Key information
The MA (Hons) Accountancy programme at Edinburgh Business School will prepare you for a career in professional accountancy, business and beyond.
- UCAS code
- NN40
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Delivery type
- Full Time
- Degree qualification
- MA
- Mode of delivery
- On-Campus
- Duration
- 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:
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Recording and summarising business transactions
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Preparing and analysing financial statements
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Analysing and making decisions on business operations
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Conducting financial analysis
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Producing and reporting projections
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Conducting audit
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Analysing governance issues
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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:
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Analysis
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Leadership
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Teamwork
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Communication
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Negotiation
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Conflict resolution
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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 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.
Go Global
With Go Global, Heriot-Watt's global student programme, you can carry your studies to new places and experience new cultures, expanding your horizons on the way. You'll discover what it means to be a true global citizen and emerge prepared for wherever your career journey will take you.
Inter-Campus Transfer: Dubai
Course content
September Intake - Edinburgh
Mandatory September
- Introduction to Accounting
- Management in a Global Context
- Critical Academic Skills
- The Economy
Mandatory January
- Introduction to Economic and Financial Analysis
- Sustainable Business
- Introductory Finance
- Becoming a Professional
Fees and funding
| Status | Fee |
|---|---|
| Scotland | Paid by SAAS |
| England / Wales / N Ireland / Rep of Ireland | £9,535 |
| International | £19,456 |
- Status: Your residency status is usually defined as the country where you have been ordinarily resident for the three years before the start of your course.
- International: 'International' includes applicants from European Union countries who do not hold Pre-Settled or Settled status in UK. (This does not include students from the Republic of Ireland - see above).
Scholarships and bursaries
Bursaries for students from England, Northern Ireland or Wales
In addition to government loans and grants towards the costs of fees and living costs, we are offering generous financial support to attract and support eligible undergraduate students from England, Northern Ireland or Wales:
- Heriot-Watt University Bursary (up to £3,100 per year)
Entry requirements
We have standard entry requirements for all of our courses that you will have to meet.
Standard entry requirements
- Highers AABB (over two sittings)
- A-Levels BBC - ABB
- Int. Baccalaureate 29 points
- BTEC DMM (Business/Accountancy/Finance preferred)
- HNC B in graded unit
- Please check that you meet our University-wide National 5/GCSE (or equivalent) English and Maths requirements.
Minimum entry requirements*
- Highers BBBC
- A-Levels BBC
* Minimum: under our Fair Access Policy, we will relax our standard entry requirements for some Scottish students depending on their circumstances. Our minimum requirements will apply if you:
- live in an area within the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation lowest 20% (SIMD20), or
- are care experienced.
We can also make exceptions for some Scottish students with grades above minimum but below standard. Read more about our Minimum and standard entry requirements
Why Heriot-Watt
We're the top university in Scotland for graduate outcomes which means that more of our graduates are employed or in postgraduate education than any other institution in the country and we ranked 5th in the UK.
We're also rated number one in the UK for CEO or MD roles, meaning more of our graduates go on to become CEOs or MDs than any other university in the whole of the UK. On top of that, we have beautiful campuses, across the globe, so you'll get a truly international education. Our Edinburgh Campus is home to Oriam, Scotland's National Sports Performance Centre combined with plenty of wellbeing resources, prioritising fitness and mental health for all students. Our Global Research Institutes look at solving real world issues such as climate change and saving our oceans as well as working on the next medical technological breakthrough and the future of AI and robots.
Employability
We’re delighted that Edinburgh Business School has the highest percentage of graduates in the UK who are appointed to a CEO or MD role (Novuna Business Cash Flow, 2023). We’re also first in Scotland for graduate employability (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2023). Typical careers for Accountancy graduates include chartered accountants, finance professionals, and business, research and administrative professionals.
Work and study
Salary
Potential career paths
- Finance Professionals
- Business, Research and Administrative Professionals
Student life
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