About this course
- 22nd in the UK for Business and Management (The Guardian University Guide 2025)
- Top 20 in the UK for Accounting and Finance (The Guardian University Guide 2025)
- 11th in the UK for Accounting and Finance Teaching Quality (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025)
Business success is about connectivity. In accounting and finance, the days of working in your own little corner are long gone; today’s professionals are communicators and collaborators, helping stakeholders make better decisions by demystifying data. If you think it’s just a numbers game, think again.
Our accounting and management course paints a bigger business picture. You’ll develop outstanding analytical skills, but you’ll also learn how to engage and persuade by telling accessible stories with figures — discovering how those stories can enrich every angle of a company’s growth, from marketing to HR. Make our accounting, finance and business degree your own: choose from specialist modules; collaborate on real-world consultancy projects; complete a year’s practise placement with the likes of Ernst & Young or AXA, or in wider industry with companies like UPS.
Maybe you want to become a chartered accountant or business consultant. Perhaps you’re taking the reins of the family firm, or looking to grow your ‘side-hustle’ by sharpening your finance, business, and management accounting skills. Whatever your ambitions, we’ve got you covered.
-
Our students get great jobs — we’ve been ranked 1st in the UK for employability (Uni Compare 2025). -
Study in the heart of Nottingham — one of Europe’s top 25 student cities, and home to over 75,000 learners. -
Complete a placement in practice or wider industry — previous partners have included Caterpillar and Paul Smith. -
Open professional pathways — earn accreditation towards accounting exams with CIMA, ACCA, and ICAEW.
What you’ll study
Finance is a vital cog in the machinery of business, but it’s not the only one — so how can we make sure it works in harmony with other operational areas? How do businesses make their money, and then invest it? Beyond the numbers, why is a successful company as much about the business of people as the people in business?
This accounting and management course gives you a wider, more practical understanding of business, opening doors to professional accounting practice, a range of finance-focused functions within the industry, and wider business in general. As well as learning how to critique and present financial and non-financial data, you’ll explore the anatomy of successful companies from lots of different perspectives.
On our accounting, finance and business degree, you’ll:
- get to grips with the essentials of business leadership — from management accounting and finance, to cashflow and profit, to budgeting and break-even analysis
- explore the fundamentally human side of business — areas like HR and corporate governance — to understand it from more than just a ‘numbers’ perspective
- develop your so-called ‘soft skills’ through collaborative projects and presentations, as you learn how to communicate complex information in an accessible, jargon-free way
- explore the financial landscape for different companies and sectors — from local SMEs and independents to global corporations
- work with real companies on live challenges and projects
- examine the new digital horizons of accounting and management — from big data to the growing influence of AI
- work with FTSE-listed finance products like Sage — a fixture of payroll and accounting for SMEs and the self-employed
- keep a close eye on your own personal and professional development — we’ll challenge your attitude to business, broaden your horizons, grow your key strengths, and show you what you’re truly capable of.
Here’s a full breakdown of the modules you’ll be studying:
Accounting and Finance for Managers
Through this module you will develop the skills and competencies needed to make effective use of accounting information, especially for control and decision making purposes. You will explore how business organisations are financed and the constraints and limitations that financing imposes on them. You will also learn about the calculation of accounting profit and its importance to an organisation. You will develop skills that will allow you to identify relevant cash inflows and outflows of a proposed business project and learn about utilising the techniques of break-even analysis in project decision making.
The importance and use of budgeting for forward-planning, communication, coordination and control within an organisation will be covered, as well as the importance of cash and liquidity within an organisation and the construction of cash and working capital budgets. You will learn how to use cash and working capital management models and techniques and how to construct financial statements.
Other areas covered in this vast module include financial appraisal of long term capital investment proposals and valuation of company shares.
Economics and Data Analysis for Managers
This module will introduce you to a range of skills, methods and knowledge, which are applied by professional economists. It will enable you to offer a distinctive contribution to business and management decisions involving the deployment of globally scarce resources. The module will enable you to demonstrate a range of applications of economic ideas, principles and techniques and to identify resource consequences of business and managerial decisions in a national and international context.
