Overview
Are you looking to achieve a higher qualification to progress your career, or do you want to move into accounting and finance for the first time? If you already hold a qualification such as a BTEC, HND or foundation degree, this one-year course will earn you an International Finance and Accounting BA (Hons) degree.
With multiple exemptions from professional exams, you’ll also be well on your way to qualifying as an accountant. However, accountancy will be just one of your many options on graduating: your degree will also be excellent preparation for a wide range of professional and leadership roles in any industry.
You’ll study right here in London’s Square Mile, the heart of the world's leading financial centre, surrounded by – and engaging with – some of the world’s biggest businesses and financial institution.
Why Coventry University London?
We believe that there is no better place to learn about business than to study in the heart of one of the most successful business and financial centres in the world. Launched in 2010 and located in the City of London, we are minutes away from the Bank of England and the London Stock Exchange, and are surrounded by several blue chip companies.
Global ready
An international outlook, with global opportunitiesEmployability
Career-ready graduates, with the skills to succeedStudent experience
All the support you need, in a top student cityHeart of the City
Minutes from the Bank of England and Stock Exchange
What our students say...
My fellow students came from all over the world, providing a deep understanding of the different national and cultural contexts and contributing significantly to making me a better global participant.
Course information
The skills you learn on this course will always be in demand, and could lead to a successful international career in business. When you graduate, you’re likely to go straight into a good job or into higher study, whichever you prefer. Throughout your professional life, you’re likely to take up stable, well-paid jobs with exciting career prospects.
This fascinating course will teach you the skills you need to become a detail-oriented, responsible and discreet professional – someone who can be relied upon to give reliable and trustworthy advice. You’ll learn how money is earned, recorded, interpreted, managed and communicated around the world as it makes its way through the hands of individuals, businesses and governments.
You’ll explore essential academic theory while taking practical advantage of the many learning opportunities on offer in London’s exciting financial district. The course is accredited by the leading accountancy bodies, so you’ll benefit from exemptions from ACCA and CIMA examinations.
70%
of students were satisfied with this course
NSS
Course Specification
Download PDF (549 KB)
Modules
Coventry is rated 23rd out of 100+ in the UK for Finance & Accounting in the Guardian University Guide 2018
In more detail...
This course is ideal if you have a lively and enquiring mind, and are interested in how business really functions and how strategic decisions are made. It opens up a potentially varied but stable and well-paid career, with excellent prospects: organisations will always need to manage their finances.
Accreditation
We have designed this course in collaboration with practising industry professionals and the leading professional associations. The course is accredited by ACCA and CIMA, and connects to their curricula, which means that when you graduate you’ll be exempt from several parts of the professional examinations with ACCA and CIMA, should you choose to sit them.
Technology
Our central London campus is equipped with excellent modern facilities, including ICT which matches the systems in use in industry. You’ll learn to use leading accounting, trading and research technologies including Bloomberg, Sage, SAP, Fame and S&P Capital IQ. As a result, you’ll graduate with the immediate advantage of knowing how to use these systems in the workplace. You’ll also have the opportunity to become certified with Sage, the world-leading accounting software.
Practical
This very practical course is designed to give you every possible employability advantage when you graduate. You’ll have opportunities to network with businesses in industry, hear from high-profile guest lecturers, and visit a range of employers and institutions (perhaps the Bank of England, Bloomberg and the London Stock Exchange). You’ll also be encouraged to pursue independent learning by making the most of all the events, exhibitions, conferences and museums which London has to offer.
Tutors
You’ll benefit considerably by being taught by tutors who have had international careers in accounting and finance. Their experience spans ‘big four’ firms and other multi-nationals and some continue to serve on business boards. There are PhDs on the staff and some undertake research or consult to businesses. Several are published, and most are senior fellows of at least one professional association. They are, however, friendly, accessible and supportive, happy to offer their experience to help you better understand your studies and how your career might develop.
Strategic approach
You’ll develop your ability to think critically and strategically – vital skills for anyone wanting to advance in, or begin a career in, finance and accounting. Your tutors will provide opportunities to develop these skills through interactive, problem-based learning using case studies, simulations, and business projects.
