Business with Finance or Finance foundation year

Original post by Nnnfrgj

Hey I’m currently in my second yr of college in London. I’m really confused what course I should pick to do in university.
My main aim is to secure a graduate role right after completing my degree working towards either a financial accountant, financial analyst or auditor.
Mind you I wanted to choose accounting and finance in my top choice university however it requires a grade 7 in maths (I have a grade 6)
So these r the 2 offers I got from my top university choice :
Business with Finance with a professional placement year. This is a 4 year course. These r the modules relevant to accounting : - Finance and management accounting
- Financial and business analytics
- Cooperate finance
In order to do accounting and finance, the uni told me to do Foundation Year in Finance and if I get a 70% in my First year I’ll be able to proceed to the accounting and finance course. So total 4 yrs
Now both have their benefits and negatives, I just don’t know if I’ll be able to get 70% but also I want to do topics that have accounting based subjects however I think the placement yr will really help me as the uni is known for connections and networking.
See that’s the reason I’m confused, I don’t want to pressurise myself and I have heard that foundation yr is sometimes not it. Please helpppppppp
I did receive offers for accounting and finance from my other choices that r 3 years long course and I can choose an extra yr to do a placement.

So many questions regarding this. It's also all over the place.

My main aim is to secure a graduate role right after completing my degree
Good luck with that. Not many are able to do so.

working towards either a financial accountant, financial analyst or auditor.
So financial accounting then.

Mind you I wanted to choose accounting and finance in my top choice university
Why are you doing a degree for this? It's going to be a lot cheaper and quicker if you either went straight into a degree apprenticeship or do an entry level role in accounting. On the upside, you get relevant work experience and you get a salary on top.
If it's financial accounting, financial analysis, or auditing, you would be looking to do ACA (or similar e.g. ICAS, CAI, AIA) or ACCA should you wish to work in the UK. My preference would be the ACA qualification.

however it requires a grade 7 in maths (I have a grade 6)
Have you asked whether they would accept resits for GCSE Maths? If they do, can you do this in a gap year?
You will likely have to pay for your resit, since you achieved above a Grade 4.

Business with Finance with a professional placement year
OK. Means very little to employers, since they would treat all graduates the same irrespective of whether they did an accounting degree or not. You should note for graduate schemes, you would be competing against graduates from all disciplines and not just those from accounting e.g. geography, physics, maths, French, literature, etc. What degree you did doesn't matter to most accounting firms; you would be expected to do the same professional qualification though.

In order to do accounting and finance, the uni told me to do Foundation Year in Finance
A long winded way to go about it.

if I get a 70% in my First year I’ll be able to proceed to the accounting and finance course
That's quite a target. Typically, 70% marks at uni are not easy to get. Unless the module is highly quantitative, you might have a hard time hitting those marks.
If it's a mathematical year, then you should be OK. If you say you did A Level Maths, this should be OK albeit challenging still.

I want to do topics that have accounting based subjects
Not going to help you as much as you think

I think the placement yr will really help me as the uni is known for connections and networking.
Definitely. I'm more about the relevant work experience more than anything else though. Have you tried networking recently? You should be networking throughout.
Having said that, you could always try to secure internships. These would be hugely beneficial if you don't manage to secure anything in a placement year.

So depending on where you're going with the above, I can point things out accordingly.

What I would strongly recommend you do if you have the chance is to try to secure work experience in a financial accounting practice where possible. Sometimes what you think the job is isn't what it's actually is.
If you researched the hiring process for accountants, you would quickly find out that the aptitude tests that they give you and the interviews that you do would weigh more in their hiring decision than your degree of choice.