Foundations of Managing and Organising
Both work and management are carried out by people, the human resources of an organisation. The focus of this module is on the management of work within an organisation, providing you with a holistic understanding from the viewpoint of both the workers and the management. You will be introduced to key applications, policies and practices that are involved in the management of human resources. You will examine and analyse their underlying theoretical basis and the effects on the organisation and society in general.
Principles of Marketing
This module aims to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the basic tools and concepts of marketing. More specifically, you will be introduced to the core marketing functions and develop an understanding of the key concepts, frameworks and models encountered in marketing. You will also gain the knowledge and skills required to identify differing marketing orientations, in particular how organisations identify, understand and satisfy customers and develop the skills required to produce a blended marketing mix that will satisfy the needs of the target customer.
Essentials of Business Development
This module introduces you to the dynamics of business and enterprise in the context of organisational growth, blending operations management theory with real-world challenges. You’ll explore how different types of organisations—start-ups, SMEs, large businesses, and the public sector—navigate decision-making, operational development, and strategic challenges. Emphasis is placed on the role of enterprise and entrepreneurship skills to design, deliver, and improve products and services, particularly in response to evolving customer preferences and sustainability pressures in a global landscape characterised by uncertainty and constant change.
Personal and Academic Development
Helps you recognise the personal skills, behaviours and attributes you currently have, and supports you in formulating a continuous personal and professional development plan to develop the skills and knowledge you need to achieve your future ambitions and realise your full potential.
First half of Year Two – Core modules
Corporate Financial Analysis
The aim of this module is to introduce students to a critical analysis of company annual reports and accounts, looking at both the main financial statements and the narrative report. You will investigate how financial performance and health is reported by businesses. In studying this module, you will examine the contents of company annual reports, identify a range of users of the reports, and develop the skills required to assess the contents of company annual financial reports. Furthermore, you will carry out a critical evaluation of a company’s financial performance and health using company annual reports and other sources of financial information (such as regulatory reporting requirements).
Financial Management
This module assesses the value organisations create through their investment and financing strategies and activity. You will focus on finance theories and their application in practice and will be equipped with the ability to analyse scenarios, case studies and actual companies with respect to financial management. You will learn how to evaluate alternative proposals and communicate to a business audience in an effective manner.
Accounting in its Organisational Context
The manager and entrepreneur of the future must have sound financial skills to enable them to take advantage of their environment. Understanding the environment in which you operate and the financial structure of your organisation is critical to this process. You will also need to understand the information required to successfully manage your organisation and how to correctly interpret it.
With this in mind, this module will explore a range of management accounting techniques that are used in business decision making and develop your understanding of the value and limitations of accounting information for managerial decision making, planning and control purposes within organisations. You will develop an understanding of problem solving techniques and how these techniques can be used within the accounting and finance framework. You will also explore how accounting and finance information could evolve to meet the needs of organisations operating in competitive markets.
Second half of Year Two
You can either select one of our unique opportunities initiatives or continue with your taught modules listed below.
Option 1 – study abroad
Experience life in another country by studying at one of our partner universities. Choose from a host of countries in Europe or go further afield and study in the USA, South America, Australasia and South East Asia. This is a great opportunity to develop your independence and explore another culture.
Option 2 – enterprise project
Explore your entrepreneurial side and start to develop the meaningful and practical skills needed to run your own business. Supported by NTU Enterprise, NTU's centre for Entrepreneurship and Enterprise, during this opportunity you'll work alongside other young entrepreneurs and a dynamic network of mentors and advisors, to develop your own ideas into a live enterprise project.
Option 3 – internship
Get a taste of the working world and gain some essential industry insight with a 16-18 week work placement. The experience will allow you to put your learning in to practice, with the experience gained improving your future career prospects, and sharpening your interpersonal and professional skills.
Option 4 – continue with taught modules
If you didn't fancy doing any of the above options then you can continue your studies at university. With a mixture of both compulsory and optional modules, the first will enhance your knowledge and skills set in your area of study, with the later allowing you to tailor your learning experience.