- This course is accredited by the leading professional associations and is designed to reflect what businesses want from graduates.
- You’ll graduate from this course with a clear idea of the career options open to you in the world of international finance and accounting – and beyond.
- Coventry University is ranked 12th in the UK (out of 121 universities) for accounting and finance, according to the Guardian University League Tables 2018.
- You’ll develop a wide range of highly transferable soft skills, including confidence, teamwork, research, report-writing, communication and presentation skills.
- Your tutors and the Employability Team at Coventry University London have an extensive network of business contacts, which can lead to visits, tours, networking and placement opportunities.
- In your final term, your studies will culminate in a major project which will stretch your strategic thinking. You could choose from an internship, a dissertation, a global business simulation, or an entrepreneurship business plan.
- You’ll learn a wide range of professional and technological skills which will smooth your transition into the world of finance or accounting, or support a return to your career at a higher level. For example, you’ll have learned to use industry-standard software.
Your main study themes are:
- Internationalisation – You’ll learn to apply your skills internationally, whether working for a multi-national, dealing with overseas companies, trading globally, or moving money around the world.
- Frameworks – You’ll deepen your understanding of a wide range of governance systems, including business ethics; international accounting standards; and legal and regulatory frameworks.
- The use of information – You’ll learn to accurately gather, record, analyse, model and present key financial information, both for internal and external use, within the appropriate frameworks.
- Business strategy – You will contextualise finance and accounting within wider business and economics, and explore the way business strategy depends on, and also influences, financial and accounting policy and results.
Classroom-based teaching involves around 12 hours of lectures and seminars each week. Seminars usually last 2 hours and can involve group discussions, debates, case studies and presentations. You’ll also engage in learning beyond the classroom by meeting companies, attending field trips and events, and independently exploring business-related experiences in London. You’ll also have opportunities to hear from industry experts through networking and guest lectures.
You’ll also manage around 24 hours per week of personal study such as reading, revising, completing coursework, and using Coventry University London’s online learning platform. An important part of your learning will be the time spent learning to use industry-standard, internationally recognised ICT for business and accounting.
You’ll use practical scenarios, such as case studies and simulations, to address and resolve real business problems. and you could even choose to do an internship with an employer.
Teaching methods may include:<br> Lectures, seminars, workshops, problem-based learning, case studies, individual research, work placement, guest lectures, field trips, ICT & specialist software, simulations, group discussions.
Your tutors have devised a range of practical and academic assessment methods, including many which reflect the experiences and appraisals you’ll have in the workplace. The variety of these methods helps to ensure that your performance is measured accurately and fairly – rather than relying on one particular method, for example. The results of these assessments will help you and your tutor to continually track your progress so that you’re on target for the best degree result for you.
On successful completion, you should be able to:
- Discuss the role and function of markets and financial institutions
- Use internationally recognised software such as Sage, SAP, Fame, Bloomberg and S&P Capital IQ
- Articulate the legal and regulatory requirements governing financial accounting and reporting practices
- Evaluate the impact of international standardisation and harmonisation
- Explain complex financial information using high levels of numeracy and digital literacy
- Record and summarise transactions, and prepare, analyse and interpret financial statements
- Use statistical and financial functions and procedures, and be aware of the context in which they can be processed using accounting systems
- Evaluate factors which influence the investment opportunities and behaviour of private individuals and organisations
- Take a logical and creative approach to problem-solving and decision-making
- Consider issues of ethics, sustainability, personal and social responsibility, diversity and global citizenship
- Take a cross-cultural approach to the operational and strategic positioning of organisations
- Begin qualifying as an accountant and gain exemptions in professional examinations.
You will have six contact hours per module per week in each term. This will be divided into Knowledgecasts (lectures), seminars, other activities such as group activity or field trips.
Global perspectives and approaches are built into every aspect of this course, so you’ll graduate with a sound understanding of how different cultures, regulatory frameworks and even faiths can impact on accounting and finance practice.
