Accounting and Business MA (Hons)

Level: Undergraduate

Subject: Accounting

Year of entry: 2026

Key facts

UCAS Code

NN14

Award

MA (Hons)

Duration of study

4 years

Delivery

Full-time

Study location

Central Area

Start date

September 2026

School

Business School

College

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Study abroad

Available

Accreditation

Available

Placement

No

Open days and events

About the degree programme

This programme combines the study of accounting and business to prepare you for the social, political, environmental and cultural challenges facing contemporary businesses, governments and not-for-profit organisations.

Taught by world-leading industry professionals and researchers, you will develop personal and professional competencies such as:

  • authentic leadership
  • ethical, responsible, sustainable business behaviour
  • entrepreneurial practice
  • effective communication

Business School competency framework

This will enable you to work across a range of roles in contemporary business including:

  • accountancy and finance
  • strategy
  • marketing
  • human resource management
  • data analytics
  • entrepreneurship and innovation

How long it takes to complete this degree programme

This programme is studied over 4 years.

A key benefit to studying a 4-year degree programme is that you have the flexibility to study a range of subjects, outside your chosen degree programme, in Year 1 and Year 2.

This allows you the opportunity to study other courses that interest you or enhance your degree. By the end of Year 2, you can decide which of these subject areas you want to focus on in the honours years of your programme.

How long it takes to complete our degree programmes

Programme rankings

You can find our programme rankings on our website.

Our accreditation and rankings

Programme benefits

  • Studying at the University of Edinburgh offers you a flexible programme of study. You can take a range of option courses, offering you a broad-based programme with the flexibility to change direction and specialise through your course choices.
  • You can participate in a large number of business societies, business events and peer-support schemes.
  • This degree offers the opportunity to study abroad in Year 3.
  • The proposed structure of the degree will allow you to be exempt from a number of subjects should you choose to take a professional accounting examination after graduating.

Find your entry requirements

Use the dropdowns to find out your entry requirements.

  1. Select the country or region where you are studying or where you studied your qualification.
  2. Select the qualification you are studying or studied.
United Kingdom,

Tuition fees for MA (Hons) Accounting and Business

View the tuition fees for one academic year of MA (Hons) Accounting and Business.

Tuition fees for this programme

Additional costs

If you opt to study abroad in Year 3, your costs will vary depending on the country or partner university. Additional costs may include: 

  • insurance
  • visa requirements
  • accommodation
  • internet access
  • travel

In Year 4, you will undertake a dissertation as a compulsory assessment component. Depending on the field of study you choose, there may be costs associated with: 

  • undertaking surveys
  • travel
  • conducting interviews

Accommodation and living costs

You need to cover your accommodation and living costs for the duration of your programme.

We estimate that a single student can potentially spend £1,023 to £2,043 on living costs each month, depending on your accommodation.

This estimate covers the costs of:

  • accommodation
  • food
  • utility bills
  • travel within Edinburgh
  • health and wellbeing costs

See a breakdown of living costs

Scholarships and funding

Funding information

You can find detailed information on financial support available, based on where you are living, in our funding section.

Funding

What you will study

Your Year 1 courses will provide an introduction to:

  • accounting
  • economics
  • business and its global environment
Find courses

The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.

You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.

Find Year 1 courses (2025-2026 academic year)

You will broaden your knowledge of essential business subjects and continue your study of accounting.

You should enrol in the Principles of Finance and Law for Business courses in order to gain full accreditation from professional accounting organisations.

You may also choose one option course from across the University. This is subject to availability and timetabling constraints.

Find courses

The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.

You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.

Find Year 2 courses (2025-2026 academic year)

As you progress to honours level, you will continue to specialise in your chosen area of accounting, building on financial and management accounting studied in Years 1 and 2.

You will also choose one more specialist honours course in business.

Find courses

The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.

You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.

Find Year 3 courses (2025-2026 academic year)

Your Management Honours Dissertation is central to Year 4. You will conduct an independent research project on a topic of your choosing that is closely linked to your degree programme.

You will also study two more honours courses in both accounting and business.

Find courses

The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.

You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.

Find Year 4 courses (2025-2026 academic year)

Study abroad

Studying abroad is a fantastic opportunity to gain an insight into the global business dimension and the cultures and languages of the individual markets we deal with. 

