Program Overview

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MSc Accounting and Finance

The MSc Accounting and Finance is a world-leading programme that provides students with a deep understanding of accounting and finance concepts in a global context. The programme is ideal for students who want to develop strong technical knowledge and pursue careers in accounting, finance, management, consulting, regulation, or academia.

Introduction

The programme has an outstanding reputation that extends over five decades and is suitable for those who are interested in pursuing careers in the fields of accounting, finance, management, consulting, regulation, or academia. Students are expected to have taken academic courses in accounting, finance, or economics, and quantitative methods prior to entry. Strong candidates who don't have the appropriate background in one or more of these areas may be required to take additional courses before being accepted.

Accreditations

The MSc Accounting and Finance is accredited by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). The programme is also affiliated with the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute, offering a limited number of CFA Programme scholarships to students each year.

Entry Requirements

• Upper second-class honours degree (2:1) or equivalent in accounting and finance or a related subject.
• Applicants without a UK undergraduate degree must submit GMAT or GRE test scores with their application.
• English language requirements: Standard.

Overseas

Select a country to find out the entry requirements that apply:

• Afghanistan
• Albania
• Algeria
• Angola
• Anguilla
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Argentina
• Armenia
• Australia
• Austria
• Azerbaijan
• Bahrain
• Bangladesh
• Barbados
• Belarus
• Belgium
• Belize
• Benin
• Bermuda
• Bhutan
• Bolivia
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Botswana
• Brazil
• British Virgin Islands
• Brunei
• Bulgaria
• Burkina Faso
• Burma (Myanmar)
• Cambodia
• Cameroon
• Canada
• Cayman Islands
• Chile
• China
• Colombia
• Comoros
• Costa Rica
• Croatia
• Cuba
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Democratic Republic of Congo
• Denmark
• Dominica
• Dominican Republic
• East Timor
• Ecuador
• Egypt
• El Salvador
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Estonia
• Ethiopia
• Fiji
• Finland
• France
• Georgia
• Germany
• Ghana
• Greece
• Greenland
• Grenada
• Guatemala
• Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Guyana
• Haiti
• Hong Kong
• Hungary
• Iceland
• India
• Indonesia
• Iran
• Iraq
• Ireland
• Israel
• Italy
• Ivory Coast
• Jamaica
• Japan
• Jordan
• Kazakhstan
• Kenya
• Kingdom of Eswatini
• Kiribati
• Kosovo
• Kuwait
• Kyrgyzstan
• Laos PDR
• Latvia
• Lebanon
• Lesotho
• Liberia
• Libya
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Macau
• Madagascar
• Malawi
• Malaysia
• Maldives
• Mali
• Malta
• Mauritania
• Mauritius
• Mexico
• Micronesia
• Moldova
• Monaco
• Mongolia
• Montenegro
• Montserrat
• Morocco
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• Nepal
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Nicaragua
• Nigeria
• North Korea
• North Macedonia
• Norway
• Oman
• Pakistan
• Panama
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Poland
• Portugal
• Puerto Rico
• Qatar
• Romania
• Russia
• Rwanda
• Samoa
• San Marino
• Saudi Arabia
• Senegal
• Serbia
• Sierra Leone
• Singapore
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Somalia
• South Africa
• South Korea
• South Sudan
• Spain
• Sri Lanka
• St Kitts and Nevis
• St Lucia
• St Vincent and the Grenadines
• Sudan
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Syria
• Taiwan
• Tajikistan
• Tanzania
• Thailand
• The Bahamas
• The Gambia
• The Philippines
• The Seychelles
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Tunisia
• Turkey
• Turkmenistan
• Turks and Caicos Islands
• Uganda
• Ukraine
• United Arab Emirates
• United States of America
• Uruguay
• Uzbekistan
• Venezuela
• Vietnam
• West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza
• Yemen
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

Additional Tests

• GRE/GMAT requirement: All applicants without a UK undergraduate degree must submit GMAT or GRE test scores with their application.
• English language requirements: Standard.

Programme Content

• Students must successfully complete the equivalent of four full-unit courses to meet the requirements of the MSc Accounting and Finance programme.
• Core courses in accounting and finance provide the foundation for developing an understanding of a variety of topics, themes, and core principles.
• Students can then select from a combination of optional full and half-unit courses in specific areas of accounting and finance to fit their interests and preferred specialisation.

