Accounting & Finance BA/BA (Hons)



Build on your previous experience and skills on this advanced entry course which will equip you for a career in financial services

Course overview

This is an advanced-entry programme, with entry available only to Year 3 or Year 4, depending on your previous qualifications and experience. It is ideal for students who have already completed two or three years of relevant higher education—either in the UK or overseas—and wish to top up their studies to achieve a BA/BA (Hons) degree in Accounting and Finance.

The programme is designed for students who want to develop a strong and balanced understanding of both accounting and finance, equipping them with the knowledge, analytical skills, and commercial awareness valued by employers across the accounting, finance, and wider business sectors. Unlike programmes that focus primarily on a single discipline, this course provides an equal emphasis on accounting and finance, enabling you to build expertise in both areas while understanding how they interact in real-world business environments.

A key feature of the programme is its broad selection of optional modules, giving you the flexibility to tailor your studies to your interests and career aspirations. Whether you are interested in financial management, investment, corporate finance, or wider business topics, you can personalise your learning experience while developing specialist knowledge in your chosen areas.

The programme provides a solid academic foundation for graduate employment or further professional study in accounting and finance. Please note that this course is not accredited by the professional accountancy bodies. If your goal is to complete an accredited accounting degree, you may wish to consider our BA Accounting or BA Accounting with Corporate Finance programmes.

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Mode of Study:

Full-time

Duration:

4 years

Start date:

Sep

UCAS code:

NN43

Course details

Designed for students who wish to build on their previous learning and work experience, the course allows you to enter directly into either Year 3 or 4, depending on your prior qualifications.

You may transfer in from another degree course, even if it's from another university, or you may have successfully completed an HND in a related area. Holders of other appropriate qualifications with an underpinning in financial services, accounting or finance will also be considered for entry.

As well as equipping you for employment as an accountant in practice or industry, this course gives you the opportunity to customise your studies to reflect your particular interests and future career aspirations - giving you a leading edge to succeed in an intensely competitive environment.

On completion of this course you'll have:

  • A sound knowledge and understanding of how accounting, finance and financial services are related and business / financial institution relationships; 
  • A critical understanding of the established theories, principles and concepts, and emerging issues in accounting, finance and financial services; 
  • A systematic, extensive and comparative knowledge and understanding of the accountant’s role in providing tactical and strategic support in the areas of reporting, decision making, planning, control and performance measurement; 
  • A sound knowledge and understanding of the financial services environment and a variety of specialist disciplines including financial services marketing, financial institution management, and corporate risk management; 
  • The ability to identify information needs and in the systematic gathering, analyse and interpret ideas, concepts and qualitative and quantitative data and information from a range of evaluated sources including current research, scholarly, and / or professional literature. 

We offer tuition that is supported by experienced teaching staff and strong industry connections. Guest speakers from the corporate, government and financial world add value to the course.

How will my degree reflect sustainability and sustainable development?

The Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) – established under the UN Global Compact – places a clear onus on Higher Education to ‘transform management education and develop the responsible decision-makers of tomorrow to advance sustainable development’. The Business School is a PRME signatory, and we seek to influence professional practice and policy nationally and internationally, helping to drive key societal, economic and environmental impacts.

Our mission is ‘to empower communities to apply business knowledge for positive societal impact’ and we work constantly to embed practical actions into our curriculum, to promote sustainability and relate these to the key ideas of sustainability, as reflected in the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes now reflect one or more of the SDG, and our research is targeted to solve real world problems, mapped against the criteria used in the Times Higher Education’s Impact Ranking.

The most recent annual league table for Sustainability - compiled by People & Planet, the UK’s largest student campaigning network - again places Edinburgh Napier in a top 3 position among Scotland’s 19 universities. This reflects their assessment of our performance across a range of environmental and ethical considerations, which include carbon reduction and management, and education.

What is distinct about equality, diversity and inclusion?

Edinburgh Napier University is enriched by the diversity of perspectives, cultures and backgrounds brought by all within our global community. We are committed to a positive environment where diversity and inclusiveness is celebrated and everyone is treated fairly regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, disability, age, ethnic origin, religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status or whether pregnant or on maternity leave. We commit ourselves to providing a learning, working and social environment that is free from discrimination, prejudice, intimidation, stigmatisation and all forms of harassment and bullying.

The Business School's vision: 'To be the Business School for empowerment, enterprise and employability for all'.

Our mission statement: 'Empowering our communities to apply business knowledge for positive societal impact'.

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    How you’ll be taught

    This is a full-time course studied over two years. You’ll learn by a variety of teaching methods including lectures, tutorials and independent study.

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    Facilities

    This course is taught in person at our Craiglockhart campus.