Studying abroad is optional for this programme, but we encourage you to consider it. To be inspired, read stories by Edinburgh students about their experiences abroad.

Student experiences abroad

Partner universities

A wide range of international experiences are available, including studying abroad at one of our partner universities and business schools in:

  • Australia
  • New Zealand
  • Canada
  • China
  • Japan
  • USA

Business School partner universities (subject to change)

Your choice of partner university will depend on your degree programme and availability of courses in the subject area.

The benefits of studying abroad

Living and studying abroad will give you the opportunity to try new things such as:

  • learning a language
  • taking on new challenges
  • enhancing your academic perspective
  • visiting new places
  • meeting new people

Your self-confidence will improve and you will develop valuable skills for the future, all of which are highly valued by employers.

All Business School students have the option of studying abroad. However, you will need a strong academic performance in Year 1 (minimum first-year average 60%) to be offered a place at one of our partner universities or business schools.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

We embrace a variety of different teaching methods including:

  • lectures
  • use of computer laboratories
  • workshops
  • tutorials
  • one-to-one meetings with course lecturers/tutors/student advisers
  • independent learning throughout your studies

Assessment

Courses are assessed by a range of methods and often take the form of formative work. This provides you with ongoing feedback and summative assessment, on which your final course grade is achieved.

Some of these assessment methods are:

  • blogs (written and video)
  • business planning and feasibility analysis
  • case study analysis
  • computer-based timed assignments
  • consultancy reports
  • reflective diaries and journals
  • essays
  • exams
  • pitches
  • portfolios (paper and online)
  • posters
  • presentations
  • group and individual projects
  • technical workshops
  • workbooks
  • dissertation

Many of your assessments will involve:

  • industry engagement
  • real case examples
  • practical solutions to contemporary business problems

A very small number of courses are assessed using only a single, written examination or coursework assignment. Most courses employ two or more forms of assessment, and a growing number combine both individual and group-based activities to develop subject-specific knowledge and transferable skills.

Support for your studies

We offer a supportive environment where you can grow and develop as an independent learner. 

You will be guided and supported throughout your studies by our dedicated Student Services Team who offer:

  • enhanced course and programme guidance
  • wellbeing, professional and academic advice
  • study skills development

We also have an excellent peer support service to help you develop your study skills.

The University offers a service called EdHelp where you can get help and advice on everything from finance to counselling, accommodation, and accessing IT and library resources.

EdHelp

Environment for learning 

Our Student Services Team offers an extensive range of personal and professional provisions to support you on your undergraduate journey. 

We provide a variety of opportunities for you to engage in co- and extra-curricular activities. Our dedicated Student Development Team can help you develop a range of essential business graduate competencies.

You can find out about both teams on their sites:

Edinburgh Award

You may participate in the Edinburgh Award supported by an alumni professional mentor and trained coaches: 

  • Personal and Professional Development (Year 2)
  • Effective and Responsible Leadership (Year 3 or 4)

Edinburgh Award

Our academic staff

You will be taught by: 

  • experienced subject-specific lecturers
  • industry professionals
  • research-led academics
  • internationally renowned guest speakers

We have a number of leading academics who have designed and developed courses specific to their research, particularly in Years 3 and 4.

Where you will study

Study location

All business teaching takes place across the central campus. However, you may be required to travel to the King’s Buildings (based on your course selection) if you are studying courses in science and engineering.

Academic facilities

The Business School is located in a dedicated building in George Square, in the middle of the central campus.

You will have access to:

  • specialist business resources in the central Main Library (books, journals, databases)
  • dedicated student experience and student development support
  • dedicated teaching labs (and associated software and databases) for specialist business analytics, business research and finance-related courses

Accreditation

Our school and programmes are accredited by a range of world-leading business education organisations and professional bodies. We have strong links to the world of practice through:

  • research
  • consultancy
  • teaching

This ensures that our school and programmes are: 

  • attuned to world-leading thinking and practice in business education
  • actively and continuously engaging with, and responding to, the needs of employers

It also ensures that you will be work-ready and prepared for entering the diverse range of globally available career opportunities post-graduation.

Details of our accreditation and rankings

This programme holds double accreditation from international ranking bodies:

  • Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
  • European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS)

This programme is also accredited by the:

  • Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS)
  • Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)
  • Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
  • Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA)
  • Association of International Accountants (AIA)
  • Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)

Career paths

Accountants play a crucial role in business. Their ability to measure financial information and use this to make projections affects economic and organisational decision-making at all levels within firms, organisations, and governments.

