Finance and Accounting BSc

About the Course

Economics plays a crucial role in the operation, management and regulation of financial institutions, industry and government agencies. As a senior manager in public and private enterprise, a knowledge of economics significantly enhances strategic decision making. Furthermore, such knowledge is crucial in a world of integrating global markets and the information superhighway.

The courses at Brunel combine an understanding of theory with the practical skills necessary to apply your knowledge to a business, industrial, financial or government environment. It is this combination, together with a strong background in finance, that distinguishes the Brunel courses from other degrees in economics.

Aims

This degree aims to produce graduates who are familiar with the principles of finance across a range of subject areas, and will prepare students for careers in accountancy.

Enquiries

Dr Dilruba Karim
Admissions Tutor

Helen Stevenson
Admissions and Marketing Administrator
School of Social Sciences
Tel: +44 (0)1895 265952
Email: helen.stevenson@brunel.ac.uk

Special Features

• Many of our staff are nationally and internationally recognised for their work in this field. Some lecturers from the Brunel Business School work as consultants for major companies and government bodies, and their work is often widely published.
  
  
• Your business modules will normally be taught by people who have practical and personal experience in business and have run their own companies. Their academic insights and hands-on practical experience in the commercial world ensure that course content is lively, interesting and, importantly, up-to-date. The aim of teaching is to give students “employable knowledge”.
  
  
• As a graduate of this course, you will have selective exemption from some professional accountancy and law exams. Not only is this a fast-track way to professional qualifications after you graduate, but it is also a symbol of the quality of the programme.
  
  
• We have good links with business. This means:

• The use of computers is an integral part of all our courses. You will make extensive use of computers attached to a powerful network. You will then be linked to other UK and international information sources. You will also become familiar with the analytical packages widely used by business and financial institutions.

Facts and Figures

• Our Management specialisms include: small business management; human resource management; organisational change; marketing; technology and business; copyright and property rights; entrepreneurialism; gender; and management thinking and learning. Students also benefit from the University-wide specialism in eCommerce and multimedia.
  
  
• Our Economics specialisms include: financial markets; financial reporting; stocks and shares; mergers and acquisitions; the impact of EMU and European policies; labour-supply issues; wages; training; inflation; exchange rates; privatisation; banking; accountancy; public expenditure; economic cycles; regional development; economic policies; the costs of childcare; and macroeconomics.

Course Content

Typical modules

Level 1

• Macroeconomic Principles
• Microeconomic Principles
• Introduction to Financial Accounting
• Financial Markets
• Statistical Research Methods

Level 2 Core

• Corporate Finance
• Corporate Investment
• Econometrics for Finance
• Management Accounting and Decision-making
• Financial Accounting and Statement Analysis
• Company Law and Regulations

Plus options from a range of Economics/Finance topics

Level 3 Core

• Major Project (core)
• Auditing (core)
• Financial Accounting
  

Plus one of the following options:

• Financial Theory and Corporate Policy
• Financial Engineering
  

Level 3 Options

• Econometric Methods and Applications
• Behavioural Economics and Finance
• Advanced Topic in Finance
• Taxation  

Final Year Project

In your final year you will undertake a dissertation which is linked to your degree. This is a piece of personal research which is often seen by prospective employers and which may stem directly from a work placement. Otherwise, the subject will be stimulated by topical issues such as directors’ pay, regulation of utilities or the European Monetary Union. Our staff have extensive research expertise in these and other areas.

Teaching and Learning

Hours

You will have about 12 to 14 hours of directed study a week in Level 1. This number decreases in Levels 2 and 3. Students are expected to undertake substantial independent study.

How will I be taught?

Lectures – These provide a broad overview of key concepts and ideas relating to your course and provide you with a framework from which to carry out more in depth study.

Workshops – These are generally used for modules in finance or quantitative subjects. They often take the form of working through answers to a previously distributed assignment sheet of exercise questions.

Seminars – These relatively small groups are used for subjects where the lecture material is examined in more detail, and theoretical concepts are analysed and applied in specific contexts.