Reply 2

Original post by MindMax2000

So many questions regarding this. It's also all over the place.
My main aim is to secure a graduate role right after completing my degree
Good luck with that. Not many are able to do so.
working towards either a financial accountant, financial analyst or auditor.
So financial accounting then.
Mind you I wanted to choose accounting and finance in my top choice university
Why are you doing a degree for this? It's going to be a lot cheaper and quicker if you either went straight into a degree apprenticeship or do an entry level role in accounting. On the upside, you get relevant work experience and you get a salary on top.
If it's financial accounting, financial analysis, or auditing, you would be looking to do ACA (or similar e.g. ICAS, CAI, AIA) or ACCA should you wish to work in the UK. My preference would be the ACA qualification.
however it requires a grade 7 in maths (I have a grade 6)
Have you asked whether they would accept resits for GCSE Maths? If they do, can you do this in a gap year?
You will likely have to pay for your resit, since you achieved above a Grade 4.
Business with Finance with a professional placement year
OK. Means very little to employers, since they would treat all graduates the same irrespective of whether they did an accounting degree or not. You should note for graduate schemes, you would be competing against graduates from all disciplines and not just those from accounting e.g. geography, physics, maths, French, literature, etc. What degree you did doesn't matter to most accounting firms; you would be expected to do the same professional qualification though.
In order to do accounting and finance, the uni told me to do Foundation Year in Finance
A long winded way to go about it.
if I get a 70% in my First year I’ll be able to proceed to the accounting and finance course
That's quite a target. Typically, 70% marks at uni are not easy to get. Unless the module is highly quantitative, you might have a hard time hitting those marks.
If it's a mathematical year, then you should be OK. If you say you did A Level Maths, this should be OK albeit challenging still.
I want to do topics that have accounting based subjects
Not going to help you as much as you think
I think the placement yr will really help me as the uni is known for connections and networking.
Definitely. I'm more about the relevant work experience more than anything else though. Have you tried networking recently? You should be networking throughout.
Having said that, you could always try to secure internships. These would be hugely beneficial if you don't manage to secure anything in a placement year.
So depending on where you're going with the above, I can point things out accordingly.
What I would strongly recommend you do if you have the chance is to try to secure work experience in a financial accounting practice where possible. Sometimes what you think the job is isn't what it's actually is.
If you researched the hiring process for accountants, you would quickly find out that the aptitude tests that they give you and the interviews that you do would weigh more in their hiring decision than your degree of choice.

Thanks for this, as for the apprenticeship route, tbh that was my first choice however but I could barely get past the online assessment stage after applying to almost 30.

Going to uni was my second choice, and since u said its hard getting a graduate scheme after a degree would it better if I just networked on LinkedIn to secure a spot. I’m not really sure where to look for entry level roles, is that similar to apprenticeships?

Also I was really surprised I even got a 6 for maths so no way I’m redoing it, I’m leaning towards the business with finance course. 😭

Btw idk if this will be useful but do u think if I do online accounting courses, will I be able to boost my portfolio?

Reply 3

Original post by Nnnfrgj

Thanks for this, as for the apprenticeship route, tbh that was my first choice however but I could barely get past the online assessment stage after applying to almost 30.
Going to uni was my second choice, and since u said its hard getting a graduate scheme after a degree would it better if I just networked on LinkedIn to secure a spot. I’m not really sure where to look for entry level roles, is that similar to apprenticeships?
Also I was really surprised I even got a 6 for maths so no way I’m redoing it, I’m leaning towards the business with finance course. 😭
Btw idk if this will be useful but do u think if I do online accounting courses, will I be able to boost my portfolio?

that was my first choice however but I could barely get past the online assessment stage after applying to almost 30.
Sounds about right. They are as rare as entry level jobs, and they are picky.
Also, like any job, you should be applying in the hundreds before you complain. The standard conversion rate is about 5/100 would give you an interview, and from those 5 about 1 will give you a job offer.

since u said its hard getting a graduate scheme after a degree would it better if I just networked on LinkedIn to secure a spot. I’m not really sure where to look for entry level roles, is that similar to apprenticeships?
I wouldn't rule out grad schemes, but they shouldn't be your only source of leads in your job hunting (yes it's tiring and frustrating, but that's the nature of the game).
Networking wise, you should not just rely on LinkedIn. In person networking tend to yield higher conversion since they can put a face to your name. I would try to network through your family and friends first, then work on third party sources such as alumni, networking events, LinkedIn, etc. If you know anything about sales (and it's essentially sales), warm leads convert better than cold ones.
Entry level roles tend not to be widely advertised. Those that are would a) get a lot of competition since every newbie is applying for them b) tend to be a last resort for companies after exhausting their network and direct applications c) are likely late and usually the position is already filled by the time they are advertised. You would typically either try to network your way in or try to apply for the roles directly.
Whilst entry level roles are like apprenticeships in the sense you would be trained from the ground up, they're not the same. Apprenticeships follow a specific training scheme and the employer is incentivised to train you (especially at lower pay), whereas entry level jobs is really a job.