Accountancy is one of the fastest-growing areas of business activity. Financial accountants report on the performance of an organisation, while management accountants provide financial information to help with planning and strategy.

Accounting and business graduates are highly valued by employers worldwide and graduates of our programmes are highly sought after by a wide range of employers. 

Our graduates secure employment in a diverse range of fields, the most popular being:

  • accountancy
  • management
  • consulting
  • finance
  • marketing
  • human resources

Accountancy graduates can train to become a qualified accountant through a traineeship with an accountancy or commercial firm. Alternatively, you can choose a career in taxation, finance or banking.

Careers Service

During your time as a student in the Business School and following graduation, the Careers Service will help you fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals.

Careers Service

Further study

Professional accountancy membership

Upon graduating, you may choose to become a member of a professional accountancy organisation. The structure of this degree programme will exempt you from certain subjects in a professional accounting examination.

When applying for a professional accountancy membership via the graduate entry route, the appropriate exemptions (based on our accreditation arrangements) will be awarded when you enrol for their professional examinations.

Professional membership to a professional accountancy organisation is subject to:

  • the terms and conditions specified
  • passing the required examinations
  • having a minimum period of work-related experience (as specified by the accountancy organisation)

Other terms and conditions may also apply. Check with the relevant accountancy organisation for full details.

Successful completion of the examinations and attainment of professional membership status, is regarded as a highly coveted and respected accounting qualification worldwide.

How to apply

You must submit a full application through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) before the relevant deadline.

Guidance on applying through UCAS

What you need to apply

As part of your application, you will need:

  • your academic qualifications
  • a personal statement
  • evidence of your English language skills (with relevant qualifications)
  • a reference

How we select

If you have met, or are predicted to meet, all our entry requirements by the relevant deadline, then your application will go into our selection process.

As part of this selection process, we will review all the information you submit in your UCAS application when we decide who to select for this degree programme.

How we select applicants

When to apply

  • 2026 entry UCAS deadline: 14 January 2026 (6:00pm GMT)

This is the deadline for all UK, EU and international applicants to non-medicine and veterinary medicine programmes.

To find out if any degree programmes have spaces after 14 January 2026, search the University of Edinburgh on the UCAS website.

Search degrees that are open on the UCAS website

Key application dates and deadlines

After you apply

After you have applied for your degree programme, we suggest you have a look at the following information to help you prepare for university:

Applying as an international student

As an international student, you apply for this degree programme through UCAS.  

Find out more about applying through UCAS  

Visas and immigration 

If you do not have the right to live in the UK, you will need to apply for and secure a Student visa before the start date of your degree programme.  

Our Student Immigration Service can help you with the Student visa application process. 

Applying for a visa  

Agents  

An education agent is someone who can help you with the application process as an international student. 

We work with education agents around the world and have a list of local offices you can contact.  

Find contact details for an education agent

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single undergraduate students from outside Edinburgh. To be eligible, you need to meet all criteria and apply for accommodation by 16 August in the year of your entry to the University.

University accommodation website

Accommodation guarantee criteria

If you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.

Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place

Societies and clubs

Our societies and sports clubs will help you develop your interests, meet like-minded people, find a new hobby or simply socialise.

Societies

Sports clubs

The city of Edinburgh

Scotland's inspiring capital will form the background to your studies — a city with an irresistible blend of history, natural beauty and modern city life.

Find out more about living in Edinburgh

Exercise, leisure and support facilities

The Business School provides a range of modern spaces for students and staff, including:

  • a café
  • eight lecture theatres
  • a space for students to study and unwind

Located at the heart of the University campus, we also have ready access to state-of-the-art facilities.

Health and wellbeing support

You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.

The support services we offer include:

  • a student counselling service
  • a health centre (doctor's surgery)
  • support if you're living in University accommodation
  • dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustment

Health and wellbeing support services

Contact us

Contact us through our enquiry team if you have any questions about this programme.

Open days, events and visits

Find out when our next open days will be taking place

Open days, events and visits

Chat to our students on Unibuddy

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It is one of many sources of information which will enable you to make an informed decision on what and where to study.

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