finance courses are in work or further study within 15 months, with 65% in highly skilled roles or continuing their studies. Starting salaries typically range from £25,000 to £32,500; after five years, graduates earn between £30,175 and £42,600. Your placement year strengthens your CV and often leads directly to graduate employment, whilst the course prepares you for professional accounting qualifications and progression into financial management positions.
University & format
This is a four-year full-time bachelor's degree (BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance with a placement year) at the University of Staffordshire, delivered from the Stoke on Trent Campus. Taught in English, the degree is a nationally recognised qualification from a UK degree-awarding body. The university holds Silver for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
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.
Names detected beside accreditation or recognition copy on the provider course page; verify the route and intake.
With a placement. 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 | 85% |
| another higher-education qualification | 5% |
| an Access course | 5% |
| No / unknown prior qualifications | 5% |
| Other | 5% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications and UCAS points. If you're worried about grades, this course has historically taken a wide range, and contextual offers may apply.
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 (code NN45). 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
Standard capped home fee at English providers (2026/27); Scotland, Wales & NI differ.
Check fees at Staffordshire →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 | £27,500 | £24,000 – £32,000 | 2940 |
| 3 years after | £20,000 | £15,500 – £22,000 | 60 |
| 5 years after | £24,000 | £19,500 – £27,500 | 55 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 2,940. Cohort 2021-22.
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.
continued or completed
continued into the next year or completed their qualification
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 2,940. Cohort 2021-22. 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.
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
Most graduates were in work or further study, with a median salary of £27,500. 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 8.3 out of 10: NSS 82% · continued 85%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
University of Staffordshire
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 Stoke on Trent Campus
1,636 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 Staffordshire from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by Staffordshire; 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 Staffordshire’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 Staffordshire and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Staffordshire
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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