Chartered Accountant Qualification
A key element of this degree programme is that you can make accelerated progress towards becoming a fully qualified member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).
In order to qualify as an Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA), you must pass all the ICAEW examinations (12 papers for the Professional Stage and three papers for the Advanced Stage) and complete a minimum 450 days of approved technical work experience. This degree programme provides you with a flying start to qualifying as an ACA as it provides a route for you to gain all 12 papers of the Professional Stage and gives you over 200 days of qualifying technical work experience with PwC whilst you are still at university.
Progress with the ICAEW’s Professional Examinations
The degree programme contains custom-designed modules that satisfy the learning outcomes of the ICAEW’s Professional Stage examinations. Providing you pass these modules with a mark of 50% or 55% (depending on the module) you will be able to complete the requirements for the ICAEW’s Professional Stage by the end of year 3. This means that once you graduate, you will have only the ICAEW’s three Advanced Stage examinations to pass in order to complete all the examinations needed to qualify as a Chartered Accountant. Furthermore, some of the material that you study in year 4 of the degree programme will help you with these final papers. No other UK degree provides accreditation for all 12 papers of the ICAEW’s Professional Stage.
Guaranteed Paid Work Placements with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC)
Your work placements with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) will contribute to the approved technical work experience required by the ICAEW in order to qualify as a Chartered Accountant. By completing the three work placements, in each of years 2, 3 and 4, you will accumulate approximately half of the approved technical work experience required by ICAEW in order to qualify.
This means that by the time you graduate, you will have made significant progress towards becoming a Chartered Accountant. You will be able to formally qualify approximately a year after graduation by completing a further year of approved work experience and by completing the three remaining Advanced Stage ICAEW examinations.
For more information on the Professional and Advanced Stages of the ICAEW examinations see the Training section of the ICAEW website.
Shaun Robertson ACA, Head of Learning at the ICAEW:
"BA (Hons) Business Accounting and Finance is an innovative degree programme that links academic theory with real business. Today’s graduates now have an excellent foundation to build a career in professional services, based on the training they have gained. Graduates can take an accelerated route to qualify as an Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA), as they have already completed the Professional Stage of the ACA qualification. The ACA is one of the most prestigious, respected and technically demanding professional accountancy qualifications internationally. Students will ultimately join 132,000 members in over 140 countries who hold this qualification. 85% of FTSE company boards include at least one ICAEW member, making the ACA the qualification for business leaders.."
