Our accountancy accreditations give you significant exemptions from essential exams. This means a faster route to professional qualifications, because you graduate already part-qualified – and you could start on a higher salary.
of our business and management graduates are in work or further study after 15 months
say the course challenges me to achieve my best work
Professional exemptions
If you already have some qualifications, you may not have to take all the exams required by the professional accounting bodies. These are called exemptions and mean that you have a head start on your professional qualifications. We have a close working relationship with all the professional accounting bodies and the BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance degree has been awarded the maximum number of exemptions available. Read more in our Exemption Handbook.
First for jobs
The University of Worcester is first in the UK for sustained employment, further study or both, five years after graduation (excluding specialist institutions) - Longitudinal Educational Outcomes Survey 2024. Read more.
Overview
This course will introduce you to the principles and practice of Accounting and Finance. You will develop numerical skills as well as high-level abilities to interpret data, analyse issues and problem solve. You will gain a thorough understanding of accounting concepts, which is ideal if you want to become a professional accountant.
Having accounting and finance knowledge is also an advantage in any profession today, from being a stockbroker to an economist. So even if you do not want to become a professional accountant, this degree is springboard for a wide range of careers.
As well as our three-year degree, you can choose our four-year course option with either a built-in placement year or a year studying abroad.
Whichever route you choose, live client projects, internships, paid work opportunities, networking and mentoring are all part of our real-life approach to teaching.
Placements
There are different ways to gain valuable work experience on this course. You’ll have the opportunity to do a short, paid placement, a year-long internship or part-time work with a local business.
Our dedicated placement team offer one-to-one support - helping you find internships, make your application and prepare for interview. You could choose to do your placement locally, making the most of connections with employers in the region, or you could choose to move another city or country.
Recent students have worked at a range of organisations, including Bishop Fleming, a large accountancy firm located next to our campus.
Course content
Each year you will study a mix of mandatory and optional modules. This flexible course lets you explore different subjects and career paths in business management before choosing to specialise in your final year.
Optional modules will run if they receive enough interest. It is not guaranteed that all modules will run every year.
Careers
You'll have the chance to work with accountants and finance specialists who have worked in organisations such as KPMG, PwC and HM Treasury, as part of your degree. These professionals have experience of management, consultancy or running their own business across sectors including banking and manufacturing.
Many of our students aim to become chartered accountants but there are a whole range of employment opportunities open to you.
Recent graduates have gone on to successful careers in:
- Accounting
- Audit
- Finance
- Banking
- Insurance
- International trade
Throughout your course, you will receive career coaching to help you develop your CV and interview technique.
Course highlights
Teaching and assessment
Our course has been designed by academics and industry specialists to prepare you for a career in business. You’ll be taught through a combination of practical activities, seminars, lectures and one-to-one tutoring.
Our highly practical assessment methods include presentations, portfolios and consultancy projects - preparing you for the work you’ll be doing when you graduate.
Teaching and assessment contents
You are taught through a combination of interactive workshops, lectures, seminars, laboratory practical sessions, fieldwork, practical activities, etc. Interactive workshops take a variety of formats and are intended to enable the application of learning through discussion and small group activities. Seminars enable the discussion and development of understanding of topics covered in lectures, and laboratory practical sessions are focused on developing subject-specific skills and applied for individual and group project work.
In addition, meetings (both individual and group) with personal academic tutors are scheduled throughout the academic year. There is an opportunity to undertake a year-long placement in the third year of the course, supervised by a work-based mentor and a University tutor. Depending upon the course, there may be an opportunity to study abroad at one of our exchange partner universities.
Meet the team
Get to know a few of the Worcester Business School lecturers you'll be learning with.
Rachel Cooper
Rachel has been working in higher education since 2006. Before working in education, Rachel spent several years working as a management accountant in the aerospace industry with a focus on cost management, project planning and performance reporting.
Jamie Wells
Jamie's areas of teaching expertise are financial management and auditing. She also has a particular interest in accounting education research, developing research on the use of simulations in the teaching of auditing.
Before working at Worcester, Jamie spent three years in practice for a large professional services firm specialising in forensic accounting and assurance. She also spent time working for HM Treasury within the Welfare to Work Team.
Simon Quigley
Simon trained with a large firm of Chartered Accountants in the areas of audit, accounts preparation, taxation and insolvency. Working in industry, his roles ranged from Group accountant, Project accountant and Treasury.
