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Strategic Accounting and Finance MSc

Distance learning programme

This is the programme information for 2025 entry

If you require details of the previous year's programme, Strategic Accounting and Finance MSc (2024), click here

UK students International students

Study mode

UK tuition fees (2025/26)

£20,500

£10,250

Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)

£20,500

£10,250

Duration

1 calendar year

2 calendar years

Programme starts

September 2025

Applications accepted

All applicants: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025

Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A good undergraduate degree from a recognised university – a minimum of UK Second Class Honours (Upper Division - 2:1) or the international equivalent.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

Through this online Strategic Accounting and Finance MSc degree, you’ll acquire and learn to apply financial expertise to a range of decision-making scenarios. The programme blend theories and concepts with practical applications.

You’ll expand your knowledge in the core areas of finance and accounting and their interrelationships with management, delving into the science behind better decision-making, evaluating organisational risks, and performing company risk trade-offs at the executive-decision level, cultivating a portfolio of new insights and additional abilities that will set you apart as a global leader.

The personal attributes and professional capabilities you’ll develop will strongly enhance your career trajectory, setting you up to augment the organisations you may collaborate with now or in the future.

The programme’s online delivery model means you can study at a top ten global university (QS World University Rankings, 2025) from wherever you are in the world. What's more, full-time (12-month duration) and part-time (24-month duration) modes of study offer you the flexibility to shape your future around your current professional and personal circumstances.

Who this course is for

This programme is ideal for you, if you are looking to develop your accounting and finance skills as an aspiring manager, seeking to take the next stage in developing your managerial career, or even embarking on a new career path. It can also help if are considering starting or expanding your own business.

As this programme is delivered online, we anticipate a widely diverse and global cohort of students. We are looking for unique, highly driven individuals who want to excel in their careers, as well as inquisitive and creative thinkers who are prepared to commit to a rigorous and intellectually demanding academic programme.

You must be prepared to grow your analytical capabilities, lead and work in teams, and contribute to building a strong community of knowledge-holders.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

This degree offers you the following benefits and opportunities:

Study at UCL, a top ten global university (QS World University Rankings, 2025)
Become a part of a leading department, the UCL School of Management, ranked 2nd in the UK for business and management research, over 95% of the research at the School has been rated as “world-leading” and “internationally excellent” in the latest REF.
Benefit from the School’s strong relationships with accountants and finance professionals and professional accountancy bodies.
Study for a world-class Master’s degree and build a global network of professionals, from anywhere in the world. The flexibility of the online programme means there is no need to put your career or life on hold.
Collaborate with peers across the globe and benefit from an intimate class size in online seminars to build lasting professional relationships. Built-in interactive features ensure you can engage in rich discussions with other members of the UCL School of Management community.
Apply your learnings on financial strategies and business research in the Strategic Financial Project and build your portfolio with a tangible piece of work which you can take away at the end of the programme.
Build in-depth, subject-specific knowledge by applying financial ideas, research skills, and models to management challenges.
Develop the practical skills required to apply quantitative and qualitative data to financial decision making, self-reflect and think critically, and effectively communicate complex analyses of challenges and opportunities within and across organisations at all levels.
Acquire and apply financial skills widely sought by employers across all industries and corners of the globe.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

Graduates of this programme will feel at ease in a diverse range of types of organisations and roles, including large multinational corporations, SMEs, start-ups, and public sector organisations. You’ll be well prepared to assume key managerial and leadership roles, regardless of your chosen field.

The classes expanded my horizons, my colleagues expanded my relationships, and the professors expanded both my relationships and my understanding of the business that I'm set within.

Patsy McNeil

UCL MBA alumna

Employability

There is consistent demand to recruit individuals with a unique blend of accounting, finance, management, and leadership skills.

Upon graduation you’ll have developed a vast toolkit to demonstrate to employers that you can apply financial ideas to practice and develop the appropriate models for solving management challenges.

Throughout the programme, you’ll develop an excellent understanding of the financial reporting landscape and the nuances of accounting and finance customs and practices in an international context. This, combined with your ability to critically appraise data to inform key organisational decisions, will make you well-suited for roles in a variety of industries. Such industries include technology, manufacturing, service, media, retailing, and not-for-profit.

Networking

The programme offers a variety of networking opportunities.

Join a global network of talented School of Management alumni and benefit from possible various mentorship opportunities at the School.
Tap into the School's extensive network of practicing accountants and finance professionals through a series of speaker events.
Engage with accomplished alumni representing the diverse portfolio of School of Management programmes through a spectrum of online and in-country networking and employer events.
Attend periodic optional non-credit bearing, online or in-person Immersion Events during the year to connect with peers, academics and industry leaders and build your global professional network.

Teaching and learning

Our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) on Moodle gives you access to a range of engaging learning content, from study materials to revision guides, and forums to connect with your tutors and fellow students, allowing you to engage in self-reflective and collaborative experiences.

This programme is delivered through 10-week modules comprising an interactive mix of online videos, digital readings, problem-based learning challenges, case studies, quizzes, forum peer discussions, presentations, team-based activities, and weekly online live seminars.