You’ll study within an international cohort, with students drawn from around the world. You’ll very quickly appreciate the diverse ideas and perspectives they bring with them and which your tutors will encourage them to share. Should you choose to do an internship for your final major project, you could arrange a placement overseas or, if you’re an international student, in your home country.
What our students say...
I work as a graduate analyst for RBS, in Corporate & Institutional Banking Operations. This wouldn’t have been possible without the support and learning I got at Coventry University London.
Entry Requirements
Unconditional offers
We want to recruit the best students to Coventry and having assessed applicants' past, current and predicted performance and commitment to the course we feel that it is appropriate to reward consistently high-achieving students with an unconditional offer from a top university. It is a commitment from us with regard to an applicants’ potential as an excellent undergraduate and we hope that this will encourage such applicants to join the Coventry community.
Personal statements and references will also be taken into account and, for some degree courses, an interview will form part of the assessment. The criteria for unconditional offers will vary across the University as entry requirements for specific courses differ and not all degree courses will be taking part in the Scheme. The unconditional offer will be confirmed once a selected applicant has made Coventry their firm choice.
Coventry University has assessed that you are capable of achieving excellent grades and we have demonstrated this belief by making you an unconditional offer. This is our commitment to you so then we ask that you reciprocate this commitment by selecting us as your ‘firm’ choice and activating your unconditional offer.
We will consider other qualifications for a pre-result unconditional offer providing that you have an appropriate proven performance at GCSE (or equivalent) level and predicted grades in line with grades that we expect to see at A-level. Other qualifications that we may consider for a pre-result unconditional offer include: the International Baccalaureate Diploma, BTEC Level 3 qualifications, Cambridge Pre-U and combinations of qualifications (e.g. BTECS plus A-levels).
An unconditional offer is what it says it is. So if you don’t meet your predictions then your place at Coventry is still guaranteed. However we would hope and expect that you continue to work hard to make the most of your potential and be best prepared to study at university level.
We can’t but our experience over the years has shown us that students like you with a track record of high grades and excellent predictions are very likely to achieve those grades. Our assessment takes into account all elements of your application to allow us to take a holistic view of your potential. There is still the opportunity to gain one of the Coventry University Scholarships if you achieve the required grades so there is a financial incentive to aim high. Unconditional offers are only made to individuals who have demonstrated their commitment so we believe their focus and determination is unlikely to waver in the final stages of their qualifications.
No, the unconditional offer is only available to those who will take up their place in 2019.
What our students say...
My fellow students came from all over the world, providing a deep understanding of the different national and cultural contexts and contributing significantly to making me a better global participant.
What our students say...
My fellow students came from all over the world, providing a deep understanding of the different national and cultural contexts and contributing significantly to making me a better global participant.
Career prospects
On graduation, you’ll be ready to begin or advance a high-flying career in finance and accounting, or a related business discipline, anywhere in the world.
You’ll have a range of options when you graduate. You might sit the professional exams required to qualify as an accountant, but this is only one of many routes you could take. You might go into further study, such as a master’s degree or a PhD. You might return to your former employer, using your new qualification to release new career possibilities. You could join a business in a named permanent role or on a graduate programme.
Whatever you choose to do, you’ll be a more confident and skilled individual, adept at problem-solving and decision-making, with a solid understanding of international finance and how to balance risk and investment.
97%
of students in work or further study six months after they left university
DLHE 2015/16
Where our graduates work
The financial acumen, business skills and global outlook you’ll have begun to develop will be superb preparation for a career anywhere, in any professional or management role. Some of our graduates have joined ‘big four’ international accounting and consultancy firms. Others have gone into banking, investment, insurance, business, government or the charity sector, either in the UK or internationally.
You might decide to become an accountant and then to work within a private business or at a global accountancy firm. On the other hand, you could go into consultancy; specialise in taxation or financial analysis; become an independent financial advisor; or even start your own business.
What our students say...
Each student is prepared for their future through career workshops, one-to-one employability advice, local volunteering opportunities and personal industry mentors.