Students on Sandwich courses are eligible to choose the Enterprise project or continue with taught modules in the second half of their second year. They are not eligible for options 1 and 3. However, they are able to use their sandwich year to study or work abroad.
Core modules:
Applied Professional Development
Following on from the Personal Development module in Year One, this module supports you to build upon and reflect on your personal and professional skills, attributes and behaviours. You will attend a conference with a varied programme of events focused on the future of work, and later in the module you will immerse yourself in a period work or work-like experience to develop a range of skills designed to enhance your employability.
People, Organisations and Society
This module aims to explore and evaluate several contemporary business aspects affecting individuals and organisations from a practical perspective. It seeks to assess the theoretical perspectives of managing people, human behaviour and the evolving nature of work.
Plus one optional module from:
Marketing Management
This module explores the role of marketing management and its interaction with other business functions. You will study marketing management concepts that are used during the development of sound marketing strategies and will develop effective group and personal skills that are valued highly by organisational employers. You will learn about the application of marketing tools to different contexts, as well as segmentation, targeting and positioning. Other subjects covered include integrated marketing communications, social and ethical implications of marketing and marketing in context (including services, business, and international).
International Business in a Changing Global Landscape
This module will provide you with an overview of how international business is conducted, with a particular focus on what makes international business different from domestic business. You will examine the major theories that explain international business transactions and the institutions influencing those activities. You will also study the financial exchange systems and institutions that measure and facilitate international transactions and the dynamic interface between countries and companies attempting to conduct foreign business activities. Reference will be made throughout the module to the strategy, behaviour and management of multinational corporations and the actions and policies of international regulatory bodies and agencies.
Survey Research and Analysis
This module draws on conceptual material in the area of Survey Methods widely used in business and the application of analytic methods to the data generated. One of the primary focuses of this module is to help you understand how to plan and conduct surveys but also interpret the results within the appropriate business context. With the aid of appropriate professional statistical software you will be encouraged to apply statistical methods of analysis to data. The module is designed to allow you the opportunity to analyse and interpret “real data” from various areas of the business world. In studying this module you will develop your knowledge and skills in conducting survey research within business.
You will be given the opportunity to plan and execute a survey; design and implement a survey instrument; analyse survey results using applications software; and interpret and communicate analytical findings.
Placement year
In year three, you have the option to take a placement year. This time spent working in business provides our students with crucial work experience, which is highly prized and much sought after by employers upon graduation. We have links with a wide range of sectors, firms and organisations that offer student placements. If you have decided to undertake a placement year then this will last for a minimum of 48 weeks during your third year.
Our Employability Team is here to inspire and enhance every stage of your career planning and as a graduate of NTU, you will be able to access their services for three years after your course has finished.
Services they provide include:
- finding placements, internships and part-time work
- pursuing self-employment
- taking gap years and time out
- getting into volunteering
- providing advice on further study.
Or
Taught modules
If you have decided to continue with your studies please view the 'final year' tab for your list of modules.
Developing Professional Impact
This module is designed to expand your horizons and challenge your attitudes and behaviours both in relation to subject specific issues and wider business concerns such as global citizenship and sustainable business practices. It will encourage you to build on your strengths and explore a range of possibilities as you embark on your next steps.
Strategic Management Accounting
Designed to give a more integrated view of theory and practice in this area, this module looks at the role of traditional management accounting techniques and evaluates the use of strategic management accounting in global organisations. You will explore the behavioural and strategic contexts in which the management accountant has to operate; and examine the management accountant’s role in analysing and advising on performance, particularly in the context of competitor analysis and to provide insights into the management of change.
Corporate Governance and Risk Management
The following module consists of:
- Corporate Governance
There has long been a separation of interests between those who own the company (shareholders) and those who control the daily operations (management). In today’s economy there has been an increased focus on this separation and whether shareholders can ‘trust’ the directors who run the company on their behalf. For example were the shareholders of RBS happy with how former CEO, Sir Fred Goodwin, ran the company and his total remuneration package (including his handsome pension)? Corporate Governance relates to a key number of recommendations which seek to address these conflicts to protect the interests of shareholders.