do u think if I do online accounting courses, will I be able to boost my portfolio?
A portfolio is a collection of work. Since you're doing accounting, there isn't really a portfolio that you can put together. Also if you do try to practice full on financial accounting (not bookkeeping or consulting) without being a qualified accountant, expect there to be unsavoury consequences.
The only sort of accounting courses that would hold any weight would be those that are either aligned with professional accounting qualifications (the ones that would make you a qualified accountant) or something official from the companies that build accounting software (e.g. Sage, see: https://www.sagequalifications.com/shop?rvdsfpfr=7%3D36%257C - make sure the qualification is accredited and ideally backed by a professional accounting body - the CIMA certificates look good). Anything else isn't really going to help that much.
Also, professional accounting qualifications can be considered akin to qualifications under the NVQ framework, so they can be seen as the equivalent of academic qualifications (e.g. GCSEs, A Levels, degrees). If you complete a professional accounting qualification before you complete your degree, you can end up losing access on your Student Finance loans i.e. you can end up financing your degree yourself.
Also, if you did the professional accounting qualification alongside your degree, it then becomes somewhat redundant. This is because any exemptions towards any papers in the professional accounting qualification would be nullified. You can only claim exemptions once and it's usually after the degree, not before. Should you not claim those exemptions, you would end up repeating a lot of the material that you would have already covered in your degree.
The only sort of qualification that I could think of that would be of any benefit is if you did AAT Accounting Level 3 (nothing higher). A level 3 is the equivalent of A Level (so complete your A Levels first), and can offer you exemptions towards the first few papers of professional accounting qualifications. See: https://www.aat.org.uk/qualifications-and-courses/accounting/level-3-diploma-accounting. You should be able to do the diploma without doing any further qualifications and without starting Level 1 or 2.

Reply 4

Thanks for all this info!, do you think it would be best to first find out what exemption my degree (I’m leaning towards the Business with Finance) offers, the thing is that it’s won’t be much because there’s only 2 modules of accounting hence there’s like 3 or 4 exemptions.

My point is should I see which ones im wont be able to complete through my degree and then try to do courses that are accredited by the professional body.

Genuine question is, will completing and having more exemption ticked off make me a stronger candidate, see that’s the reason I’m really confused cuz I did get offers from other unis such as LSBU which are not as reputable as CITY (my first choice and the one I’m thinking of doing business with finance in) but has offered me an accounting and finance place that has more exemptions.

Btw in ur opinion what’s the best body to complete as there’s different opinions for each. I was thinking of doing the ICAEW but u said CIMA up there so i was wondering what u think.

Also would a bookkeeping course that’s accredited be any good?

Reply 5

Original post by Nnnfrgj

Thanks for all this info!, do you think it would be best to first find out what exemption my degree (I’m leaning towards the Business with Finance) offers, the thing is that it’s won’t be much because there’s only 2 modules of accounting hence there’s like 3 or 4 exemptions.
My point is should I see which ones im wont be able to complete through my degree and then try to do courses that are accredited by the professional body.
Genuine question is, will completing and having more exemption ticked off make me a stronger candidate, see that’s the reason I’m really confused cuz I did get offers from other unis such as LSBU which are not as reputable as CITY (my first choice and the one I’m thinking of doing business with finance in) but has offered me an accounting and finance place that has more exemptions.
Btw in ur opinion what’s the best body to complete as there’s different opinions for each. I was thinking of doing the ICAEW but u said CIMA up there so i was wondering what u think.
Also would a bookkeeping course that’s accredited be any good?

Dont do CIMA as ur pursing a career in financial accounting, whereas the CIMA is a managerial accounting qualification. Id suggest for u to pursue the ICAEW Qualification.

