BA (Hons) Accountancy with foundation year
Course Overview
Accountancy can trace its history back to the beginnings of civilisation. The necessity to keep track of goods and produce led to the development of writing and this ancient profession is a global necessity in the 21st century. Fundamental to planning and forecasting, budgeting and control, taxation and decision making, competent and resourceful accountants are essential to success in business and commerce.The University of Bolton's BA (Hons) in Accountancy with foundation year is designed to give you the strong academic and vocational background needed for a professional career in accountancy. The initial foundation year offers you an excellent grounding in the fundamentals of accounting and helps prepare you for degree-level study. As you progress through the degree, our dedicated and experienced team will draw on the latest accounting practices and theories. We’ll guide you as you explore the two key areas of management accounting and financial accounting and reporting. You’ll also be able to choose from several optional modules in your final year, which include (amongst others) taxation and audit.
Alongside developing your professional accountancy-related knowledge, we want to help you develop lifelong learning skills so that you can reflect on, articulate, transfer and take ownership of the development of your skills into the future, maximising your potential for success.
Highlights
- Our Accounting and Finance courses are ranked third in the UK by the Guardian University Guide 2022.
- Also, The Complete University Guide 2022 ranks our Accounting and Finance courses as first in the UK for student satisfaction.
- The course is accredited by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), and Institute of Chartered Accountants in Scotland (ICAS).
- We offer an enviable range of exemptions from professional accountancy body examinations, including ACCA, ICAEW, ICAS, CIMA and CIPFA, so once you have graduated, you can join their professional development programmes at an advanced stage.
- Our graduates are also entitled to exemptions from the Association of International Accountants (AIA) papers and are eligible to apply for associate membership of the AIA and the Institute of Financial Accountants (IFA).
- We are an ICAEW accredited HEPiL (Higher Education Partner in Learning) and have links with AIA, IFA and CPA Australia.
- Many of our graduates return to study towards the ACCA Applied Skills and ACCA Strategic Professional Level examinations at Bolton. The University is an ACCA Gold approved learning partner for these programmes and regularly exceeds the global pass rate targets set by the professional body.
Key Features
- Our tutors are all qualified accountants with experience working in the profession and teaching undergraduate, postgraduate and professional accountancy qualifications.
- We’ll encourage you to use mathematical and statistical techniques to solve general business and accountancy related problems. Learning from case studies will give you a good grounding in real business situations.
- We use small group and tutorial teaching so that you have the opportunity to benefit from the excellent support offered by our teaching staff.
- We regularly invite guest speakers who hold senior positions in industry and practice to share their experiences with you and your classmates so that you can benefit from their knowledge and advice.
- We enjoy excellent support from local employers and the Bolton Society of Chartered Accountants, maximising industry-related opportunities.
- We offer two full-time undergraduate Accountancy degrees. The three-year BA (Hons) Accountancy course is for people who will achieve 104 UCAS points (for instance, BCC at A-level). Alternatively, our four-year BA (Hons) Accountancy with foundation year programme is ideal for students who will benefit from a period of extra preparatory study and support before making the transition to degree-level study.
- By choosing to study with us, you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Manchester, one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, is less than 20 minutes away by train. Not forgetting, the North West of England is renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline and heritage. This makes Bolton an ideal base from which to explore some of the best cultural and outdoor activities the UK offers.
Entry Requirements
- 48 UCAS points. We accept a full range of qualifications that carry UCAS points, including A-levels, BTECs and T-levels. Please see our guide to the UCAS Tariff for examples of how to achieve these points. For most courses, we are also able to consider non-tariffable qualifications.
- Any subjects are acceptable at Level 3.
- You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent), including English and Mathematics.
- You may be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work.
- If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.
Career Opportunities
The University of Bolton's BA (Hons) Accountancy with foundation year degree will develop your understanding of accountancy practices, commerce, industry and finance.
