Accounting & Law
If you are considering a career in the professional world of law or accounting, why not consider both through this innovative programme. The BSc Hons Accounting and Law produces highly qualified professional graduates, equipped with both legal and financial knowledge. It is a four-year programme with an equal weighting of accounting and law-based modules taught each year.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor at UK Level 6 |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | |
| Awarding Body | Ulster University |
| NFQ Level |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor at UK Level 6 | Ulster University |
Duration
4 years.
Attendance
Typically 18-20 time-tabled hours per week for lectures, workshops and tutorials plus up to 10 hours per module as independent study equating to 40 hours per week.
Entry Requirements
Irish Leaving Certificate
128 UCAS tariff points to include a minimum of five subjects (four of which must be at Higher level). The overall profile must include English at minimum grade H6 at Higher Level or grade O4 at Ordinary Level plus Mathematics at minimum H5 at Higher Level or grade O3 at Ordinary Level.
OR
120 UCAS tariff points to include a minimum of five subjects (four of which must be at Higher level). The overall profile must include English at minimum grade H6 at Higher Level or grade O4 at Ordinary Level. This course also requires you to achieve H2 in one of Mathematics, Economics, Physics or Accounting. If Mathematics is not passed at H2, you will be required to achieve a minimum H5 at Higher Level or O3 if studied at Ordinary level in addition to one of the subjects above.
Careers / Further progression
Graduate employers
Graduates from this course are now working for:
Accounting and Professional Services Firms
Law firms
Banking institutions
Government bodies
Financial services
Charities and not for profit organisations
Job roles
With this degree you could become:
Accountant
Auditor
Forensic consultant
Tax Advisor
Barrister
Solicitor
Insolvency practitioner
Career options
The demand for graduates with accounting and law backgrounds is strong, both in large professional services firms that have forensic accounting departments and from legal firms, including those that specialise in corporate law. However, this degree will also be of interest if you wish to pursue different areas of accounting (for example auditing, taxation, insolvency or working in industry) and of law (as knowledge of business and taxation issues influence legal advice given about probate, divorce settlements, insurance claim and commercial acquisitions).
The combination of both topics means you can make your choice of profession when you have a better knowledge of your strengths and passions within the law and accounting disciplines.
For further study, you may either choose accounting or law. One option is to progress to our Postgraduate Diploma / Masters in Advanced Accounting/ Masters in Strategic Accounting to gain further professional exemptions in Accounting from Chartered Accountants Ireland or ACCA. Graduates have also gone on to study law at postgraduate level both at Ulster University and other institutions (e.g. Masters courses such as the LLM, or doctoral studies) or are now in practice as solicitors or barristers, having completed the Certificate in Professional Legal Studies. Others have pursued careers in related areas such as the business and finance sector, human resources, politics and the community sector.
Further information
Start date: September 2024
Deadlines for on-time applications
2024 entry application deadlines
For courses starting in 2024 (and for deferred applications), your application should be with us at UCAS by one of these dates – depending on what courses you apply for. If your completed application – including all your personal details and your academic reference – is submitted by the deadline, it is guaranteed to be considered.
16 October 2023 for 2024 entry at 18:00 (UK time) – any course at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, or for most courses in medicine, veterinary medicine/science, and dentistry. You can add choices with a different deadline later, but don’t forget you can only have five choices in total.
31 January 2024 for 2024 entry at 18:00 (UK time) – for the majority of courses.
Some course providers require additional admissions tests to be taken alongside the UCAS application, and these may have a deadline. Find out more about these tests at https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-university/admissions-tests
Check course information in the search tool to see which deadline applies to you at the application weblink below.
Apply as soon as possible: Student funding arrangements mean that as offers are made and places fill up, some courses may only have vacancies for students from certain locations. It’s therefore really important that you apply for your chosen courses by the appropriate deadlines mentioned above, as not all courses will have places for all students.
All applications received after 30 June are entered into Clearing - find out more about Clearing at https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/clearing-and-results-day/what-clearing
Overview
If you are considering a career in the professional world of law or accounting, why not consider both through this innovative programme.