Year 1

• Courses to the value of one unit from a range of options.
• Courses to the value of one unit from the following:
  • AC411: Accounting, Strategy and Control
  • AC412: Accountability, Organisations and Risk Management
  • AC415: Management Accounting for Decision Making
  • AC416: Topics in Financial Reporting
  • AC417: Corporate Financial Disclosure and Investor Relations
  • AC444: Valuation and Security Analysis
  • AC456: Accounting Analysis of Mergers, Acquisitions and Other Complex Deals
  • AC457: Data Analytics for Management Control
  • AC470: Accounting in the Global Economy
  • AC495: Dissertation in Economics of Accounting
• Courses to the value of one unit from the following:
  • FM402: Financial Risk Analysis
  • FM413: Fixed Income Markets
  • FM421: Finance for Mergers, Buyouts and Corporate Restructurings
  • FM441: Derivatives
  • FM442: Quantitative Methods for Finance and Risk Analysis
  • FM445: Portfolio Management
  • FM447: Global Financial Systems
  • FM471: Sustainable Finance and Impact Investing
  • FM472: International Finance
  • FM476: Entrepreneurial Finance

Why Study with Us

• The Department of Accounting at LSE is recognised worldwide for the excellence of its research and teaching, ranked eighth in the world in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025.
• The department was ranked the top place in the UK to study accounting by the Guardian University Guide in its 2025 and 2026 league tables.
• Graduates of the programme are equipped to analyse how accounting shapes and reflects economic behaviour, informs decision-making and resource allocation, and strengthens transparency and accountability.

Student Stories

• Student Jayanthkrishna Athi Suriyanarayana
• Student Igor Romanelli

Meet the Department

• The Department of Accounting at LSE is committed to advancing and sharing knowledge through rigorous research, innovative teaching, and active engagement in professional and policy arenas.
• The department has a long-standing research tradition and has consistently been at the forefront of exploring the role of accounting in firms, markets, and the economy.

Why LSE

• University of the Year 2025 and 1st in the UK (Times and The Sunday Times - Good University Guide 2025)
• 1st in London for the 14th year running (The Complete University Guide - University League Tables 2026)
• 6th In the world (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025)
• Carbon Neutral In 2021, LSE became the first Carbon Neutral verified university in the UK

Your Application

• We welcome applications from all suitably qualified prospective students.
• We carefully consider each application and take into account all the information included on your application form.
• You may need to provide evidence of your English language proficiency.

When to Apply

• Applications for this programme are considered on a rolling basis.
• There is no fixed deadline, but if you’d like to be considered for any funding opportunities, you must submit your application (and all supporting documents) by the funding deadline.

Fees and Funding

• The table of fees shows the latest tuition fees for all programmes.
• You're charged a fee for your programme, which covers registration and examination fees payable to the School, lectures, classes, and individual supervision.
• The tuition fee does not cover living costs or travel or fieldwork.

Home

• £43,000 (Home student fee for 2026/27)

Overseas

• £43,000 (Overseas student fee for 2026/27)

Fee Status

• At LSE, your tuition fees, and eligibility for any financial support, will depend on whether you’re classified as a home or overseas student (known as your fee status).

Scholarships, Bursaries, and Loans

• Fee reduction: Students who completed undergraduate study at LSE and are beginning taught graduate study at the School are eligible for a fee reduction of around 10 per cent of the fee.
• Scholarships and other funding: We offer some needs-based awards for this programme, including the Graduate Support Scheme.
• Government tuition fee loans and external funding: The UK Government offers a postgraduate loan for eligible students studying for a first master’s programme.

Learning and Assessment

• Teaching: A short, focused, introductory course on accounting practices and techniques will be held at the beginning of the programme.
• Contact hours and independent study: The average number of contact hours per week is 12 hours, which includes lectures and seminars.
• Teaching methods: Courses are taught in lecture and class or seminar format.
• Academic support: You'll meet with your academic mentor regularly to discuss your work.

How You Learn

• Teaching: Lectures introduce the core theoretical and technical concepts whilst their associated classes allow you to discuss and apply these concepts through exercises and in-depth study.
• Academic support: Your academic mentor can provide advice and guidance on academic issues and, where appropriate, personal concerns.

How You're Assessed

• All taught courses are required to include formative coursework which is unassessed.
• All full-unit courses are assessed by three-hour unseen examinations in the Spring Term.
• Half-units are assessed by two-hour unseen examinations.

Graduate Destinations

• Students who successfully complete the MSc Accounting and Finance programme pursue careers across a wide range of sectors, in financial institutions, accounting firms, management consulting, industry, government, and academia.
• Our graduates have gone on to work at companies, including:
  • EY
  • PwC
  • Deloitte
  • KPMG
  • JP Morgan
  • Nomura
  • Citi
  • HSBC
  • Macquarie
  • Morgan Stanley
  • McKinsey
  • Boston Consulting Group
  • Accenture
  • Huawei

Top 5 Sectors Our Students Work In:

• Financial and Professional Services
• Accounting and Auditing
• FMCG, Manufacturing and Retail
• Consultancy
• Education, Teaching and Research

Career Support

• From CV workshops through to careers fairs, LSE offers lots of information and support to help you make that all-important step from education into work.

Find Out More

• Related programmes:
  • MSc Accounting, Organisations and Institutions
  • MSc Accounting and Data Analytics
  • MSc Finance (full-time)
  • MSc Finance and Risk
  • MSc Finance and Private Equity
  • MSc Finance and Economics
  • MSc Real Estate Economics and Finance
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