5 Reasons to study an Accountancy Master's

If you’re interested in a career in accountancy or finance, investing in a master’s degree could be the smartest career decision you make. Embarking on a second degree in this field is always worthwhile because many jobs require postgraduate training.

The University of Bolton’s AdvDip(CPD) ACCA Strategic Professional Level is ideal for anyone with an accountancy undergraduate degree. As a Gold Partner of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), there’s nowhere better to continue your studies than Bolton!

For students who have successfully completed, or been granted exemptions from, ACCA papers F1-F9, this degree is a fantastic investment in your future career. Here are a few reasons why…

1) Become a chartered accountant

If you want to know how to become a chartered accountant, this master’s degree is for you. The course allows you to achieve your ACCA Strategic Professional Level in just one year full-time (or over two years part-time).

The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants is one of the world’s most prestigious accountancy bodies, with members and students in more than 170 countries.

The ACCA Strategic Professional Level exams are an essential step on the way to achieving the ACCA Qualification and becoming a chartered accountant. There are many benefits to becoming a chartered accountant, including increased job prospects, access to leading employers, having a globally recognised qualification, being able to attract more clients to your practice, and higher salaries.

2) Boost job prospects

Being a chartered accountant opens up more opportunities, particularly with larger and multinational organisations.

Some of the UK’s top firms such as PwC, Deloitte, EY, and KPMG, are known for hiring chartered accountants, so if you want to increase your visibility with employers like these, the chartered route is worth pursuing.

3) Increase earning potential

Chartered accountants are among the best-paid accountants out there, with plenty of room for growth and progression. While there are no direct differences between the duties of accountants and chartered accountants, the latter are usually more experienced having undergone a strict framework of training. They also have access to higher-paid roles and may progress much faster into senior positions, giving them even more potential for increasing earnings.

Most importantly, chartered accountants are sought after by top accountancy firms, and this means they have a better chance of getting hired by top-paying companies.

4) Work across multiple sectors 

Another benefit of embarking on a master’s in accounting and finance is developing your skills and knowledge and gaining a better understanding of what it’s like to work in different sectors. If you want to know how to become a chartered accountant across several industries, Bolton’s AdvDip(CPD) ACCA Strategic Professional Level degree can help you.

We provide 10 hours of specialist tuition per week to support you in securing ACCA Strategic Professional status, and a personal tutor will be there to guide you throughout the programme, tailoring the course to your needs and career goals.

Ultimately, the course will provide you with a platform to enter into a range of sectors, including banking, investment and insurance, retail and sales, IT, recruitment, human resources, management consultancy, as well as government agencies such as HM Revenue and Customs.

5) Explore alternative careers

After completing this master’s degree, you will also have the opportunity to explore other career paths not directly related to accountancy.

A lot of the skills learned in this degree are highly transferable, such as leadership, teamwork skills, professional ethics, and other skills essential to business.

Just some of the alternative career paths include auditing, claims inspection, insolvency, insurance, investment banking, loss adjusting, purchasing, risk management, stocks and shares, tax and pensions advice, and teaching and education.

Are you interested in staying at university to study for a master’s in accounting and finance? If you want to know how to become a chartered accountant and boost job opportunities, the AdvDip(CPD) ACCA Strategic Professional Level could be the right degree to invest in.

As a leading Greater Manchester university that’s been in the Top 2 in the UK for Student Satisfaction in Accountancy and Finance* for the fourth year running, there’s nowhere better to continue with your education than Bolton!

To find out more about applying in 2022/23, see our course details.

* Complete University Guide 2022