Reply 6

Original post by Nnnfrgj

Thanks for all this info!, do you think it would be best to first find out what exemption my degree (I’m leaning towards the Business with Finance) offers, the thing is that it’s won’t be much because there’s only 2 modules of accounting hence there’s like 3 or 4 exemptions.
My point is should I see which ones im wont be able to complete through my degree and then try to do courses that are accredited by the professional body.
Genuine question is, will completing and having more exemption ticked off make me a stronger candidate, see that’s the reason I’m really confused cuz I did get offers from other unis such as LSBU which are not as reputable as CITY (my first choice and the one I’m thinking of doing business with finance in) but has offered me an accounting and finance place that has more exemptions.
Btw in ur opinion what’s the best body to complete as there’s different opinions for each. I was thinking of doing the ICAEW but u said CIMA up there so i was wondering what u think.
Also would a bookkeeping course that’s accredited be any good?

do you think it would be best to first find out what exemption my degree (I’m leaning towards the Business with Finance) offers, the thing is that it’s won’t be much because there’s only 2 modules of accounting hence there’s like 3 or 4 exemptions.
It wouldn't make much difference in my opinion. You technically can do by looking up the exemptions calculator for each of the professional accounting qualifications. See the following:
ACCA: https://www.accaglobal.com/uk/en/help/exemptions-calculator.html
ICAEW: https://apps.icaew.com/cpldirectory?pk_vid=e7a0f94a6e3840ac1716392218a9596a
AIA: https://www.aiaworldwide.com/study/exemptions/
CAI: https://www.charteredaccountants.ie/Prospective-Students/Apply-and-Join/check-your-exemptions#other (mostly from Irish universities)
ICAS: https://www.icas.com/become-a-ca/exemptions/icas-accredited-degrees
CIMA: https://www.aicpa-cima.com/exemption-calculator/educational
CIPFA: https://www.cipfa.org/qualifications/exemptions
See the list of accounting qualifications: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_qualified_accountants#Titles_of_British_accountancy_qualifications

Do note, if you are picking modules specifically to get exemptions in the professional accounting qualification, you should note that you might need to have done more than one module to qualify for an exemption on 1 paper. It does happen.
Having a few more exemptions won't matter too much in the long run though.

will completing and having more exemption ticked off make me a stronger candidate, see that’s the reason I’m really confused cuz I did get offers from other unis such as LSBU which are not as reputable as CITY (my first choice and the one I’m thinking of doing business with finance in) but has offered me an accounting and finance place that has more exemptions.
In my experience, no. Accounting firms can hire people who did a degree in geography, physics, engineering, classics over someone who did one in accounting with more exemptions. Your degree subject and the number of exemptions mean very little to the individual firm. Out of all of the accounting firms that I spoke to, perhaps 1 small accounting practice hired for an accounting graduate with a 1st class degree. Every other firm (including the big ones) don't care what degree you have or how many exemptions you have from your degree.
They care more about the individual and his aptitude over what subject the degree is in, even if they would end up paying more to fund for the qualification or if it takes longer for them to pass the qualification.
Offering degrees with more modules that you can be exempt for won't necessarily make it more attractive. For argument sake, if I wanted to be really cheap and get qualified as soon as I can without having get a job in it, I could easily study the entire qualification privately, pay something like £5000 for the courses, registrations, and exams in a little under 2 years and still end up saving more money and time than going through uni.

Btw in ur opinion what’s the best body to complete as there’s different opinions for each. I was thinking of doing the ICAEW but u said CIMA up there so i was wondering what u think.
Do not do CIMA if you intend to go into financial accounting or auditing, like @rayaanshahid10 has said. CIMA is for management accounting; you won't be able to practice financial accounting or external auditing with it.
It's a similar story with CIPFA, it's specifically for accountants in the public sector; you won't be able to practice financial accounting or external auditing with it.
To be a financial accountant, you're looking at becoming a Chartered Accountant or Chartered Certified Accountant. In the UK, this essentially mean you would need either an ACA, ICAS, CAI, AIA, or ACCA. For abroad, you would typically see qualifications ending with "CPA" and they are the equivalent of UK's Chartered Accountancy qualifications; ACCA is its own thing and is recognised in 180 countries.
You should be able to be a financial analyst with any accounting qualification in theory, but the go to tend to be the main 3: ACA, ACCA, CIMA. CIMA is more quantitative and analytical than the others, but if you want the flexibility you should pick the other accounting qualifications.