This module will focus on the area of Corporate Governance from a number of perspectives beginning with an analysis of the theories that are seen to underpin the system of Corporate Governance in the United Kingdom. These will then be related to a number high profile business collapses since the 1980s to the present day. We will then seek to consider current recommendations and whether these are adequate in today’s climate. A broader view will also be taken so as to consider the legitimacy of corporations and whether Corporate Governance should seek to bring corporate responsibility into its remit and what other developing issues exist.
- Risk Management
This section of the module will examine the exposure to risks faced by corporations and how risk may be managed. It will provide you with the necessary theoretical/practical frameworks to help you develop risk management approaches and consider their effectiveness. Using this knowledge we will explore and evaluate the benefits of having risk management policies in place within an organisation, including an evaluation of the components of such policies and how they can be implemented successfully.
Corporate Finance
This module considers how various aspects of corporate finance are inter-related and assesses the impact of financial decisions with respect to investments, financing and the management of risk. It will also develop your critical analysis and evaluation skills. During the module you will study a number of theories and issues, relating to areas such as financial strategy, valuation of the firm, equity and debt valuation, impact of changes in capital structure, merger and acquisitions as a value enhancing strategy, corporate and financial re-structuring, risk assessment and management including risk theory, interest rate and foreign exchange risk and using derivative products to manage risk.
Plus one optional module from:
Applied Business Research Project
For this module you will undertake a purposeful, individual, in depth study of a relevant topic, developing your independent learning, critical thinking and knowledge of research techniques relevant to your subject area. The project will develop your ability to manage a major piece of work, for which you will be completely responsible, and will be completed over a period of several months. You will learn to utilise and improve your time management and communication skills, as well as test your initiative and resourcefulness. To support your development during this module you will study essential skills such as critical thinking, conducting a literature review, understanding the appropriate research framework, practical research methods and skills, report and academic writing skills.
Sustainability Impact Project
Sustainability is one of the most pressing challenges facing modern organisations, influencing every aspect of business strategy and leadership. This module equips you with the critical skills and knowledge to navigate the complex social, economic, environmental, and managerial dimensions of sustainability. You'll explore how businesses are adapting to global challenges, balancing profit with purpose, and driving long-term success through responsible decision-making. By applying theory to real-world scenarios, you'll develop the problem-solving and analytical abilities needed to shape sustainable strategies, preparing you to be a future leader in an ever-evolving business landscape.
Plus one optional module from:
Leveraging Information and Knowledge for Digital Transformation
In this module, you'll explore how organisations use data, information and knowledge to shape their strategy. You'll examine the role of technology in business decision-making, the importance of data literacy, and how organisations adapt to evolving challenges. Using real-world examples, you'll learn to distinguish between data, information, and knowledge, and understand their impact on shaping management practices and strategic opportunities. This module will equip you with the skills to navigate the complexities of digital transformation and make informed decisions in a data-driven environment.
International Marketing and Communications
This module explores activity and developments from across the area of international and global marketing, including developments in world trade; ethical, environmental and sustainability issues; buyer behaviour and segmentation; developing an international strategy; and issues surrounding international marketing communications. The module will also provide you with an advanced level of knowledge on the concepts of marketing at the various levels of export, international and global marketing; and a detailed understanding of the sources of international marketing information and the factors governing marketing research decisions at an international level. You will focus on how international marketing communication strategies are developed across a wide range of industries, sectors and organisations, whilst improving your research, analytical, communication, time management and team working skills.
International Development Economics
During this module you will examine the common problems confronting the developing world and explore the suggested solutions. By examining examples and case studies from around the world you will cover vital subjects such as theories of economic growth, economic inequality, poverty and malnutrition, population growth, trade policy, and the markets for factors (land, labour, and credit) and output. There is no single cause for economic progress, so you will be guided to view economic development as an outcome of a combination of factors – among them the improvement of physical and human capital, the reduction of inequality, and institutions that enable the background flow of information essential to market performance.
We regularly review and update our course content based on student and employer feedback, ensuring that all of our courses remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or module availability in future years.
