Accelerate your accounting career with this Masters programme linked to ACCA professional exemptions.
Do you aspire to become a leader within the global accounting profession?
The MSc Strategic Accounting is an excellent way to advance your career within this competitive and highly rewarding sector.
Give yourself an additional edge in the accounting and professional services by getting the finance, technology, leadership and advanced accounting skills employers are looking for.
This programme will help you obtain ACCA professional exemptions while gaining an Masters with relevant employable skills.
All ACCA’s strategic professional papers are embedded into the programme, so you will be ready to complete all the examinations of the ACCA professional qualification.
As well helping you achieve your ACCA qualification, this programme provides the opportunity to work with an employer on a live project, ensuring the course is relevant and provides you with workplace ready skills.
Over 18 months, you will cover topics such as strategic business leadership, strategic business reporting, advanced taxation, advanced performance management, advanced audit and assurance, advanced financial management, and data analytics.
ACCA members are in increasing demand across the globe. If you want to be part of this growth, this course is for you.
We know that choosing to study at university is a big decision, and you may not always be able to find the information you need online.
Please contact Ulster University with any queries or questions you might have about:
For any queries regarding getting help with your application, please select Admissions in the drop down below.
For queries related to course content, including modules and placements, please select Course specific information.
We look forward to hearing from you.
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The MSc Strategic Accounting is designed to build on, and further develop, the employment relevant skills that are at the heart of the ACCA qualification.
Completing the Strategic Business Project enables you to meet some of the performance objectives of ACCA’s Professional Experience Requirement (PER). You will also be encouraged to complete ACCA’s Ethics and Professional Skills Module. Thus, you will be well placed to obtain ACCA membership, while gaining a Masters with employment relevant skills.
Students can study the following modules;
Strategic Business Leader
The module will develop students' appreciation of strategic management and leadership in the context of organisational strategy, corporate governance and ethical issues. Through case studies, practical examples and academic journal articles, the module will enable students to critically appraise and apply advanced practices and theories of the discipline.
Strategic Business Reporting
This module aims to discuss, apply and evaluate the concepts, principles and practices that underpin the preparation and interpretation of corporate reports in various contexts including the ethical assessment of management's stewardship and the information needs of a diverse group of stakeholders.
Introduction to Research
The module will provide students with an understanding of the research process when conducting applied research within the accounting and finance profession. It underlines the role that applied research can play in helping to define and ultimately resolve key strategic business issues. This will involve consideration of the development of appropriate research questions, undertaking a literature review, identification and justification of an appropriate research methodology, data collection and analysis, reporting findings in an effective manner.
The module also provides an opportunity for learners to reflect on their intellectual and professional development during their master's programme with the creation a portfolio of work-based evidence that in turn, forms the framework for development of a personal development plan.
Advanced Taxation
This module is optional
Advanced tax; income tax, corporation tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, stamp duty; how tax law and ethics impact businesses today
Advanced Financial Management
This module is optional
The module examines the investment and financing decisions facing large multinational corporations, with the emphasis moving towards the strategic consequences of making such decisions in a domestic, as well as international, context. Connected to this, the module then focuses on developing advisory skills in planning strategic acquisitions and mergers and corporate re-organisations. Finally, the module examines the risks associated with international business and provides a broad analysis of the sophisticated strategies which are employed in order to manage such risks.
Data Analytics
This module provides students with the knowledge and practical skills for applying business intelligence and data analytics principles to support management decision making in a business context. The module also help develop students' quantitative analysis and data visualisation skills to derive valuable insights from the data in a business context. The module will help students to design, develop and deploy a performance dashboard as part of their performance management system case organisation.
Advanced Performance Management
This module is optional
The module will develop students' appreciation of strategic management accounting in the context of organisational strategy, business planning and development. Through case studies, practical examples and academic journal articles, the module will enable students to critically appraise and apply advanced practices and theories of the discipline.
Advanced Audit and Assurance
This module is optional
This module provides students with an in-depth understanding of audit and assurance services. It combines audit and assurance concepts with their application to professional practice. It also highlights the responsibilities and ethical dilemmas faced by auditors and assurance providers.
Strategic Business Project
This module is optional
The module integrates and further develops the knowledge and skills acquired within the taught element of the programme. The module specifically allows the student to apply the knowledge and skills acquired to undertake a project relevant to the financial services sector and of interest to the student. The project topic will vary, depending on the requirements of the financial services organisation that instigates the project.
