Accounting and Financial Analysis

Home
Jump to main content
Jump to main menu
Search Anglia Ruskin University's websites
Feedback/contact us
Accessibility statement

MSc

Intermediate award(s): PG Dip, PG Cert

Part-Time

Course overview

At a time of global concern over international financial and accounting issues including the so called 'credit crunch' and associated problems with liquidity and solvency, it is vital that managers be aware of accounting and financial standards and their application. This course is designed to allow participants to follow an academically rigorous course of study in the area of accounting and financial analysis, whilst giving due consideration to the environment in which practitioners must operate. The tutor team involved in the development and delivery of this MSc are closely linked with the accountancy profession and include authors, examiners and markers for the international bodies.

On successful completion of this course you should be able to comment critically and with some insight into a range of accounting and financial problems and issues. You will also be able to work independently or as a member of a group to identify problems, evaluate possible solutions and work to implement suitable changes.

Additional course information

This course aims to:

provide you with a general foundation for subsequent practice as an accountant or financial manager in a large, possibly international, organisation
stimulate and offer the opportunity to develop a critical perspective of current developments in a range of accounting and financial issues.

The Postgraduate Diploma and Masters awards provide an opportunity for detailed research and enable the development of analytical and research skills.
Our Masters award produces appropriately skilled accounting and financial experts.

Module guide

Core modules

Accounting Through Audit

This module will examine how the role of audit has changed in response to criticism and it will consider different approaches to audit. Such discussion will consider the UK Audit Commission model of auditor appointment, client focus audits and the training of auditors. We will also consider the concept of the audit expectations gap and review associated case law.
Decision Making and Problem Solving

This module will give you the skills and knowledge necessary to develop frameworks and approaches to decision making, by critically examining theoretical models and relating them to business experience.
Strategic Financial Analysis

This module will be relevant to all Masters level business students, with or without a relevant first degree, as it will examine, from a strategic perspective, those financial analysis theories and practices applicable to modern business.
International Accounting

This module will adopt an international outlook on modern financial accounting and reporting, whereby the diversity of practices in various countries is evaluated from a historical, economical, political, sociological and technological perspective.
Strategic Management Accounting

This module will assume a basic knowledge of management accounting techniques (such as marginal costing and cost-volume-profit analysis, absorption and activity-based costing) from which it will develop into a variety of decision making areas.
Research Methods for Managers

This module provides you with the appropriate knowledge, skills and abilities you will need to effectively carry out a piece of small-scale business or management research.
Postgraduate Project

This module will support you in the preparation and submission of a Masters stage project or Dissertation.

Optional modules

International Financial Markets

Here, you will analyse the nature and recent development of security, product and derivative financial markets in a global setting. It examines these markets from the perspective of corporate users and private and international investors.
International Business Environment

This is a broad-based introduction to the environment in which the international business must operate, focusing on economic, legal, political, socio-cultural, ethical, ecological and technological factors.
International Corporate Finance

This module will extend, develop and apply some of the materials introduced in the International Financial Markets module. It will focus on key aspects of the financial operations related to maximising the valuation of a corporation in an international environment.
Venture Capital and Private Equity

This module will explore the current structure and operation of the venture capital and the private equity sectors around the world.
Management Theory into Management Practice: Global Perspectives

This module will synthesise contemporary management theories with the experiential, practice-based management approaches actually adopted within private and public sector organisations.
Finance for Non-Financial Managers

This module covers a range of financial skills and knowledge expected of non financial managers. The focus of the module is the operational financial issues most likely to be faced by managers; budgets, budgetary control and decision making.

Assessment

Assessment is through exercises, written assignments, presentations, examinations or any combination of these. These assessments can be completed either as part of a group or on an individual basis.

A highly-participative approach to teaching and learning is adopted, with considerable use of discussions, group work, case studies and presentations. You will also be expected to supplement each formal taught hour with three hours of self-managed study and learning, under general guidance from your module tutor.

Facilities

Our striking, award-winning business school in Chelmsford, as well as our brand new building in Cambridge, offer the most advanced state-of-the-art learning environments.

Iftaker Hussain

"I decided to study at Anglia Ruskin as it is close to home, and a few of my friends and relatives had studied for their undergraduate degrees here and highly recommended the University to me. My Pathway Leader is fantastic. He has made the entire class feel like a close-knit family and has enhanced my experience significantly with his guidance and expertise. The Masters in Accounting and Financial Analysis is very useful for future employment purposes as it provides exemptions from 4 papers from the Association of Chartered Accountants (ACCA). So it is ideal for anyone who wants to go on to complete the ACCA qualification."

Features

The pathway is designed to allow participants to follow an academically rigorous programme of study in the area of Accounting and Financial Analysis, whilst giving due consideration to the environment that practitioners must operate. The tutor team involved on the development and delivery of the MSc are closely linked with the accountancy profession and include authors, examiners and markers for the international bodies.

The pathway will help you:

Gain advanced analytical skills
Develop the understanding and ability to deal with complex financial issues
Enhance your managerial capabilities
Develop transferable skills
Instil individual confidence

Yuliyana Manolova

"The MSc Accounting and Financial Analysis course was a wonderful opportunity for me to specialize in one business area and enrich my knowledge through several courses covering international, financial, and management accounting. They are all taught in a very understandable way with a variety of personal examples and stories. I find the professors extremely helpful and easy approachable which I believe is important for students on a postgraduate level. The multinational environment in the class has given me the chance to meet fascinating people and experience unknown cultures and beliefs. I think Anglia Ruskin University and the MSc Accounting and Financial Analysis course are a perfect choice for every bright and motivated business student, looking forward to a successful career.

"

Special features

As with all our postgraduate Masters pathways, you will be brought into close contact throughout your studies with expert practitioners, analysts and consultants to give you insights into the current strategic approaches within accounting and financial analysis.

Associated careers

Provides students with a general foundation for subsequent practice as an accountant or financial manager in a large, possibly international organisation.

Entry Requirements:

Candidates will normally be expected to hold a degree in a relevant discipline. Usually this will be at a minimum of lower second-class honours. Holders of other awards, including those from non-UK universities will be considered on the equivalence of their qualifications. Requests for admission via APEL will be managed via usual University procedures. We welcome applications from International and EU Candidates.

Those applicants for whom English is not their first language will be expected to demonstrate a certificated level of proficiency of at least IELTS 6.5 or equivalent. Requests for admission via APEL will be managed via usual University procedures.

Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements.

We welcome applications from International and EU students. Please select one of the links below for English language and country-specific entry requirement information.