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Accounting, Economics and Finance

Accounting and Finance BSc (Hons) with Placement Year

Undergraduate Course

BSc (Hons)

Accounting and Finance with Placement Year

Accredited by the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD)

Study options

• Full-time: 4 years
• UK fee: £9,535 per year (2025/26)
• International fee: £16,900 per year (2025/26)
• UCAS points: 112 (September 2025 entry)
• UCAS code: N2FP
• Start date: September
• Location: Derby Campus

Course description

Our BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance prepares you for the professional world in a way that is relevant, inspiring and practical. It gives you a sound understanding of all the key accounting and financial principles so that you’re ready to take up a management position in industry and commerce or to become a professional accountant.

Key features

• Study on a European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) accredited course
• We put you on the fast track to achieving membership of a professional body. By taking relevant modules, you’ll be eligible to apply for all nine maximum exemptions offered by ACCA as well as exemptions from CIMA, ICAEW, CPA Australia and AIA qualifications
• Through our partnership with international accountancy firm Mazars we offer a Mazars Accelerate Pathway (MAP) with guaranteed, paid student placements to a select number of students, providing valuable experience of working in a professional environment
• Exciting opportunities for live consultancy projects and fieldtrips will introduce you to the realities of the modern business world
• Undertake an 8-week Sage software programme to gain an ACCA accredited Sage certificate
• You'll have the opportunity to complete the Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC) Certificate
• We allow you to recognise and reflect on your own teaching and learning style - students can choose to take either an exam based or non-exam-based assessment method
• Our team have committed to joining the International Tax Week symposium; this comprises of 8 other universities across Europe to address a contemporary area of international taxation.

Boost your employability with a placement year

You’ll have the opportunity to take a placement year to put the skills you’ve learned into practice in a real-world environment. We'll support you to find your placement and throughout your year in industry. Placements allow you to gain valuable experience to add to your CV, make industry contacts and help you to narrow down what kind of role you may be interested in after graduation.

Professional body exemptions

The BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance provides the ideal pathway for you to join a professional body. If you select the relevant modules, you’ll be eligible to apply for all nine of the maximum exemptions offered by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). We also run the ACCA Accelerate programme which offers you exclusive benefits, including industry-specific careers advice.

You could choose to pursue other professional accounting qualifications too. Our course gives you the chance to apply for a range of exemptions offered by:

• Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
• Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)
• Association of International Accountants (AIA)
• CPA Australia

Accounting students experience International Tax Week in Italy

Derby is one of 10 institutions involved in International Tax Week, where students come together from across Europe to tackle contemporary tax issues. This time taking place in Italy, final year Accounting and Finance students Asad Ahmed and Shakur Sackey reflect on their time at the annual event.

University of Derby's Accounting and Finance course achieves international programme accreditation

The University of Derby’s Business School has achieved European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) Programme Accreditation for its BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance course, the first of its kind in the UK to do so.

Engage with industry

The BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance course, in partnership with international accountancy firm Mazars, offers our students the opportunity to secure a paid placement at one of the Mazars offices. This will be subject to a successful application process. Students can apply for the Mazars industrial placement in their first year. This is exclusive to students studying on the BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance programme. If successful, your placement will commence at the start of your third year.

Depending on your performance in your placement year and your final degree award, Mazars may offer you a place on their audit graduate trainee programme. You’ll also benefit from mentoring and insight visits to their offices in your first and second year.

We also undergo projects with recruitment company Hays as part of the Professional Development Module in stage two.

Accounting and Finance Clinic

Our monthly clinic is student-led and provides free accounting and finance support for small to medium enterprises (SME's), tailored depending on your organisation's needs.

Hands-on learning

Between stages two and three, you will have the opportunity to gain valuable industry experience by taking a placement year. Our students have undertaken placements with organisations such as Boots, the NHS, Faurecia and local accounting practices including Smith Cooper and Duncan & Toplis.