During your studies, you'll develop a variety of technical and transferable skills that are sought after by a wide range of business sector employers and organisations. You’ll learn about commercial awareness, how businesses function and gain numerical and quantitative skills linked to the business context.
As a graduate, you’ll be able to solve problems, analyse data and statistics, and present information both orally and on paper. You’ll also have good attention to detail and strong organisational ability.
What can I do with this qualification?
As a graduate of our BA (Hons) Accountancy with foundation year degree, you'll be able to enter a range of sectors, including banking, investment and insurance, retail and sales, IT, recruitment and human resources, management consultancy, and government agencies such as HM Revenue and Customs. Many of our accountancy graduates have gone on to qualify as professional accountants, either with CIMA, ACCA, ICAS or ICAEW.
You'll also be able to explore graduate schemes. These are are long-term employment contracts, often with very large, multinational accountancy firms such as Deloitte, KPMG, PwC and EY. They use large-scale recruitment campaigns and assessments to attract the most promising graduates and have high-minimum requirements.
Alternative career options
Graduates can use the qualification as a stepping-stone into a range of other careers. For some of these roles, relevant experience and/or postgraduate study may be required. They include:
- Purchasing
- Tax and pensions advice
- Law
- Teaching, education and training
- Transport and logistics
- Stocks and shares
- Charity work
- Loss adjusting
- Credit and investment analysis
- Claims inspection
- Advertising, marketing and PR
- Investment banking
- Insurance
- Statistics and market research
Professional Recognition
The course is accredited by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Scotland (ICAS).
Fees & Funding
Home/EU Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.
International Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.
Bursaries
Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2025-26 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.
The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.
How to apply
Home Applicants
If you wish to apply for multiple institutions or multiple courses at Bolton for September entry, then apply through UCAS
You can apply for up to 5 courses through UCAS (at the same or different institutions) for a fee of £27. Alternatively, if you only wish to apply for a single course at a single institution then a reduced applicant's fee of £22.50 is applicable.
The online application form and guidance notes are available on the UCAS website.
You will need the following information to complete your UCAS application form:
Institution Code Name: BOLTN
Institution Code Number: B44
Tel: 0870 1122211
Web: www.ucas.com
If you wish to apply for a single course offered by the University of Bolton for any intake, you can apply directly
If you have carefully considered your course and institution choices and decided that this course is the best option for you, you may apply directly to the University using our online application form shown below.
A direct application to Bolton provides the following features:
Free of charge to apply
Secure, simple and streamlined
Contact us directly for any admissions queries
Regular updates on your application directly from the University
Invites to offer holder events and taster sessions where you can meet your future tutors and get a flavour of university life
NOTE: You cannot apply both through UCAS and directly to Bolton. Submitting an application to any university through UCAS during the same academic year will void any direct application you make to Bolton.
For courses starting in September, please be aware that we are required to share your information with UCAS if we accept you on this course. We will create a simplified UCAS acceptance record on your behalf and return this to UCAS. By submitting your application directly to the University of Bolton, you agree to these terms.
If you are ready to apply directly, please select your chosen start date from the list below.
Before applying, please read the entry requirements section of this page.
If your course runs at multiple locations or has various start dates, please be sure to select the correct application link from the list below.
Before beginning your application, you should have the following information to hand:
Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
Details of any employment history, including name, address, dates and role
Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
Details including e-mail addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference
Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.
Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already inputted.
If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions-team@bolton.ac.uk
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Apply online: University of Bolton BA (Hons) Accountancy - 27 January 2025
International Applicants
Thank you for your interest
In order to determine your suitability for this course as an international student and also to confirm you meet any initial eligibility criteria, we need you to answer a few short questions.
Partner Organisation Applicants
University of Bolton Group Partners
Bolton College
University Collegiate School
Alliance Learning
University of Bolton
For valued members of the University of Bolton Group and progressing students, we try to make our application process as simple and as fast as possible.
