Studying Accounting, Finance and Economics at Salford

Business students working together

Congratulations on your offer to study at Salford! We can't wait for you to join us.

Get a flavour of what to expect as an Accounting, Finance and Economics student by reading our dedicated student success stories and learn all about the unmatched opportunities available with the Business School.

Why study at Salford?

1.

Choose to take a work placement. You'll earn money, you won't pay University fees and you'll build up some great experience for after graduation.

2.

Study in a supportive environment where the staff know you by name and your fellow students become your friends for life.

3.

Learn on our green campus, minutes from the UK's most liveable city, Manchester.

Building Employability Skills at Salford Business School

SBS Students working

Salford Business School is committed to ensuring you graduate with the skills and resources needed in order for you to land a thriving, exciting and lucrative career within your chosen industry. Not only do we equip you with academic knowledge of your subject, but we will also ensure you have the professional skills and experience needed to join the accounting and finance or business sector. In order to achieve this, you will have access to:

  • A paid work placement year in your chosen field 
  • Internship opportunities
  • Mock assessment centres
  • VR body-swap technology to practice interview skills which can then be watched back, reviewed and learnt from
  • Business simulation suites 
  • Business challenges
  • Mock interviews and practice networking
  • Launch@Salford - Have an idea for a business? Visit our very own incubation centre for business start-ups. Get advice from experts and watch your business grow
FAQs

What can I expect my timetable to look like?

Your weekly timetable will vary from term to term and from year to year depending on what modules you are studying. Classes can be scheduled for any day of the week between 9am and 6pm, however, we do as much as we can to groups classes together and the University does not schedule teaching on Wednesday afternoons so that students can participate in clubs, societies and extracurricular activities. Most students are in three or maximum four days a week.

You also need to schedule in personal study time when you will be reading, writing assignments or working with your fellow classmates on group work.

You will get your timetable at the start of each year.

How many contact hours will I have each week?

Contact time with your tutors varies by course but you will have a minimum 10 hours per week of required attendance. You'll study three modules per semester, each with three hours of classes per week (a one-hour lecture and a two-hour seminar) plus one hour of course-specific guided study to make up your 10 hours of attendance.

Large group lectures provide an opportunity to introduce key concepts before you explore these in more detail in smaller group classes (seminars).  The small group classes take an interactive approach to ensure your learning can be applied in a real world context. If you want further help from your tutors with that week's work, there are also opportunities for one-to-one sessions with them.

Will the university help me to find work experience and placements?

While students are responsible for finding their own work experience and industry placements, the dedicated Business School employability team will guide and support you through the process. Industry experience not only enables you to apply your knowledge in real-world situations but allows you to form those vital connections early on in your career. We have links with a range of leading organisations and will help you in securing your placement with support such as CV writing and interview skills.

Are there any relevant student-run societies?

There is a Business Society run by students based in the Business School. In addition, the Salford students Enactus group gives you opportunities to develop your skills by working on community projects. The University of Salford Students’ Union is home to a huge range of societies and teams you might be interested in; they’re a great way to meet people and make friends.

How important are professional bodies in the Accounting and Finance profession?

The Accounting and Finance programme at Salford Business School is accredited by the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA), the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), the Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountants (CIPFA) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

Our relationships with these professional accounting bodies ensure the modules you study are closely aligned with current best practice. These partnerships mean that you benefit from exemptions from professional accountancy exams as well as the opportunity to join the ACCA Accelerate programme and become a student member of CIMA, taking you closer to achieving your professional goals.

On successful completion of the course, you will have exemptions from:

9 ACCA exams
8 CIMA exams
7 ICAEW exams
6 CIPFA exams

What connections with industry does this course have?

Salford Business School works closely with industry partners. They provide feedback about our modules and course, so what will be taught will be very close to demands from the job market and what is expected from an Accounting graduate. There are job fairs on campus in November. Different companies will be on campus, so students have the chance to talk to them and get more information about placement, internship and graduate jobs. Also, students will have networking opportunities with professional accountants at Guest Talk/Lectures, and at different events such as the ‘Pizza with Professionals’ event.

What advice can you give students just starting out on the course?

Some useful advice for new students would be to listen to/read business news, it helps to keep up-to-date with current developments in business. The course is structured in a way where you will learn the basics from the first day, and receive the reading list at the beginning of the trimester. You will also be given a hard copy booklet for each module, particularly for core accounting modules, which includes lecture notes, in-class exercises and tutorial exercises. It is produced by Salford Business School and students will receive one free copy for each module.

What extracurricular activities are there to enhance my studies even further?

There are different extra-curricular free courses available like eLearning of Xero accounting software, for which students will get a certificate. One of the modules in trimester two of year one is called Accounting Information Systems. As part of this module, students learn how to work with Sage 50 Accounts; this is Accounting software that will be taught and practiced in computer rooms and if students get an assignment mark of 80+, they will get Sage certificate. Being Sage certified is a really good add-on to your CV.

Your course in detail

To learn more about your course, visit our coursefinder pages below: 

BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance

BSc (Hons) Business Management with Finance

BSc (Hons) Business Management with Economics