Dissertation
This module is optional
The dissertation module integrates and further develops the knowledge and skills acquired within the taught element of the programme.
The module specifically allows the student to apply the knowledge and skills acquired to undertake a research dissertation investigating a topic relevant to the financial services sector and of interest to the student.
The dissertation topic will vary, depending on the interests of the student and expertise of staff.
The course is completed over three semesters of study, on a full-time basis.
Attendance and Independent Study
As part of your course induction, you will be provided with details of the organisation and management of the course, including attendance and assessment requirements. Usually, the precise timetable for each semester is not confirmed until close to the start date and may be subject to some change in the early weeks as all courses settle into their planned patterns. A course handbook is also made available.
The course comprises modules for which the notional effort involved is indicated by credit points. Each credit point represents 10 hours of student effort.
This Master’s course comprises 180 credits, taken in three semesters.
Class contact times vary by module. Typically, you can expect at least 4 contact hours per week for each module. The precise model will depend on the module and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons.
Assessment
Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module.
Assessment on all modules will be through coursework but may also include closed book class tests. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes – and to fully prepare you to sit ACCA exams in relevant modules.
You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessment. The precise assessment will depend on the module and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons.
The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification and the assessment timetable. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Calculation of the Final Award
The pass mark for each individual module is 50%.
A pass with distinction will be awarded if your average mark is 70% or greater and a pass with commendation will be awarded if your average mark is 60% or greater.
Your average mark will be calculated as a weighted average of all modules, based on the credit points for each module.
The content for each course is summarised on the relevant course page, along with an overview of the modules that make up the course.
Each course is approved by the University and meets the expectations of:
As part of your course induction, you will be provided with details of the organisation and management of the course, including attendance and assessment requirements - usually in the form of a timetable. For full-time courses, the precise timetable for each semester is not confirmed until close to the start date and may be subject to some change in the early weeks as all courses settle into their planned patterns. For part-time courses which require attendance on particular days and times, an expectation of the days and periods of attendance will be included in the letter of offer. A course handbook is also made available.
Courses comprise modules for which the notional effort involved is indicated by its credit rating. Each credit point represents 10 hours of student effort. Undergraduate courses typically contain 10, 20, or 40 credit modules (more usually 20) and postgraduate courses typically 15 or 30 credit modules.
The normal study load expectation for an undergraduate full-time course of study in the standard academic year is 120 credit points. This amounts to around 36-42 hours of expected teaching and learning per week, inclusive of attendance requirements for lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical work, fieldwork or other scheduled classes, private study, and assessment. Teaching and learning activities will be in-person and/or online depending on the nature of the course. Part-time study load is the same as full-time pro-rata, with each credit point representing 10 hours of student effort.
Postgraduate Master’s courses typically comprise 180 credits, taken in three semesters when studied full-time. A Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) comprises 60 credits and can usually be completed on a part-time basis in one year. A 120-credit Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) can usually be completed on a part-time basis in two years.
Class contact times vary by course and type of module. Typically, for a module predominantly delivered through lectures you can expect at least 3 contact hours per week (lectures/seminars/tutorials). Laboratory classes often require a greater intensity of attendance in blocks. Some modules may combine lecture and laboratory. The precise model will depend on the course you apply for and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. Prospective students will be consulted about any significant changes.
Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments. This feedback may be issued individually and/or issued to the group and you will be encouraged to act on this feedback for your own development.
Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification, the assessment timetable and the assessment brief. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised. The module pass mark for undergraduate courses is 40%. The module pass mark for postgraduate courses is 50%.
The class of Honours awarded in Bachelor’s degrees is usually determined by calculation of an aggregate mark based on performance across the modules at Levels 5 and 6, (which correspond to the second and third year of full-time attendance).
Level 6 modules contribute 70% of the aggregate mark and Level 5 contributes 30% to the calculation of the class of the award. Classification of integrated Master’s degrees with Honours include a Level 7 component. The calculation in this case is: 50% Level 7, 30% Level 6, 20% Level 5. At least half the Level 5 modules must be studied at the University for Level 5 to be included in the calculation of the class.
All other qualifications have an overall grade determined by results in modules from the final level of study.
