Strategic Accounting, MSc

Accelerate your Career in Professional Accountancy

students working together

Course Overview

Do you have a head for figures and your heart set on a career in accounting with a high salary? Accounting is a sought-after profession, but 21st century businesses don’t just want ‘number crunchers’, they want accountants with a strategic edge to increase value and growth.

Our MSc Strategic Accounting programme at Swansea University aims to improve your career opportunities and help fast track you into a fantastic career that could be located anywhere in the world.

You will already have a relevant first degree and will have passed and/or received exemptions from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) fundamental papers. As part of this programme, you will be taught the latest theories and practices, and how to apply them as an accountancy professional, while we prepare you for the ACCA professional examinations*.

Students who wish to take the ACCA examinations alongside, or after, the MSc must register with ACCA in order to be eligible for ACCA professional exams. Additional fees will apply for these exams – please see the 'Additional Costs' section below for more information.

You will be part of a global professional body with a reputation for driving standards of professionalism, ethics, integrity and accountability. After you’ve qualified and worked for three years you can use the ACCA letters after your name.

*The School of Management at Swansea University reserves the right to make reasonable adjustments to the MSc Strategic Accounting programme in accordance with the latest ACCA guidelines and standards. We are committed to providing students with the most up to date, industry standard information, and sufficient preparation for the ACCA professional papers.

Why Strategic Accounting at Swansea?

Throughout your studies, you will be based in the £22million School of Management, located on the Bay Campus, where you will have access to:

  • An enhanced specialist MSc that can be completed in a single year
  • A programme that has embedded master’s status with the ACCA. The taught modules are mapped to the ACCA syllabus, and the assessment strategy is constrained to examinations, in order to help prepare you for the external ACCA examinations, which you have the option to undertake alongside this MSc
  • A master’s that is perfect for you if you are a graduate in a finance-related subject area, who is seeking a specialist programme to enable accelerated career opportunities in accountancy
  • Modules that are taught by our world-class faculty, who have in-depth industrial and academic knowledge

The School of Management at Swansea University is also accredited by AACSB International, the world’s largest business education association, connecting business schools, businesses and learners, to create the next generation of great leaders.

Your Strategic Accounting Experience

From the moment you arrive at the School of Management, we will work with you to help build your skills and experience to enhance your career prospects. Personalised support is available from Careers Advisors, with options available such as a work placement or internship through the Swansea Paid Internship Network (SPIN) or the Week of Work initiative.

All of our students benefit from co-location with industry at our innovative Bay Campus. Our facilities boast dedicated teaching space and study areas, and extensive IT facilities equipped with the latest hardware and specialist software.

The programme is structured into four taught modules, with block teaching including lectures and seminars every day for four weeks. You will be taught one module at a time, with assessment following directly after each block of teaching. This programme structure follows the ACCA modules and syllabus, and is structured in block delivery to allow you the option of sitting the external ACCA examinations in December, March and June. After you complete the taught modules, you will undertake an independent project, enhancing your research skills.

The programme has a dual purpose, in that it allows you to study the MSc Strategic Accounting, while also having the option to undertake the external ACCA examinations alongside your master’s degree. Some students choose to study the MSc alone, whilst others will want to take the external ACCA examinations at the same time, or after. The programme is structured to allow students to do both.

Strategic Accounting Employment Opportunities

We have an excellent track record of placing our graduates with major multinational companies, including the big 4 accountancy firms.

Your Strategic Accounting programme will prepare you for career opportunities across a wide range of sectors, from the financial services and public practice to the public and corporate sectors.

As a graduate, you will be well-positioned to enter a wide range of high-level roles across the global accounting, finance, and business sectors. The programme’s strategic, technical and ethical focus, combined with ACCA alignment, will equip you for both traditional and emerging career paths. Potential destinations and roles include:

  • Professional Accounting and Finance Roles (Strategic Management Accountant, Financial Controller, Group Accountant, Finance Business Partner, Head of Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A))
  • Assurance, Audit, and Risk Roles (Senior Auditor or Audit Manager (internal or external), Risk and Compliance Manager, ESG Assurance Specialist, Governance and Control Analyst)
  • Corporate and Strategic Advisory Roles (Corporate Finance Consultant, M&A Analyst or Advisor, Strategic Reporting Analyst, Integrated Reporting Consultant)
  • Public Sector and Regulatory Bodies (Senior Finance Officer (e.g. NHS, local government, international NGOs), Policy Advisor (e.g. HM Treasury, financial regulators), Public Sector Auditor or Compliance Officer)
  • Sustainability and ESG-Focused Roles (ESG Reporting Manager, Sustainability Assurance Consultant, Climate Risk Analyst (Finance))
  • Technology and Innovation in Accounting (Digital Transformation Lead (Finance), Accounting Data Analyst, FinTech Strategy Consultant, AI and Automation Specialist (Accounting Systems))
  • Academic and Professional Development (Doctoral Researcher (PhD in Accounting, Finance, or Governance), Lecturer or Tutor in Accounting and Finance, ACCA or other professional body trainer or examiner)

Modules

We're currently reviewing our curriculum to enhance your learning experience and embed skills that will benefit your future career. This means that some modules may be subject to change.

Entry Requirements

We consider all applicants on their own merits and welcome applications from students with a wide range of qualifications.