MSc Accounting & Management

The MSc Accounting and Management offers you the best of both worlds from an academic study point of view and the range of career options that will be available to you.

From an academic perspective you can study a range of Management subjects to provide you with the key skills that are necessary for a modern business environment but also develop your Accounting skills in much more depth that would be possible through studying a MSc Management or MBA course. The exposure to two units in Financial and Management Accounting in semester 1 with the ability to study one of these to a more advanced level in semester 2 means that you can elect that stream of Accountancy that appeals to you most once you have experienced the subject. You will have a number of optional courses offered to you from a range of Management, Accounting and Finance units which enable you to focus on areas that are of interest to you.

From a career perspective the MSc Accounting & Management will not only provide you with the skills of modern management, but the study of accountancy will ensure that you are able to comprehend the significance of good accounting advice when it is provided to you. You should also feel more confident about discussing this with qualified accountants working within your organisation when important strategic decisions are being debated.

The MSc Accounting & Management, with a range of options to tailor the MSc as you wish, provides you with pathways into careers that would normally be available to MSc Accounting & Finance students or MSc Management students. The blend of Accounting and Management provides you with a MSc that offers the best of both worlds.

Programme Structure

Full-time study on our MSc programmes follows a schedule of half-day teaching blocks.  A single module, for example, will be taught over six half-days, usually the same half-day each week e.g. six consecutive Monday mornings and half modules are taught over three half-days. Module teaching blocks will be scheduled on different half-days so that students will study several modules during the same period .

Teaching takes place during the autumn, spring and summer terms with a few modules scheduled for evenings and the Easter vacation.  These will usually be the optional modules but this is not guaranteed.  Formal examinations take place in January and May/June each year at the end of each semester.  If you pass the module assessments to a satisfactory standard you are permitted to continue work until September leading to the submission of an MSc dissertation.

Core Modules

  • Management Accounting 1
  • Financial Accounting 1
  • People and Organisations
  • Strategic Management
  • Marketing in the Digital Age

Restricted Optional Modules

  • Management Accounting 2
  • Financial Accounting 2
  • Qualitative and Quantitative Research
  • Foundations of Accounting Research

Optional Modules

  • Risk Taking and Decision Making
  • Managing Resources and Operations
  • Strategic Marketing Decisions
  • Corporate Finance

How will you learn?

Your understanding of the subjects covered and your ability to use the knowledge and skills gained will be enhanced through a variety of methods and strategies. Some of the key learning approaches that you will experience as a student in the School will include:

  • Group work
    Group work is recognised as vital in your development when looking forward to, or continuing in, a management role. You will be supported in learning how to form and maintain group cohesiveness to achieve clearly defined outcomes, such as a business report, a group presentation or a combination of both.

  • Case-studies
    You will be presented with many different business case-studies that reflect the reality of decision-making and problem-solving activities in today's business environment. The case studies are selected to reflect the specific needs of your programme or unit of study.

  • Learning alongside other students
    Throughout your time with us you will be working alongside fellow students from a wide range of cultural and geographical backgrounds. This is a powerful resource and we are particularly keen to encourage you to set up learning networks with other students that may extend beyond the time of your study at Southampton.

    To help with this style of networking you will be expected to learn to communicate with each other as well as your teachers in a variety of contexts. For example, during a large group lecture you may be given the opportunity to discuss a specific problem or complete a task in small groups, often with people who are sitting alongside you. The possible answers would be shared by the large group as guided by your teacher.

    The example noted above indicates that you are expected to be an 'active' learner through taking part in small group discussions and offering your views on many occasions.

Examinations and assessment

A range of assessment methods are used including essays, case studies, coursework, examinations and the dissertation.

Student Support Service for Learning

The School has a Learning and Teaching Coordinator and a Management librarian who are able to support your learning needs throughout your time of study. For example they provide induction programme of academic skills sessions, including on-line search techniques, as well as individual support in study skills, where appropriate.

You will also be allocated a personal tutor, normally the Programme Director, who is there to support your academic development and other points relating to your programme of study such as option choices.

 

Programme Specification

To view the programme specification for this MSc follow the link.