One-to-one – You will get one-to-one supervision on your final year dissertation and at all levels you will have a personal tutor who is available to discuss personal and academic problems. If you go on placement, you will also be allocated a work placement tutor who will monitor your progress and provide further support if you need it.

Other – This may include guest speakers from prominent organisations, research seminars and external site visits.

Assessment

Each subject is assessed in the term when it is taken. The proportion of exam to coursework is approximately 75% to 25%, but some courses have a higher proportion of continuous assessment. Level 1 does not count towards your final degree mark. Level 2 is worth a third, and Level 3 the rest. The final year dissertation is worth a third of Level 3 marks.

Final year dissertation

All degree programmes include a final year dissertation of approximately 10,000 words. This is an important element of the degree and provides you with an opportunity for independent study, original thought and, especially for those on sandwich courses, an opportunity to apply economic and financial theories, concepts and models to practical problems.

You are assigned a Dissertation Supervisor who offers guidance on content, level and presentation. 

Employability

If you choose to follow the four-year thick sandwich degree programme you will gain high quality professional experience in commercial, financial, or public sector organisations.

Four year thick-sandwich  - this is a four year full-time degree course which includes one placement at Level 3 which is about 44 weeks long.

Placements in industry have been with members of the International Stock Exchange and other financial markets, banks, large London-based industrial companies, oil companies, international management consultancies, accounting firms, major retailing and distribution companies and employer organisations.

Placements in the public sector have included finance departments at the Treasury, Cabinet Office, Department of Trade and Industry and many other government agencies, as well as with local authorities and health trusts.

Careers

Finance and Economics graduates from Brunel have an excellent employment record and go into a wide variety of occupations. Some go on to further study and become professional economists or accountants. Others are employed in industry, the financial sector or government. In some cases a job offer comes from a former work placement employer. Finance and Accounting graduates also have prospects in the world of corporate banking and financial services.

Graduates have gone on to work for organisations such as:

• NatWest
• HSBC
• Ernst & Young
• Morgan Stanley
• PricewaterhouseCoopers
• Merrill Lynch
• JP Morgan
• The London Stock Exchange
• UBS

Placements

You can choose to study either a traditional three-year course, or the prestigious four-year sandwich course. Sandwich course students have the chance to undertake paid, professional work experience alongside trained experts in industry, business, the public sector and commerce in the UK or overseas, as well as in the heart of the UK’s financial sector.

Fees for 2012/13 entry

Home/EU students: £9,000 full-time, £6,750 part-time

International students: £11,330 full-time

Brunel is introducing over 1000 new scholarships for 2012, meaning that one in three applicants who join Brunel next year will receive financial support from the University. See our fees and funding page for full details

Fees quoted are per annum and are subject to an annual increase.

Entry Requirements for 2012 Entry

• GCE A-level BBB including Grade B in Maths/Statistics at A-level (General Studies/Critical Thinking not accepted).
  
• Irish Leaving Certificate ABBBB including Maths or Statistics.
• Scottish Advanced Highers BBB including B in Maths or Statistics.
• Advanced Diploma Progression Diploma Grade B in Business, Administration and Finance or Public Services, plus A-level Maths/Statistics at Grade B for Additional and Specialist Learning.
• BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma DDD in a related subject, plus A-level Maths or Statistics at Grade B.
• IBDP 32 points, including 6 in Higher Level Maths.
• Access Pass in related subject including at least 65% of units with Merit or Distinction including A-Level Maths/Statistics grade B.

For all of the above, 5 GCSEs or equivalent at Grade C or above are also required, to include Grade B in English and Grade B in Maths (please note that these must have been gained by the time you submit your UCAS application).

Entry Requirements for 2011 Entry (click to expand)

English Language Requirements

Brunel also offers our own BrunELT English Test and accept a range of other language courses. We also have a range of Pre-sessional English language courses, for students who do not meet these requirements, or who wish to improve their English.