Don’t just take our word for it, hear from our students themselves
Video Gallery
How you're taught
NTU is TEF ‘Gold’-rated for teaching and learning. Our team of tutors have worked with major names like Rolls-Royce, Procter & Gamble, Boots, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Citibank; with decades of first-hand professional experience, they know exactly what employers are looking for. Learn from the best in the business, alongside a rollcall of exciting guest lecturers who’ll share tips on everything from global trading to crafting the perfect LinkedIn profile.
Once students become part of our business and finance community, they tend to stay a part of it, returning in the years after graduation to share the secrets of their success. It’s a supportive environment where the doors are constantly open — whether you’re looking for help finding a placement, some guidance on your CV, or simply wanting to chat about your studies. This one-to-one support isn’t typical in big business schools, but we’re proud to provide it.
As well as lectures and seminars, you’ll learn through:
- Networking — whether you’re hearing from a senior finance executive in your lectures or attending the prestigious ‘Future of Work’ conference, you’ll learn lots (and build meaningful connections) by meeting leaders in business.
- Working as a researcher and business consultant, on a huge choice of credit-bearing projects. Explore specialist areas of finance and management, collaborate with your coursemates, and help companies solve real-world business challenges.
- Completing internships and placements. You’ll have the chance to take on a 16-18-week internship in Year Two, or a paid, 48-week professional placement in Year Three. Only recently, they’ve managed to secure placements with organisations like Disney, the NHS, UBA and Kroll — and some of our students have received job offers before they’ve even graduated.
- Making your own choices. As the course develops, so too will your options. If you dream of studying abroad, you could attend one of our summer schools, or complete an extended stay with one of our global partners — anywhere from Canada to Taiwan. Looking to stay local? If the internship or consultancy project pathways don’t appeal, you can simply continue with your taught modules. It’s a versatile offer, built around your own preferences.
How you're assessed
People learn in different ways, and we want each one of our students to have the best possible chance of success. Our diverse range of assessment methods includes group poster presentations, work with external companies, business reports, consultancy and research projects, and much, much more. You can also choose between on-campus, closed-book exams (for exemptions from the key accrediting bodies in accounting and finance), the open-book, online alternative. Either way, you can count on the support and guidance of your tutors.
Careers and employability
Our graduates get great jobs
From the highly specialised to the invitingly broad, our accounting and management degree offers real flexibility for your future. Maybe you’d like to become a chartered accountant, a business consultant, or someone embedded in the bigger picture of marketing, production, purchasing, research, and sales? Perhaps you’re looking to elevate your current side-hustle to the next level? From professional accounting practice to the wider industry, big business to independent enterprise, this versatile degree has you covered from every angle.
Our students have crafted fantastic careers all around the world — from multinational pharmaceutical companies to major accounting houses. Today, they’re employed by prestigious organisations like PricewaterhouseCoopers, HSBC, Sainsbury's, Enterprise-Rent-A-Car, Unilever, and Jaguar Land Rover, working as chartered accountants, auditors, account executives and managers, claims handlers, and more!
Nottingham Business School (NBS), the mark of quality in business education
We’re proud to be one of the 1% — the small handful of business schools worldwide to earn the ‘Triple Crown’ of EQUIS, AMBA, and AACSB accreditation.
We’re also one of the United Nations’ 47 global PRME Champions, leading the way in sustainable, responsible business education. You’ll find that same ethical commitment embedded in NTU’s business management and accounting and finance course.
Personalisation at NBS — what it means for you
NBS is a community of over 8,500 learners, drawn from countries, cultures and academic backgrounds all around the world. We’re big in every sense — from our industry reputation, to our global community of ambitious students and successful graduates, to the sheer range of opportunities we provide. Study with NBS, and you’ll benefit from our partnerships with universities and businesses on every continent.
We’re proud to provide our learners with a very personal experience. Each student’s experience is uniquely theirs, built around their own specific needs, interests, and ambitions. It’ll be the same for you: whether choosing your own specialist modules or picking your preferred means of hands-on, experiential learning, we’re here to help you gather the skills, knowledge and experience to gain that vital competitive edge. Your future and employability comes first, and everything you’ll experience at NBS has a purpose — from industry networking events and prestigious guest speakers, to the personal and professional development modules that’ll support each step of your university journey. Book onto an NTU open day to find out more.