Personally, I consider ACA, ICAS, and CAI interchangeable for chartered accounting in the UK. However, I would still prefer ACA because it's closely affiliated with AAT and more university degree courses are affiliated with it (i.e. you can get exemptions from more unis - see the exemption calculators above). It's also more widely recognised in the UK than CAI or ICAS.
ACCA is widely recognised and will save you the hassle when working abroad (you can get recognition with chartered accounting qualifications, but you have to fiddle with a lot of paperwork and not as many countries recognise them), but it's not as reputable or as highly valued in any one country over their own chartered accounting qualification. For example, whilst ACCA is valid in say Australia, CPA Australia will still be more valued than ACCA; similar with ACA in the UK, ICAI in India, etc. See the list of other chartered accounting qualifications around the world: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartered_accountant#Countries

Also would a bookkeeping course that’s accredited be any good?
I would say it can somewhat help with employment, but not by much i.e. it demonstrates that you have practical knowledge of what to do in the workplace but you would still lack experience if you just have it by itself. The only one that would help as far as I am concerned is AAT Level 3 (not 4, 1, or 2), but you're likely going to get the same exemptions towards a professional accounting qualification with it as you would with your degree - you need to check the exemptions calculators above.
Other than AAT, there are ICB (https://www.bookkeepers.org.uk/Study--Qualifications/Current-Qualifications) and IAB (https://www.iab.org.uk/manual-bookkeeping/) for the UK. I am not entirely sure what exemptions you can get with these towards professional accounting qualifications, but I don't think I saw any of the professional accounting bodies above recognising them for exemption purposes.
Again, should you pick the alternative bookkeeping qualifications, I wouldn't go above Level 3 for any of the qualifications as they all follow the same NVQ framework and can compromise your eligibility for student finance towards your degree.

I wouldn't bank on a bookkeeping qualification to help you secure a role in accounting though.

