Level: Undergraduate
Delivery type: Full Time
Degree qualification: MA
Mode of delivery: On-Campus
Duration: 3-4 years
Location: Edinburgh
Start date: September
Our practical-based Accountancy programme has been designed to ensure you’ll have the knowledge and skills most employers value. Whilst studying our accountancy degree, you’ll develop a broad understanding of the context in which modern accounting operates, as well as build accounting expertise in several areas including:
- Recording and summarising business transactions
- Preparing and analysing financial statements
- Analysing and making decisions on business operations
- Conducting financial analysis
- Producing and reporting projections
- Conducting audit
- Analysing governance issues
- Gaining awareness of the importance of business ethics
In addition to these key accounting skills, you’ll expand your overall skillset through a combination of individual projects, group work, written reports, presentations, and examinations. Throughout this programme, you’ll also develop skills such as:
- Analysis
- Leadership
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Negotiation
- Conflict resolution
- Presentation delivery
Each course included in the programme will equip you with highly employable expertise and skills in accountancy, from introduction to accounting and finance, the economy, discovering business, and principles of accounting. You’ll benefit from the industry relevance of the programme, which will set you up for life after graduation. Upon completion, you’ll have the relevant knowledge and skills to start a career in accountancy, business and beyond.
Your student experience
Our Expertise: Our MA Accountancy programme is taught with a clear industry focus by experienced professionals and respected academics. They are accredited by professional bodies and will introduce you to professional-standard software in our state-of-the-art Bloomberg Trading Room.
Your learning environment: Our MA (Hons) Accountancy degree allows you to enhance your employability in the area of finance through the use of our state-of-the-art Bloomberg Trading Room. This professional-standard facility provides access to live financial data from global markets and organisations. Integrating the use of Bloomberg Terminals into our teaching will allow you to develop professionally relevant skills in data analysis, financial reporting, financial risk management, and financial modelling.
The programme is taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, lab work and group work, allowing you to get to know and build relationships with your peers, the teaching staff and academics. You’ll also have the opportunity to gain first-hand insights into accountancy practice through guest lectures. You’ll be assessed by independent essays, multiple-choice tests, written exams, presentations, individual projects, group work and your dissertation.
Outside of the classroom, you can join Heriot-Watt’s Accounting and Finance Society which holds regular social events and provides networking opportunities and insights into accounting career opportunities by working closely with the support of the academic tutors.
Customise your learning: Throughout your studies, you’ll learn from core courses on the syllabus. In your fourth year, you’ll have the choice of taking optional courses to focus on the area of accountancy that interests you the most. This gives you the opportunity to customise your degree to match your specific interests or career pathway by selecting specialist course options.
In year four, you’ll explore in-depth your chosen area of accountancy and finance through your dissertation. You’ll be required to demonstrate your mastery of the subject area by identifying and undertaking an appropriate area of research and presenting your results effectively by written and verbal means.
Our Accountancy programme offers you the opportunity to travel to Dubai to experience studying accountancy and finance in a different environment and culture. You can travel for one semester or one academic year, and we recommend that you do this in year three.
Accreditation: MA Accountancy is accredited by a number of institutions for exemptions from some professional examinations:
The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) for the purpose of exemptions from some professional examinations.
The Association of International Accountants (AIA) for the purpose of exemption from some professional examinations.
The Chartered Management Accountants (CIMA) for the purpose of exemption from some professional examinations through the Self-tailored Learning Pathway.
The Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW) for the purpose of exemption from some professional examinations.
The Chartered Accountants Scotland (ICAS) for the purpose of exemption from some professional examinations.
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