Campus and facilities
You’ll mainly be studying in the Newton building, at the centre of our vibrant City Campus. As well as a range of classrooms and lecture theatres, our facilities include the Business Lab — a trading floor equipped with Bloomberg terminals, which enables you to delve into the global markets for real.
NTU’s City Campus has everything you’ll need to keep occupied between lectures. As well as the Boots Library and its beautiful roof garden, there’s our superb Students’ Union building and two-storey, 100-station gym; a whole host of cafés, bars, restaurants and food outlets catering to every taste; our much-loved Global Lounge; and the quiet, reflective worship spaces to accommodate every major faith.
If that’s not enough, just take a few steps off campus, and you’ll find yourself in the beating heart of Nottingham — one of the UK’s top 10 student cities, and one of the top 25 in all of Europe. It’s a city stuffed with history, culture, and well-kept secrets to discover at your leisure: enjoy lush green spaces, galleries, hidden cinemas and vintage shopping by day, and an acclaimed food, drink, and social scene by night.
If you’re looking for more, why not take a Virtual Tour?
Entry requirements
UK students
Standard offer: 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications.
Contextual offer: 104 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications.
To find out what qualifications have tariff points, please use our tariff calculator.
Additional requirements for UK students
There are no additional requirements for this course.
Contextual offers
If you don’t quite meet our entry requirements, we might be able to make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (such as where you live and the school or college you attended), your experiences and your individual circumstances (you may have been in care, for example). This is called a contextual offer, and we get data from UCAS to help make these decisions. We do this because we believe everyone with the potential to succeed at NTU should have the opportunity to do so, no matter what barriers you may face.
Meeting our entry requirements
Hundreds of qualifications in the UK have UCAS Tariff points attached to specific grades, including A-levels, BTECs, T Levels and many more. You can use your grades and points from up to four different qualifications to meet our criteria. Enter your predicted or achieved grades into our Tariff calculator to find out how many points your qualifications are worth.
Other qualifications and experience
NTU welcomes applications from students with non-standard qualifications and learning backgrounds, either for year one entry or for advanced standing beyond the start of a course into year 2 or beyond.
We consider study and/or credit achieved from a similar course at another institution (otherwise known as credit transfer), vocational and professional qualifications, and broader work or life experience.
Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available for this route. If you wish to apply via Recognition of Prior Learning, please contact the central Admissions and Enquiries Team who will be able to support you through the process.
Getting in touch
If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form.
International students
Academic entry requirements: 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications. We accept equivalent qualifications from all over the world. Please check your international entry requirements by country.
English language requirements: See our English language requirements page for requirements for your subject and information on alternative tests and Pre-sessional English.
Additional requirements for international students
If you need help achieving the academic entry requirements, we offer a Foundation preparation course for this degree. The course is offered through our partner Nottingham Trent International College (NTIC) based on our City Campus.
English language requirements
View our English language requirements for all courses, including alternative English language tests and country qualifications accepted by the University.
If you need help achieving the language requirements, we offer a Pre-Sessional English for Academic Purposes course on our City campus which is an intensive preparation course for academic study at NTU.
Other qualifications and experience
If you have the right level of qualifications, you may be able to start your Bachelors degree at NTU in year 2 or year 3. This is called ‘advanced standing’ entry and is decided on a case-by case basis after our assessment of your qualifications and experience.
You can view our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy which outlines the process and options available, such as recognising experiential learning and credit transfer.
Sign up for emails
Sign up to receive regular emails from the International Office. You'll hear about our news, scholarships and any upcoming events in your country with our expert regional teams.
Getting in touch
If you need advice about studying at NTU as an international student or how to apply, our international webpages are a great place to start. If you have any questions about your study options, your international qualifications, experience, grades or other results, please get in touch through our enquiry form. Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world.
Policies
We strive to make our admissions procedures as fair and clear as possible. To find out more about how we make offers, visit our admissions policies page.