Reply 7

Original post by MindMax2000

do you think it would be best to first find out what exemption my degree (I’m leaning towards the Business with Finance) offers, the thing is that it’s won’t be much because there’s only 2 modules of accounting hence there’s like 3 or 4 exemptions.
It wouldn't make much difference in my opinion. You technically can do by looking up the exemptions calculator for each of the professional accounting qualifications. See the following:
ACCA: https://www.accaglobal.com/uk/en/help/exemptions-calculator.html
ICAEW: https://apps.icaew.com/cpldirectory?pk_vid=e7a0f94a6e3840ac1716392218a9596a
AIA: https://www.aiaworldwide.com/study/exemptions/
CAI: https://www.charteredaccountants.ie/Prospective-Students/Apply-and-Join/check-your-exemptions#other (mostly from Irish universities)
ICAS: https://www.icas.com/become-a-ca/exemptions/icas-accredited-degrees
CIMA: https://www.aicpa-cima.com/exemption-calculator/educational
CIPFA: https://www.cipfa.org/qualifications/exemptions
See the list of accounting qualifications: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_qualified_accountants#Titles_of_British_accountancy_qualifications
Do note, if you are picking modules specifically to get exemptions in the professional accounting qualification, you should note that you might need to have done more than one module to qualify for an exemption on 1 paper. It does happen.
Having a few more exemptions won't matter too much in the long run though.
will completing and having more exemption ticked off make me a stronger candidate, see that’s the reason I’m really confused cuz I did get offers from other unis such as LSBU which are not as reputable as CITY (my first choice and the one I’m thinking of doing business with finance in) but has offered me an accounting and finance place that has more exemptions.
In my experience, no. Accounting firms can hire people who did a degree in geography, physics, engineering, classics over someone who did one in accounting with more exemptions. Your degree subject and the number of exemptions mean very little to the individual firm. Out of all of the accounting firms that I spoke to, perhaps 1 small accounting practice hired for an accounting graduate with a 1st class degree. Every other firm (including the big ones) don't care what degree you have or how many exemptions you have from your degree.
They care more about the individual and his aptitude over what subject the degree is in, even if they would end up paying more to fund for the qualification or if it takes longer for them to pass the qualification.
Offering degrees with more modules that you can be exempt for won't necessarily make it more attractive. For argument sake, if I wanted to be really cheap and get qualified as soon as I can without having get a job in it, I could easily study the entire qualification privately, pay something like £5000 for the courses, registrations, and exams in a little under 2 years and still end up saving more money and time than going through uni.
Btw in ur opinion what’s the best body to complete as there’s different opinions for each. I was thinking of doing the ICAEW but u said CIMA up there so i was wondering what u think.
Do not do CIMA if you intend to go into financial accounting or auditing, like @rayaanshahid10 has said. CIMA is for management accounting; you won't be able to practice financial accounting or external auditing with it.
It's a similar story with CIPFA, it's specifically for accountants in the public sector; you won't be able to practice financial accounting or external auditing with it.
To be a financial accountant, you're looking at becoming a Chartered Accountant or Chartered Certified Accountant. In the UK, this essentially mean you would need either an ACA, ICAS, CAI, AIA, or ACCA. For abroad, you would typically see qualifications ending with "CPA" and they are the equivalent of UK's Chartered Accountancy qualifications; ACCA is its own thing and is recognised in 180 countries.
You should be able to be a financial analyst with any accounting qualification in theory, but the go to tend to be the main 3: ACA, ACCA, CIMA. CIMA is more quantitative and analytical than the others, but if you want the flexibility you should pick the other accounting qualifications.
Personally, I consider ACA, ICAS, and CAI interchangeable for chartered accounting in the UK. However, I would still prefer ACA because it's closely affiliated with AAT and more university degree courses are affiliated with it (i.e. you can get exemptions from more unis - see the exemption calculators above). It's also more widely recognised in the UK than CAI or ICAS.
ACCA is widely recognised and will save you the hassle when working abroad (you can get recognition with chartered accounting qualifications, but you have to fiddle with a lot of paperwork and not as many countries recognise them), but it's not as reputable or as highly valued in any one country over their own chartered accounting qualification. For example, whilst ACCA is valid in say Australia, CPA Australia will still be more valued than ACCA; similar with ACA in the UK, ICAI in India, etc. See the list of other chartered accounting qualifications around the world: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartered_accountant#Countries
Also would a bookkeeping course that’s accredited be any good?
I would say it can somewhat help with employment, but not by much i.e. it demonstrates that you have practical knowledge of what to do in the workplace but you would still lack experience if you just have it by itself. The only one that would help as far as I am concerned is AAT Level 3 (not 4, 1, or 2), but you're likely going to get the same exemptions towards a professional accounting qualification with it as you would with your degree - you need to check the exemptions calculators above.
Other than AAT, there are ICB (https://www.bookkeepers.org.uk/Study--Qualifications/Current-Qualifications) and IAB (https://www.iab.org.uk/manual-bookkeeping/) for the UK. I am not entirely sure what exemptions you can get with these towards professional accounting qualifications, but I don't think I saw any of the professional accounting bodies above recognising them for exemption purposes.
Again, should you pick the alternative bookkeeping qualifications, I wouldn't go above Level 3 for any of the qualifications as they all follow the same NVQ framework and can compromise your eligibility for student finance towards your degree.
I wouldn't bank on a bookkeeping qualification to help you secure a role in accounting though.

Can you help me decide which one of these 4 offers I received I should pick.😭

Accounting and Finance in LSBU or Kingston (same course)

Finance (foundation year) then Accounting and Finance in City.

Business with Finance with a professional placement year.

My fifth option is the PWC flying start degree which I just completed my video interview and waiting for a response, if I get an offer from here then I’m set but if I don’t then which of those above should I choose.