Teaching and learning are assessed throughout the programme, with a variety of assessment methods, drawn from individual/group presentations, individual and group coursework, video presentations, mini-projects, essays and online problem-solving tests, and the Strategic Financial Project.

For a full overview of the programme structure please visit the UCL School of Management website.

Both full-time or part-time students can expect 3 equivalent contact hours for each 15-credit module per teaching week. We expect you to complement this with between 6-12 hours of guided independent study.

This means you can expect approximately 3-4 contact hours per teaching week, on average. The total number of contact hours per week may vary according to the weekly activities being undertaken.

Modules

The programme is run in a structured framework consisting of 10 (15 credit) core/compulsory modules, followed by a double-bearing (30 credit) project. There are no optional modules on this programme.

If you are on the Full-time programme, you’ll typically study four compulsory modules in each of Terms One and Two, two compulsory modules in your Third term along with research methods for the strategic financial project, then continue working on that project for submission at the end of September.

The modules making up Term One are designed to introduce financial and accounting concepts and applications to business decisions, the global financial reporting landscape, dissection and analysis of financial statements, and applications of financial management ideas.

Term Two modules take the core knowledge acquired in Term One and extend it. You’ll incorporate elements of strategic management accounting, behavioural science and financial decision-making, analysis of risk, and immersion in global financial markets.

Term Three content covers investment portfolio strategies, and influencing, persuading and negotiating in the context of making financial cases, with business research methods applied within the strategic financial project.

If you enrol on the part-time programme, you’ll study two prescribed compulsory modules in each of Terms One and Two across two years, and the Strategic Financial Project will be due at the end of your final year (Year Two).

The two prescribed compulsory modules in Year One, Term One are designed to introduce financial and accounting concepts and applications to business decisions, and the global financial reporting landscape.

The two prescribed compulsory Year One, Term Two modules extend the base knowledge acquired in Term One, going further through the dissection and analysis of financial statements, and applications of financial management ideas.

Year One, Term Three presents two modules covering strategic management accounting, and behavioural science in financial decision-making.

The modules in Year Two, Term One cover analysis of risk, and global financial markets, and in Year Two, Term Two there are two modules exploring investment portfolio strategies and influencing, persuading and negotiating in the contexts making financial cases. In Year Two, Term Three, you’ll apply business research methods within the strategic financial project, submitting your finalised project in September.

Compulsory modules

Accounting for Business Decisions

The Financial Reporting Landscape

Applied Managerial Finance

Behavioural Finance in Decisions

Financial Statements: Dissection and Analysis

Strategic Management Accounting

Analytics and Financial Decision Making

Global Financial Markets

Constructing and Managing Investment Portfolios

Influence, Negotiations and Persuasion

Strategic Financial Project (including business research methods)

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Where you'll study

Two people in open plan office looking out of window of skyscraper

Home to UCL’s business and management research and education programmes, the UCL School of Management focuses on creating disruptive research and preparing the next generation of creative and influential leaders who can apply the latest technological developments as a strategic asset for businesses in the complex, interconnected world of the future. Through outstanding teaching by leading academics in their field and a fantastic, dedicated careers team at the School, we provide you with the knowledge, skills and networks needed to expand professional opportunities and progress in your career.

Find out more

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students

Fee description	Full-time	Part-time
Tuition fees (2025/26)	£20,500	£10,250
Tuition fees (2025/26)	£20,500	£10,250

Only available for Distance Learning.

Additional costs

For Full-time and Part-time offer holders a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

Students who wish to attend non-credit bearing immersions or in-person extracurricular activities/events are responsible for all travel, accommodation and spending fees associated. Please note these activities are optional, so students are not required to attend.

Should students choose to join, the costs of these activities will vary greatly depending on personal travel and incidental preferences.

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

: Global Finance Scholarship

Value: Up to £10,000 (1 year)

Criteria Based on academic merit

Eligibility: EU, Overseas

The Excellence Scholarship - School of Management

Value: Up to £10,000 (1 year)

Criteria Based on academic merit

Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas

The Impact Scholarship - School of Management

Value: Up to £10,000 (1 year)

Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need

Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas

UCL East London Scholarship

NOW CLOSED FOR 25/26 ENTRY

Value: Tuition fees plus £16,000 stipend ()

Criteria Based on financial need

Eligibility: UK

Women in Finance Scholarship

Value: Up to £10,000 (1 year)

Criteria Based on academic merit

Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas

Next steps

When we assess your application, we would like to learn:

Your professional aspirations and a critical analysis of your past experience in line with the content of this programme, i.e. why this programme, and why you?
How will you apply the skills learned on this programme to your future career and/or study aspirations?
What tangible steps have you taken to prepare yourself for this programme?
How do you approach challenges, uncertainty, and risk? What are the key areas you consider and why?
Why UCL, why the School of Management, and why this online mode of study?

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

Applicants who meet the entry requirements and provide an appropriate professional statement will be reviewed. Some applicants may receive an offer based on a combination of academic qualifications and personal statement. Others may be invited to an online video interview.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

This programme requires two references. Further information regarding references can be found on this Selecting your references page.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.