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BSc Accounting

Durham University

About this course

BSc (Hons) in Accounting, a single honours degree within accounting and finance. Core topics include Accounting, Financial Analysis, Data Analysis, Statistics and Research Methods. The degree offers exemptions from some ICAEW, ACCA, ICAS and CIMA examinations, allowing graduates to become partly exam-qualified accountants subject to module choice and marks. Students can also apply to add a work placement year or a year abroad at an overseas partner institution, extending the course from three to four years. The first year builds foundations across financial and management accounting, finance and economics, with compulsory modules in Financial Accounting, Fundamentals of Management Accounting, Foundations of Finance and Quantitative Methods, alongside Ethics and Sustainability in Accounting. The second year deepens the accounting core through Financial Management, Management Accounting and Intermediate Financial Reporting, which covers international reporting standards and consolidated statements, and students begin research training via Accounting Dissertation Preparation. Optional modules at these stages include Accounting Information Systems and Analytics, Assurance, Business Law, Personal Taxation and a credit-bearing language module. In the final year, students complete a Dissertation in Accounting on a topic of their own choosing, alongside further option modules such as Big Data Analytics, Corporate Governance, Audit and Assurance, Advanced Financial Reporting and Business Taxation.

Written by AI from the university's course page and module list. It can get details wrong, so check the official course page before you rely on it.

Institution
Durham University
Level
undergraduate
Subject
Accounting and Finance
Duration
3 years
UCAS code
N408
Typical offer
A-level AAB
Median salary
£55,000 after 5 years

Entry requirements

A level: AAB and a grade B/6 or above in GCSE Mathematics (if Mathematics is not studied at A-Level). IB: 35 to include 665 in higher-level subjects. If Mathematics is not taken at a higher level, then it is required at standard level 5.

See the highest paying Business & Accounting degrees in the UK →

Admissions (2022 entry, home applicants)

Offer rate 94%: 75 offers from 80 applications, from the university's Freedom of Information return.

What students say

Based on about 15 final-year students who answered (a small group: a rough guide only)

  • Teaching on my course: 98%
  • Learning opportunities: 96%
  • Assessment and feedback: 94%
  • Academic support: 100%
  • Organisation and management: 98%
  • Learning resources: 95%
  • Student voice: 97%

Do students stay on the course?

Based on about 45 students who started

  • Continued on course: 80%
  • Left higher education: 15%
  • Moved to a lower qualification: 5%

What graduates do next

Based on about 28 graduates who answered, across similar courses at this university (a small group: a rough guide only)

  • Working: 47%
  • Working and studying: 37%
  • Further study: 4%
  • Unemployed: 6%

Most common jobs

  • Finance Professionals: 60%
  • Administrative occupations: 10%
  • Managers, directors and senior officials: 10%
  • Elementary occupations: 5%
  • Business and public service associate professionals: 5%
  • Find their work meaningful: 60%
  • Feel on track for their future plans: 90%
  • Use what they learnt on the course: 80%

Where graduates work (5 years on)

Based on about 165 graduates, across similar courses at this university

  • North East: 9%
  • North West: 16%
  • Yorkshire and the Humber: 11%
  • East Midlands: 3%
  • West Midlands: 5%
  • East of England: 12%
  • London: 27%
  • South East: 9%
  • South West: 4%
  • Wales: 2%
  • Scotland: 1%
  • Northern Ireland: 1%

Who gets in

Based on about 25 students who started (a small group: a rough guide only)

  • A levels: 100%

Accreditation & quality ratings

  • Accredited by the EFMD Quality Improvement System.
  • Accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

TEF 2023 (whole university): Silver overall, Silver for student experience, Gold for student outcomes.

Modules

  • Financial Accounting
  • Quantitative Methods
  • Fundamentals of Management Accounting
  • Ethics and Sustainability in Accounting
  • Introduction to Financial Economics
  • Foundations of Finance
  • Financial Management
  • Management Accounting
  • Intermediate Financial Reporting
  • Accounting Dissertation Preparation
  • Example optional modules
  • Dissertation in Accounting
  • Example optional modules

Questions about this course

How much do graduates of BSc Accounting at Durham University earn?

The median salary is £35,000 after 15 months, £44,000 after 3 years, £55,000 after 5 years. After five years the middle half of graduates earn between £39,000 and £71,500. The £55,000 median after five years is £21,500 more than the UK median for Accounting.

What do graduates of BSc Accounting at Durham University do next?

88% were in work or further study 15 months after finishing (Graduate Outcomes 2023-24).

Are students happy with the teaching on BSc Accounting at Durham University?

98% of final-year students were positive about the teaching in the National Student Survey 2025-26.

What grades do I need for BSc Accounting at Durham University?

The typical offer is AAB at A level. The average entrant had 125 UCAS points.

What is the offer rate for BSc Accounting at Durham University?

94% of home applicants received an offer for 2022 entry: 75 offers from 80 applications, according to the university's Freedom of Information return.

Is BSc Accounting at Durham University accredited?

Yes. Accredited by the EFMD Quality Improvement System. Accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Does BSc Accounting at Durham University include a placement year or year abroad?

The course has an optional placement year and an optional year abroad.

How many students continue on BSc Accounting at Durham University?

80% of students continued into their second year, and 15% left higher education.