I’m aware apprenticeship is the better option and I’m gonna carry on applying to apprenticeship to see what happens.😭

Reply 8

Original post by Nnnfrgj

Can you help me decide which one of these 4 offers I received I should pick.😭
Accounting and Finance in LSBU or Kingston (same course)
Finance (foundation year) then Accounting and Finance in City.
Business with Finance with a professional placement year.
My fifth option is the PWC flying start degree which I just completed my video interview and waiting for a response, if I get an offer from here then I’m set but if I don’t then which of those above should I choose.
I’m aware apprenticeship is the better option and I’m gonna carry on applying to apprenticeship to see what happens.😭

PWC if given the chance.

Personally for getting roles in accounting, I don't see much difference between them. If the degree is not from a top uni, then you are just doing them for the exemptions.
Where is the business with finance course based?

Since all of the 3 unis mentioned are based in London, it's not like you will be short on opportunities to network your way into accounting. Whilst you're at uni, I would strongly recommend networking with as many people as you can, because once you graduate it's a lot harder to meet people and if you have a wide enough network sometimes even the more competitive roles would be easier to apply for.

I would personally go for PWC first then possibly the business with finance with a placement year, because if you manage to secure a year in industry you're a lot better off than most applicants.
If PWC isn't an option, then I would probably pick City and the Business with Finance degree.

Having said that, it's more important that you pick what you want instead of what I say. I'm not the one doing the degree.

Reply 9

Original post by MindMax2000

PWC if given the chance.
Personally for getting roles in accounting, I don't see much difference between them. If the degree is not from a top uni, then you are just doing them for the exemptions.
Where is the business with finance course based?
Since all of the 3 unis mentioned are based in London, it's not like you will be short on opportunities to network your way into accounting. Whilst you're at uni, I would strongly recommend networking with as many people as you can, because once you graduate it's a lot harder to meet people and if you have a wide enough network sometimes even the more competitive roles would be easier to apply for.
I would personally go for PWC first then possibly the business with finance with a placement year, because if you manage to secure a year in industry you're a lot better off than most applicants.
If PWC isn't an option, then I would probably pick City and the Business with Finance degree.
Having said that, it's more important that you pick what you want instead of what I say. I'm not the one doing the degree.

how does a top uni benefit me? as im pursuing a degree in A&F. Looking to go into accountancy

Reply 10

Original post by MindMax2000

PWC if given the chance.
Personally for getting roles in accounting, I don't see much difference between them. If the degree is not from a top uni, then you are just doing them for the exemptions.
Where is the business with finance course based?
Since all of the 3 unis mentioned are based in London, it's not like you will be short on opportunities to network your way into accounting. Whilst you're at uni, I would strongly recommend networking with as many people as you can, because once you graduate it's a lot harder to meet people and if you have a wide enough network sometimes even the more competitive roles would be easier to apply for.
I would personally go for PWC first then possibly the business with finance with a placement year, because if you manage to secure a year in industry you're a lot better off than most applicants.
If PWC isn't an option, then I would probably pick City and the Business with Finance degree.
Having said that, it's more important that you pick what you want instead of what I say. I'm not the one doing the degree.

Thanks, btw business with finance should be able to land me a job in the accounting field right? I’m concerned since the business with finance is not focused entirely focused on accounting. Could that be an issue?

Reply 11

Original post by Nnnfrgj

Ur subject do not matter when it comes to accounting, if u get a 2:1 in ur degree which is 60%-69%, u will be able to be successful, for example someone doing psychology can become an accountant.

Reply 12

Original post by rayaanshahid10

how does a top uni benefit me? as im pursuing a degree in A&F. Looking to go into accountancy

Accounting firms tend to hire from the best unis, even if they don't offer accounting degrees. As previously mentioned, it's not about the degree subject that they're looking for, it's the calibre of the job candidate.

Reply 13

Original post by MindMax2000

Thank you

Reply 14

Original post by Nnnfrgj

As @rayaanshahid10 (as well as I on various occasions) has stated, it's not a matter about which subject your degree is in.

You could be doing a degree in history, modern languages, or English literature. It won't matter to accounting firms. They want to know whether you have high A Level grades and whether you are suited for the role in accounting.

If I was you, I would just pick the degree subject that you can do the best in at the best uni that you can get into. If that's in Accounting and Finance, so be it.