Popular modules

Year 3

  • Corporate Financial Management
  • Advanced Corporate Reporting
  • Corporate Risk Management
  • Plus three option modules

Year 4

  • Current Issues in Finance
  • Dissertation/ Applied Honours Project
  • Plus three option modules

Option modules across Year 3 and 4 include:

  • Marketing Financial Services
  • Advanced Management Accounting
  • Taxation
  • Financial Technology
  • Auditing
  • Behavioural Finance
  • Contemporary Corporate Finance
  • Corporate Social Responsibility
  • Investment Management
  • Innovation in Management Accounting
  • Regulatory Risk Management
  • International Accounting
  • Global Financial Markets
  • Management of Financial Institutions
  • Leadership in a Changing Environment

Disclaimer

Study modules mentioned above are indicative only. Some changes may occur between now and the time that you study.

Full information is available in our disclaimer.

Entry requirements

What are the entry requirements for Accounting and Finance?

Our entry requirements indicate the minimum qualifications with which we normally accept students. Competition for places varies from year to year and you aren't guaranteed a place if you meet the minimum qualifications.

Can I make an appointment with an advisor to discuss further about the admission process?

If you want to get more information on the admission process, please get in touch with the undergraduate admissions team by submitting an enquiry form above.

Minimum Year 3

HND

  • Pass HND Accounting with grades BB at SCQF Level 8 in the graded units.

Alternative Entry Requirements

  • You may transfer in from another degree course, even if it is from another university.
  • Holders of other appropriate professional qualifications with an underpinning in financial services, accounting or finance will be considered for entry.

If your first language isn't English, you'll normally need to undertake an approved English language test and our minimum English language requirements will apply.

This may not apply if you have completed all your school qualifications in English. Check our country pages to find out if this applies to you.

If you do not currently meet our minimum English language requirements, we offer a number of pre-sessional English language courses which could help you achieve the required level.

We welcome applications from students studying a wide range of international qualifications.
Entry requirements by country

Please note that international students are unable to enrol onto the following courses:
  • BM Midwifery/MM Midwifery
  • MSc Nursing courses
  • All Graduate Apprenticeship courses

See who can apply for more information on Graduate Apprenticeship courses.

We’re committed to admitting students who have the potential to succeed and benefit from our programmes of study. 

Our admissions policies will help you understand our admissions procedures, and how we use the information you provide us in your application to inform the decisions we make.

Undergraduate admissions policies
Postgraduate admissions policies

Fees & funding

The course fees you'll pay and the funding available to you will depend on a number of factors including your nationality, location, personal circumstances and the course you are studying. We also have a number of bursaries and scholarships available to our students.

Tuition fees
Students from 2026/27 2027/28
Scotland £1,820 £tba
England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland £9,790 tba
Overseas and EU £18,220 tba

Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland will be invoiced the tuition fees for 3 years of their 4 years of study.



Tuition fees are subject to an annual review and may increase from one year to the next. For more information on this and other tuition fee matters, please see our Fees and Funding links above.



If additional compulsory costs other than the tuition fees are applicable, these will be detailed in the course details.



Please note that the tuition fees liable to be paid by EU nationals commencing their studies from 1 August 2021 will be the Overseas fee rate. The University offers a range of attractive Tuition Fee bursaries to students resident in specific countries. More information on these can be found here.




Careers & employability

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What can you do with a degree in Accounting and Finance?

By studying a BA in Accounting and Finance (advanced entry) at Edinburgh Napier University, you will gain the skills to secure trainee accounting roles in financial services that prepare you for employment or furthering your professional studies with accreditations or higher education. Subject to work experience, you will also be well-placed for general management opportunities and careers in wealth management, trading, financial and credit analysis, financial technology, risk modelling, investment/fund management, and financial planning, amongst others.

A BA in Accounting & Finance can lead to various career paths, depending on your interests, skills, and career goals. You could choose to work in the financial services sector, including insurance, banking, or other industries. In these sectors, you might take on roles such as a financial analyst.

What does an early-career financial analyst do?

An early-career financial analyst may assist in financial modelling, data analysis, and preparing reports for decision-making purposes. They collect, organise, and analyse financial data from various sources, such as financial statements, market trends, economic indicators, and industry benchmarks. By using analytical tools and techniques, they interpret the data to identify patterns, trends, and outliers.

What does an Accountant do?

Pursuing a professional qualification in accounting will set you on the path to becoming a qualified accountant. Accountants manage financial records for companies across various sectors, providing the opportunity to work in an industry you are passionate about. As an accountant, your responsibilities can include preparing financial statements, auditing accounts, and filing tax returns. Additionally, you may monitor the profitability and financial stability of an organisation, ensuring its financial health and growth.

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