Since the move to lecturing, Simon has taught on a range of provisions, including ACCA, CIMA CIPD, AAT, HND as well as undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
Rachel Cooper
Rachel has been working in higher education since 2006. Before working in education, Rachel spent several years working as a management accountant in the aerospace industry with a focus on cost management, project planning and performance reporting.
Jamie Wells
Jamie's areas of teaching expertise are financial management and auditing. She also has a particular interest in accounting education research, developing research on the use of simulations in the teaching of auditing.
Before working at Worcester, Jamie spent three years in practice for a large professional services firm specialising in forensic accounting and assurance. She also spent time working for HM Treasury within the Welfare to Work Team.
Entry requirements
UCAS tariff points required: 112
| Qualification | Grade |
|---|---|
| A-level | BBC |
| BTEC National Extended Diploma | DMM |
| T-level | Merit |
We do accept Access to HE Diplomas and other qualifications which may not exactly match the combinations above. Work out your estimated points with the UCAS tariff calculator.
Any questions?
If you have any questions about entry requirements, please call our Admissions Office on 01905 855111 or email admissions@worc.ac.uk.
Fees
Fees contents
UK and EU students
The Government has announced that it will increase tuition fees and maintenance loans by 3.1% from the 2025/26 academic cycle. Subject to approval, the University intends to increase our tuition fees in line with this and as per our terms and conditions. This means that from September 2025 the standard fee for full-time home and EU undergraduate students enrolling on BA/BSc/LLB degrees and FdA/FdSc degrees will be £9,535 per year.
For more details on course fees, please visit our course fees page.
International students
The standard tuition fee for full-time international students enrolling on BA/BSc/LLB degrees and FdA/FdSc degrees in the 2025/26 academic year is £16,700 per year.
For more details on course fees, please visit our course fees page.
Student case studies
Some recent students let you know what they thought of the course.
Kristina Petrauskyte
Kristina, who decided to change careers by taking up an Accounting and Finance degree, cared for her mother after she was diagnosed with cancer during her second year.
She praised the support she had had in her learning journey. “I had a wonderful and very supportive course leader, who was the best tutor and course leader at that time,” she added. “She provided all the support and help I needed at the beginning of my course, as it was all very new to me and, being a much older student and a foreigner, I was worried I wouldn't fit in or be good.”
Kristina, who did a 14-month work placement in a firm’s accountancy department as part of her degree, has started working in an accounting firm in Bromsgrove as an Associate Assistant and plans to get experience and complete the necessary courses to become a fully qualified accountant.
Adam Ashley
“I’m delighted and excited for what the future holds now that the hard work has paid off,' he said.
“I am currently working at a leading accountancy practice in the West Midlands with clients spanning across the whole of the United Kingdom,” he added. “I am studying towards my ACCA qualification and due to the exemptions gained from the University of Worcester, I only have to take four exams to become qualified.”
“In the long term I aim to be running my own accountancy practice which has been an ambition of mine since I began studying Accounting at the University of Worcester.”
Kristina Petrauskyte
Kristina, who decided to change careers by taking up an Accounting and Finance degree, cared for her mother after she was diagnosed with cancer during her second year.
She praised the support she had had in her learning journey. “I had a wonderful and very supportive course leader, who was the best tutor and course leader at that time,” she added. “She provided all the support and help I needed at the beginning of my course, as it was all very new to me and, being a much older student and a foreigner, I was worried I wouldn't fit in or be good.”
Kristina, who did a 14-month work placement in a firm’s accountancy department as part of her degree, has started working in an accounting firm in Bromsgrove as an Associate Assistant and plans to get experience and complete the necessary courses to become a fully qualified accountant.
Adam Ashley
“I’m delighted and excited for what the future holds now that the hard work has paid off,' he said.
“I am currently working at a leading accountancy practice in the West Midlands with clients spanning across the whole of the United Kingdom,” he added. “I am studying towards my ACCA qualification and due to the exemptions gained from the University of Worcester, I only have to take four exams to become qualified.”
“In the long term I aim to be running my own accountancy practice which has been an ambition of mine since I began studying Accounting at the University of Worcester.”
How to apply
How to apply contents
Applying through UCAS
UCAS is the central organisation through which applications are processed for full-time undergraduate courses in the UK.
Read our how to apply pages for more information on the application process, or if you’d like to apply for part-time study.
Contact
If you have any questions, please get in touch. We're here to help you every step of the way.
Admissions Office
admissions@worc.ac.uk01905 855111More to explore
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