In Masters degrees of more than 200 credit points the final 120 points usually determine the overall grading.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
All of the staff involved in the delivery of the modules have extensive experience of assisting students to prepare for the exams of professional accounting bodies, including ACCA and of teaching on postgraduate courses.
They are also either professionally qualified accountants, holders of postgraduate qualifications, or both. A number of staff have been examiners or exam markers for professional accounting bodies, including ACCA.
Ulster University students have been prize-winners in a range of ACCA papers and 100% pass rates have been attained in a number of ACCA papers in previous sittings.
The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 60% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.
Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (19%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (22%) or Lecturers (57%).
We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic and learning support staff (85%) are recognised as fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advance HE - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.
The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise. The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff. This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.
Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
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We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements.
In this section
Applicants must have completed the 9 ACCA papers which comprise the Essential Knowledge and Essential Skills modules of the ACCA qualification or to have been exempted from these papers by having gained:
(i) a second class honours degree in Accounting or better from a university of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, or from a recognised national awarding body, or from an institution of another country which has been recognised as being of an equivalent standard; or
(ii) an equivalent standard (normally 50%) in a Graduate Diploma, Graduate Certificate, Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma or an approved alternative qualification in Accounting;
and
provide evidence of competence in written and spoken English (GCSE grade C or equivalent).The English language requirements for non-native English speakers is IELTS 6.0 with no contributing band below 5.5 or equivalent SELT (S).
English language requirements for international applicants
The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.
Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.
In this section
ACCA members are employed in a wide range of roles in all sectors globally.
Further information can be obtained at ACCA.
The Strategic Business Project module provides an opportunity to work with an employer on a specific project which will be structured so that you will meet a number of the learning outcomes specified by ACCA's Professional Experience Requirement.
Postgraduate fees are subject to annual review, 2025/26 fees will be announced in due course.
See our tuition fees page for the current fees for 2024/25 entry.
Please note that, in addition to the course fees payable to the University, the following fees are payable to ACCA:
Initial registration
Annual subscription
Exemption fees
Exam entry fees
Ethics and Professional Skills module.
ACCA fees are reviewed annually. Up to date fees information is available at:
It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges) and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees.
Where a course has additional mandatory expenses (in addition to tuition fees) we make every effort to highlight them above. We aim to provide students with the learning materials needed to support their studies. Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. Computer suites and free Wi-Fi are also available on each of the campuses.
There are additional fees for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as a part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs, as well as tuition fees.
See the tuition fees on our student guide for most up to date costs.
We know that choosing to study at university is a big decision, and you may not always be able to find the information you need online.
Please contact Ulster University with any queries or questions you might have about:
For any queries regarding getting help with your application, please select Admissions in the drop down below.
For queries related to course content, including modules and placements, please select Course specific information.
We look forward to hearing from you.
“The way this course combines academic and professional study with practical experience develops the skills employers are seeking and that ACCA has identified as essential for the accountants of the future is unique.” John Cullen, Partner Menzies LLP
“The model incorporating the ACCA Strategic Professional syllabus into the programme supports students taking their ACCA Strategic Professional Level exams and MSc Modules and enables students to benefit from gaining both an academic and professional qualification. The placement/internship opportunity within the programme supports students being ready for the workplace as well as potentially providing some of the Professional Experience Requirements (PER) which they need to gain their ACCA membership. Providing optional modules of Cyber-security and Data Analytics to students aligns with the work undertaken by ACCA Professional Insights which highlighted the importance of digital skills to future employers.” Alan Hatfield, Executive Director, Strategy and Development, ACCA
Ulster continues to develop and support sustainability initiatives with our staff, students, and external partners across various aspects of teaching, research, professional services operations, and governance.
At Ulster every person, course, research project, and professional service area on every campus either does or can contribute in some way towards the global sustainability and climate change agenda.
We are guided by both our University Strategy People, Place and Partnerships: Delivering Sustainable Futures for All and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Our work in this area is already being recognised globally. Most recently by the 2024 Times Higher Education Impact rating where we were recognised as Joint 5th Globally for Outreach Activities and Joint Top 20 Globally for Sustainable Development Goal 17: Partnership for the Goals.
Visit our Sustainability at Ulster destination to learn more about how the University strategy and the activities of Ulster University support each of the Sustainable Development Goals.