Fieldtrips will help you to translate theory into practice. We have visited companies such as PKF Cooper Parry as well as a council finance department. A recent fieldtrip to Chatsworth House featured an informative talk by the Chief Executive of the Devonshire Trust and the Head of Visitor Experience for the Chatsworth Group. Such opportunities deepen your understanding of the wider business world and underpin your live coursework projects.

What you will study

• Year 1
• Year 2
• Placement Year
• Year 3

Core modules

• Introduction To Financial Accounting
• Introduction to Management Accounting
• Academic and Digital Skills for Professionals
• Market Economics and Key Mathematical Concepts
• Law for Accounting
• Intro to Operations Management and Information

How you will learn

During the first and second stages, you will learn mainly through:

• formal lectures
• tutorials
• workshops
• industry projects

From the second stage, you are expected to work more independently and take greater charge of your own learning, while receiving guidance and direction from the academic staff.

Examples of projects

The Independent Study module is an important element of the final year, enabling you to pursue in-depth research into a theme of your choice. Recent examples include investigating issues such as the impact of sugar tax on businesses in Derby, financial fair play rules in football and the movement towards narrative or integrated reporting.

Some of these projects involve live briefs for employers: one student completed a study on internal control systems on behalf of Derby Museums.

How you are assessed

Assessments are designed to help you gauge your own level of learning through constructive feedback. The range of assessments includes methods such as:

• Computer-based assessments
• Examinations
• Essays
• Business reports
• Employer negotiated assessment briefs (with companies such as Chatsworth, Birds, Derby Cricket Club, Bolsover District council, and HMRC (HM Revenue & Customs)
• Videos,
• Group reports and presentations
• Portfolio-based assessments.

Who will teach you

David Thompson

Programme Leader

David Thompson

Lecturer in Accounting

Helping you reach your full potential

Our Personal Academic Tutoring programme supports your academic journey, helping you achieve your goals and unlock your potential.

Careers

Setting sights on your accounting and finance future

Accounting and finance graduates are in demand the world over, so you will have the opportunity to work in many diverse fields. Our former students have gone on to excel in local practices, multinational accounting firms, merchant banks and other major businesses.

On graduation – and depending on the module pathway you have selected – you can apply for exemptions from ACCA, CIMA, ICAEW, CPA Australia and AIA professional qualifications. This will shorten the time you need to become a fully qualified member of your chosen professional body. Representatives from the various professional bodies visit the University to explain more about their institutions, the exemptions available and the potential career paths you can consider.

Throughout your studies, you’ll also benefit from our Development Planning (PDP) scheme which enables you to reflect on your learning and develop your career ambitions. In addition, your programme will support you in your preparation for the work place. Your second year module, Professional Development Skills for Accounting Graduates, is tailored to the needs of the accounting profession. The module is designed to ensure that you are ready to apply for internships, placements and or graduate roles.

Further study

You can choose to continue your studies at Derby with the MSc Accounting and Finance. You may be entitled to an alumni discount on your fees if you decide to extend your time with us by progressing from undergraduate to postgraduate study.

Getting you career ready

Your degree is only part of your story. We're here to help prepare you for life after university.

Entry requirements

2025 entry

These are the typical qualification requirements for September 2025 entry.

• UCAS points: 112
• A Level: BBC
• T Level: Merit
• BTEC: DMM
• GCSE: GCSE Maths and English Grade 4/Grade C (or above) or equivalent qualification
• Access to HE: Pass Access to HE Diploma with 60 credits: 45 at Level 3 with a minimum of Distinction: 15, Merit: 24, Pass: 6
• English language requirements: IELTS: 6.0 (with at least 5.5 in each skills area)

Fees and funding

2025/26

• UK: Full-time £9,535 per year, Part-time N/A
• International: Full-time £16,900 per year, Part-time N/A

How to apply

Please look at our application deadlines before you apply.

• UK students: If you are in Year 13 and applying for a full-time undergraduate course (including our joint honours courses), we recommend that you apply through UCAS.
• International students: The quickest and easiest way to apply is through our online application portal.