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Accountants are probably best known for checking the validity of company accounts – auditing – but they also devise and operate financial systems, conduct investment analysis, advise on business start-ups, company takeovers and company rescue schemes, and handle individuals' and corporations' tax affairs.
Overview
Accounting and Finance
Kent Business School (KBS) has designed the Accounting and Finance degrees to ensure that they respond to the needs and expectations of the modern accountancy profession. They offer the opportunity to spend a year on work placement, or to combine accounting with related subjects. Their supportive and flexible approach to teaching gives you the confidence and skills you need to follow the path that most interests you.
Economics
Economics examines some of the profound issues in our life and times, including: economic growth and sustainable development, emerging market economies, financial and monetary crises, environmental and natural resource problems, international trade and aid to poor countries.
KBS has a strong international reputation for excellence for research in key areas of economics and many staff advise government bodies both globally and in the UK.
Independent rankings
In the National Student Survey 2015, Accounting was placed in the top 20 in the UK for student satisfaction. In The Complete University Guide 2016, Accounting and Finance was ranked 4th overall in the south-east and in The Guardian University Guide 2016, it was ranked 12th in the UK for graduate career prospects.
Economics at Kent was ranked 9th in the UK in The Guardian University Guide 2016, and 10th in the National Student Survey 2015, with 93% of our students satisfied with the overall quality of their course.
Course structure
The course structure below gives a flavour of the modules that will be available to you and provides details of the content of this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take ‘wild’ modules from other programmes offered by the University in order that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas of interest to you or that may further enhance your employability.
Teaching and assessment
Accounting & Finance
Most modules are taught by a combination of lectures and seminars and some have a number of workshops or sessions in computer laboratories. Most of your modules involve individual study using Library resources.
Most modules have an end-of-year examination that contributes either 70% or 80% to the final module mark: your coursework provides the remaining marks. Both Stage 2 and 3 marks count towards your final degree class (together with your marks from your year in industry, if applicable).
Economics
All of our modules are taught by a combination of lectures and small group sessions, which include seminars, computing practicals, problem sets, debates and role-play games.
The School of Economics is committed to making sure that you leave Kent with much more than just a degree in Economics. We put great emphasis on the development of transferable skills, including numeracy, analytical problem solving, data analysis, and written and oral communication, as well as subject-specific skills for further study at postgraduate level.
The modules are assessed by continuous assessment of coursework throughout the year and an end-of-year exam in the final term. A number of modules at each stage are assessed solely through coursework.
Programme aims
The programme aims to:
- develop students' understanding of some of the contexts in which accounting operates
- promote understanding of aspects of the conceptual underpinning to accounting
- provide students with knowledge, understanding and skills, predominantly from a UK perspective, relevant to a career in accounting or a related area and professional training in accounting
- offer students opportunities to obtain a range of exemptions at the initial stages of professional examinations
- develop students' cognitive abilities and intellectual and transferable skills
- examine aspects of the roles and functioning of accounting from a range of social scientific perspectives
- obtain knowledge, understanding and skills in other subjects by the appropriate choice of optional modules.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
You gain knowledge and understanding of:
- some of the contexts in which accounting operates
- aspects of the conceptual underpinning to accounting
- the main current technical language and practices of accounting in the UK
- some of the alternative technical languages and practices of accounting.
Intellectual skills
You gain the following intellectual abilities:
- critically evaluate arguments and evidence
- analyse and draw reasoned conclusions concerning structured and, to a more limited extent, unstructured problems
- apply numeracy skills.
Subject-specific skills
You gain subject-specific skills in the following:
- record and summarise economic events
- prepare financial statements
- analyse the operations of business
- undertake financial analysis and prepare financial projections.
Transferable skills
You gain transferable skills in the following:
- locate, extract and analyse data from multiple sources
- undertake independent and self-managed learning
- the ability to use communications and information technology in acquiring, analysing and communicating information
- communicate effectively
- work in groups and apply other inter-personal skills.
Careers
Accounting & Finance
Kent Business School equips you with the skills you need to build a successful career. Through your studies, you acquire communication skills, the ability to work in a team and independently, and the ability to express your opinions passionately and persuasively. Through our varied contacts in the business world, we give you the opportunity to gain valuable work experience as part of your degree.
We have an excellent record of graduate employment with recent graduates going into accountancy training with firms such as KPMG, Ernst & Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers, other financial services with banks or private companies, or other types of management such as recruitment or marketing.
Economics
Kent graduates have a high success rate in the graduate employment market, with past students going on to careers in accountancy, banking, finance, journalism, management consultancy and business. The range of modules available on the programme gives you the opportunity to tailor your degree to support your particular career choice, giving you a competitive edge in the employment market. In addition, several modules concentrate on preparing you for life as a professional economist.
Employers who have recruited our graduates in recent years include the Government Economic Service, Bank of England, the Financial Services Authority and PricewaterhouseCoopers and several other financial institutions including the ‘Big Five’ banks.
Professional recognition
Full or partial exemption from the preliminary stage of professional accountancy examinations provided you choose the appropriate modules. Single honours degrees offer further exemptions from the examinations of some accountancy bodies.
Entry requirements
Home/EU students
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications, typical requirements are listed below, students offering alternative qualifications should contact the Admissions Office for further advice. It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.
| Qualification | Typical offer/minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| A level | ABB from 3 full A levels, or BBB if A level Mathematics is included. |
| GCSE | Mathematics at grade B |
| Access to HE Diploma | The University of Kent will not necessarily make conditional offers to all access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. If an offer is made candidates will be required to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above. |
| BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma) | The university will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF;OCR) on a case by case basis please contact us via the enquiries tab for further advice on your individual circumstances. |
| International Baccalaureate | 34 points overall or 16 points at HL, including Mathematics SL or HL at 4, or Mathematical Studies at 6. |
International students
The University receives applications from over 140 different nationalities and consequently will consider applications from prospective students offering a wide range of international qualifications. Our International Development Office will be happy to advise prospective students on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about our country-specific requirements.
Please note that if you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes through Kent International Pathways.
English Language Requirements
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.
General entry requirements
Please also see our general entry requirements.
Fees
The 2016/17 annual tuition fees for this programme are:
| UK/EU | Overseas | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time | ||
| Part-time |
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
The Government has announced changes to allow undergraduate tuition fees to rise in line with inflation from 2017/18.
The University of Kent is currently considering whether to increase its regulated full-time tuition fees for all returning Home and EU undergraduates from £9,000 to £9,250 in September 2017. This would be subject to us satisfying the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework and the access regulator's requirements. The equivalent part-time fees for these courses might also rise by 2.8%.
For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk
Funding
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. Details of our proposed funding opportunities for 2016 entry can be found on our funding page.
General scholarships
Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.
The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. For 2016 entry, the scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications as specified on our scholarships pages. Please review the eligibility criteria on that page.