Reply 15

Original post by MindMax2000

As @rayaanshahid10 (as well as I on various occasions) has stated, it's not a matter about which subject your degree is in.
You could be doing a degree in history, modern languages, or English literature. It won't matter to accounting firms. They want to know whether you have high A Level grades and whether you are suited for the role in accounting.
If I was you, I would just pick the degree subject that you can do the best in at the best uni that you can get into. If that's in Accounting and Finance, so be it.

Would doing accounting and finance help if u want to pursue a career in accountancy?

Reply 16

Original post by rayaanshahid10

Would doing accounting and finance help if u want to pursue a career in accountancy?

To be exempt from more papers? Yes but it's usually limited to the first 9, if at all.

To get a job in accounting? Not really as far as I know. Again, employers tend to care more about your A Level grades and degree classification (if you were to do a degree). The subject is usually irrelevant, which is kind of funny.
Out of the dozens of accounting firms that I have seen the talks of, only one small one somewhere in the middle of the country actually cared. Pretty much all other accounting firms don't.

If I were to do a degree before going into accounting, I would pick a subject for an alternative career path or in a subject that I would really want to do. For example, I have seen people with degrees in law and medicine managed to secure roles in one of the Big 4.

Having said that, once you do start studying for the professional papers, you pretty much have to pass everything the first time round, otherwise the firms will fire you. If they do give you a second chance, consider it the last straw.
I have come across a 1st class (80%+) chemistry graduate from a top end uni working for one of the Big 4 and he absolutely struggled with the junior papers of his professional accounting papers. Needless to say his tenure was cut short after failing his exams the second time round.

Reply 17

Original post by MindMax2000

To be exempt from more papers? Yes but it's usually limited to the first 9, if at all.
To get a job in accounting? Not really as far as I know. Again, employers tend to care more about your A Level grades and degree classification (if you were to do a degree). The subject is usually irrelevant, which is kind of funny.
Out of the dozens of accounting firms that I have seen the talks of, only one small one somewhere in the middle of the country actually cared. Pretty much all other accounting firms don't.
If I were to do a degree before going into accounting, I would pick a subject for an alternative career path or in a subject that I would really want to do. For example, I have seen people with degrees in law and medicine managed to secure roles in one of the Big 4.
Having said that, once you do start studying for the professional papers, you pretty much have to pass everything the first time round, otherwise the firms will fire you. If they do give you a second chance, consider it the last straw.
I have come across a 1st class (80%+) chemistry graduate from a top end uni working for one of the Big 4 and he absolutely struggled with the junior papers of his professional accounting papers. Needless to say his tenure was cut short after failing his exams the second time round.

dont u think people with accounting and finance degrees be more prepared?, as i got told that u get exemptions for all certificate level and some of professional level. I know that u need to pass the certificate and professional first time and u can fail the advanced as many times. So dont u think it will benefit if u have prior knowledge about accountancy.

Reply 18

Original post by MindMax2000

To be exempt from more papers? Yes but it's usually limited to the first 9, if at all.
To get a job in accounting? Not really as far as I know. Again, employers tend to care more about your A Level grades and degree classification (if you were to do a degree). The subject is usually irrelevant, which is kind of funny.
Out of the dozens of accounting firms that I have seen the talks of, only one small one somewhere in the middle of the country actually cared. Pretty much all other accounting firms don't.
If I were to do a degree before going into accounting, I would pick a subject for an alternative career path or in a subject that I would really want to do. For example, I have seen people with degrees in law and medicine managed to secure roles in one of the Big 4.
Having said that, once you do start studying for the professional papers, you pretty much have to pass everything the first time round, otherwise the firms will fire you. If they do give you a second chance, consider it the last straw.
I have come across a 1st class (80%+) chemistry graduate from a top end uni working for one of the Big 4 and he absolutely struggled with the junior papers of his professional accounting papers. Needless to say his tenure was cut short after failing his exams the second time round.

Oh wow so I could do business management, achieve a high degree classification and still be able to get into accounting? If I find business with finance too complicated then do u reckon I should switch to business studies only?

Also who picks when an individual does the professional papers, the firm or the person themselves? And is there like a specific time frame someone needs to do it within?

Reply 19