If you have carefully considered your course and institution choices and decided that this course is the best option for you, you may apply free of charge to the University. By selecting the appropriate link from the list shown below, you will be taken directly to our online application form. Please read the user guidance before completing this, and ensure you upload all supporting documents such as certificates and your personal statement when you apply.
When you are asked to add a contact email address, please ensure you add your college/university email account address as well as your personal address. If you do not add your college address as your contact address, we will be unable to identify you as a partner and offer you the benefits of being part of our group.
NOTE: You cannot apply both through UCAS and directly to Bolton. Submitting an application to any university through UCAS during the same academic year will void any direct application you make to Bolton.
For courses starting in September, please be aware that we are required to share your information with UCAS if we accept you on this course. We will create a simplified UCAS acceptance record on your behalf and return this to UCAS. By submitting your application directly to the University of Bolton, you agree to these terms.
If you are ready to apply directly, please select your chosen start date from the list below.
Before applying, please read the entry requirements section of this page.
If your course runs at multiple locations or has various start dates, please be sure to select the correct application link from the list below.
Before beginning your application, you should have the following information to hand:
Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
Details of any employment history, including name, address, dates and role
Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
Details including email addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference
Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.
Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already inputted.
If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions-team@bolton.ac.uk
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Apply online: University of Bolton BA (Hons) Accountancy - 27 January 2025
We look forward to receiving your application and you continuing your academic journey with us!
Teaching & Assessment
Lectures are used to introduce the core course content, while seminars allow you to explore subjects in greater detail and consider the policies and practices involved. Tutorials give you space to ask questions to ensure you understand the topics covered in lectures and seminars. We use case studies and practical scenarios to help you learn to apply academic theory to real-life problems, allowing you to gain insights into accountancy practice in a working business environment.
Guest lectures/presentations by visiting speakers from relevant employment areas and professional bodies give you the chance to further develop your knowledge and understanding.
In terms of assessment, you can expect time-constrained exams, essays, reports, presentations, portfolios, and others. These contribute to your final module marks and allow you to demonstrate that you've met the learning outcomes whilst addressing the requirements of the professional bodies.
We also use other forms of assessment to help you learn, provide you with feedback and inform your development, though these do not count towards your final module mark. During seminars, you’ll be provided with a series of structured tasks to complete to test your understanding of the topics covered; for instance, quizzes and workshop exercises such as case studies. You’ll also receive feedback on assessment drafts. These help to identify any areas which would benefit from extra attention on your part or where you need extra support from your tutor.
Modules
The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.
- Skills 101
- Skills 102
- Financial and Legal Context
- Numeracy in Practice
- Financial and Management Accounting
- Finance in the Business World
- Academic Language and Skills 1
- Academic Language and Skills 2
- Financial Accounting Fundamentals
- Introduction to Law for Accountants
- Principles of Economics
- Management Accounting Fundamentals
- Accountant in the Business Environment
- Quantitative Methods for Accountants
- Financial Accounting and Reporting
- Management Accounting and Decision-Making
- Personal and Business Tax
- Auditing and Assurance
- Professional Accountant in Practice
- Contemporary Business Management
- Advanced Financial Accounting and Reporting
- Advanced Taxation
- Investigative Study
- Financial Management
- International Business and Finance
- Financial Crime
- Strategic Management Accounting
- Advanced Auditing Practice
Assessment methods
| Level | Assessment method |
|---|---|
| Level 0 | Coursework 100% Practical exams 0% Written exams 0% |
| Level 1 | Coursework 37% Practical exams 5% Written exams 58% |
| Level 2 | Coursework 33% Practical exams 0% Written exams 67% |
| Level 3 | Coursework 42% Practical exams 0% Written exams 58% |
Learning Activities
| Level | Activity |
|---|---|
| Level 0 | Guided independent study 67% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 33% |
| Level 1 | Guided independent study 72% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 28% |
| Level 2 | Guided independent study 75% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 25% |
| Level 3 | Guided independent study 76% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 24% |
The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.