Summary
The BSc Hons Accounting and Law produces highly qualified professional graduates, equipped with both legal and financial knowledge. It is a four-year programme with an equal weighting of accounting and law-based modules taught each year.
This degree provides you with the opportunity to maximise professional exemptions from many of the professional accounting bodies AND also gain a qualifying law degree. This combination provides significant opportunities upon graduation. Employers value the mix of legal and professional services knowledge supported by economic and financial analytical skills.
Both subjects complement one another with a cross-over in these two sought after professions for aspects of commerce, including acquisition and disposals; restructuring and insolvency; taxation compliance and planning; assurance and governance. Throughout your studies, you will develop an understanding of the law, critically reflect on contemporary law developments whilst at the same time assimilating and putting into practice the main principles and theories of accounting and finance.
If you want to learn more about this programme before deciding on your final career choice in accounting or law, and you are ready to be stretched and challenged, then this is the degree for you.
About
The overall aim of the degree is to:
• develop students’ core knowledge and understanding of the principles, issues and applications of accounting and law and of the broader financial and economic environment;
• enable the development of intellectual skills including critical, analytical and problem-solving skills relevant to law, business finance and investment decision-making;
• highlight the relevance of legal knowledge to the needs of the community whether at a local, regional, national, European or international level;
• support the development of a range of subject-specific and generic transferable skills;
• develop students' ability to analyse, interpret and communicate legal and financial information; and
• develop students' interpersonal, research, computing and communication skills.
Modules
Here is a guide to the subjects studied on this course.
Courses are continually reviewed to take advantage of new teaching approaches and developments in research, industry and the professions. Please be aware that modules may change for your year of entry. The exact modules available and their order may vary depending on course updates, staff availability, timetabling and student demand. Please contact the course team for the most up to date module list.
Year 1
Introductory Accounting
Principles of Financial Accounting
Academic and Professional Awareness
Information Skills for Business
Exploring Law
Criminal law
Law of Tort
Year 2
Principles of Management Accounting
Financial Accounting
Business and the Economy
Public Law
Contract Law
European Law
Year 3
Personal and Business Finance
Management Accounting
Taxation
Land Law
Introduction to Property Law
Business and Commercial Law
Year 4
Diploma in Professional Practice - Optional
International Academic Studies - Optional
Year 5
Advanced Management Accounting - Optional
Corporate Financial Reporting - Optional
Advanced Financial Management - Optional
Governance, Risk and Ethics - Optional
Forensic Accounting - Optional
Cybercrime and Forensic Technology - Optional
Law of Evidence - Optional
Medical Law - Optional
Employment law - Optional
Human Rights Law - Optional
Equity and Trusts - Optional
Company Law - Optional
Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments. This feedback may be issued individually and/or issued to the group and you will be encouraged to act on this feedback for your own development.
Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification, the assessment timetable and the assessment brief. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised. The module pass mark for undergraduate courses is 40%. The module pass mark for postgraduate courses is 50%.
Associate awards
Diploma in Professional Practice DPP
Diploma in Professional Practice International DPPI
Diploma in International Academic Studies DIAS
Professional recognition
Law Society of Northern Ireland (LSNI)
Recognised by the Law Society of Northern Ireland (LSNI) for the purpose of a Qualifying Law Degree.
Bar Standards Board
Accredited by the Bar Standards Board for the purpose of a Qualifying Law Degree.
Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)
The qualifying law degree is recognised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) for the purposes of satisfying the academic stage of training.
Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
Accredited by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) for the purpose of exemptions from some professional examinations.
Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)
Accredited by the Institute of Chartered Accountants England and Wales (ICAEW) for the purpose of exemption from some professional examinations.
Chartered Accountants Ireland
Accredited by Chartered Accountants Ireland for the purpose of exemption from some professional exams.
Work placement / study abroad
Students have the opportunity to undertake a one year professional placement in an accounting or legal role. The professional placement year gives students opportunities such as; applying and contextualising academic studies, developing professional skills and exploring new career opportunities.
Alternatively students can spend one year either working or studying, for example students have taken part in the ‘Study Abroad’ programme.
Ulster University,
2-24 York Street,
Belfast
BT15 1AP
T: 02870 123 456