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Pursuing an accounting or finance degree gives you a lot more than just a knack for numbers. In fact, you’ll be set up to succeed in many careers. This is especially true for those who graduate from Lancaster University Management School (LUMS). For Accounting and Finance, LUMS is ranked in the top 15 in the UK by QS World Rankings by Subject 2023 (11th), the Guardian University Guide 2024 (13th) and The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 (15th).
These rankings, paired with the rate graduates are scoring their dream jobs at high-flying companies, prove how effective a LUMS education is. “A large fraction of our graduates target blue-chip firms in the accounting and investments sectors,” says Steven Young, Professor of Accounting and Associate Dean (Resources). “We have a great track record of placing students with Big Four and next-tier accounting firms, as well as with the global names in investment banking and asset management.”
As an accounting and finance student at LUMS, you graduate ready for these roles because of the practical nature of the curriculum. You can gain experience with Bloomberg, develop coding skills in Python, master professional ethics, and fast-track your professional growth. This broadens your horizons and opportunities. “Because accounting graduates have a good understanding of how businesses operate and create value, they are in high demand across a wide range of business roles, including consulting, regulation, financial analysis, analytics, strategy, and project management,” adds Professor Young.
Source: Lancaster University Management School
LUMS’ most popular accounting and finance degree is the BSc Hons Accounting and Finance. This three-year degree is accredited by globally recognised accountancy bodies. “The programme represents a balance between theory and practice, including exceptions for professional exams (all foundation papers for ICAEW, ACCA and CIMA, and certain professional level papers such as Financial Management for ICAEW and Performance management, Financial Reporting and Financial Management for ACCA),” adds Professor Young.
The BSc Hons Accounting and Management programme gives you the hard skills of accounting and places those alongside competencies in management, where the focus is on how financial information is used rather than how it is prepared. BSc Hons Finance is a flexible programme that will help you build a solid career in investment and finance through a good balance of academic theory and practical experience. “The BSc Finance focuses more specifically on finance and financial markets, including areas such as corporate finance, asset management, portfolio optimisation, and quantitative analysis,” says Professor Young. “There is also a close association with industry and practice, including the opportunity to prepare for the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) level 1 qualification in year three.”
LUMS has strong connections with industry. This makes it easier for you to land internships, including placements in London and Shanghai. Industry experience is paramount in the current job market, hence why LUMS offers a placement year variant for all of the above three programmes: BSc Hons Accounting and Finance (Industry), BSc Accounting and Management (Industry), and BSc Finance (Industry). On your industrial placement, you will learn crucial soft skills such as teamwork, organisation, timekeeping, and prioritisation, as well as build your professional network with vital contacts.
Source: Lancaster University Management School
“We find that students who have been on placement tend to perform better when they return to university in the final year of their because they are able to see how the theories and ideas taught in the classroom work in practice,” says Professor Young. “Students on our industry variant programmes receive additional training in their first year on preparing for placement (including how to navigate the application process) and support in year two with the application process from our specialist placement team.”
The LUMS Careers team supports students in applying for these industry stints and helps you build your CV and cover letters to get your dream role. You can take advantage of the one-on-one career appointments with experts and benefit from various services. This includes career fairs (some of which are tailored specifically to accounting and finance), mock assessments, job briefing workshops and more. “We offer specialist support to our students,” says Tanya Parry from LUMS Careers. “We are coaches in every sense of the word, we don’t tell people what to do or make assumptions of what they should do. We support students to realise their potential through effective questioning, listening intently, and through intelligent signposting.”
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