Accounting
The BSc Accounting is a distinctive broad business degree. It is unique in that it prepares students for a career in business and finance and for the pursuit of a professional accounting qualification, to further enhance career progression in business. Students have the opportunity to study a wide range of subjects including finance, law, management, economics, information systems, accounting, marketing, and statistics.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | National University of Ireland |
| NFQ Level | Level 8 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) | Major | National University of Ireland | Level 8 NFQ |
Duration
4 Years
Specific Subjects or course requirements
Leaving Certificate entry requirements:
At Least six subjects must be presented. Minimum grade H5 in two subjects and minimum grade O6/H7 in four other subjects. English and Irish are requirements for all programmes unless the applicant is exempt from Irish. Applicants will need to meet the following minimum entry requirements:
English O6/H7
Irish O6/H7
Maths O6/H7
Other Language O6/H7
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
UCC awards the following points to the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme Link Modules:
Distinction 66 points
Merit 46 points
Pass 28 points
While Link Modules are counted for point scoring purposes they may not be counted as one of the six subjects to satisfy minimum entry requirements.
Careers / Further progression
Skills and Careers Information
Over the course of the four-year programme students will learn how to prepare, understand, analyse and audit company financial statements. additionally, students will gain broad business skills as well as knowledge in the areas of finance, economics, information systems, law, management and marketing, and taxation. These skills are widely sought by employers in all areas of business.
Professional Accountancy Qualification
While BSc Accounting is a business degree, many students choose to pursue a Professional Accountancy qualification upon graduation because of the significant associated benefits. a Professional Accounting qualification training contract can open a wide range of different opportunities in a variety of sectors and geographical locations. the training contract provides them with insights into many different businesses/industries and the wide range of roles available within an accounting practice. This experience along with the technical knowledge and professional qualification can accelerate their career in their chosen field.
Post Professional Accounting Qualification Opportunities
- Fast career progression – 45% of Chartered Accountants promoted in the last year.
- The high first-time pass rate for BSc Accounting graduates in professional exams.
- Internationally recognised qualification – Irish qualified accountants are in constant demand in Ireland and worldwide, even in recessions.
- Broad career opportunities within financial services, industry, accountancy firms and the public sector.
- The blend of education and work experience provided by a training contract produces professionals with an enhanced ability to analyse and interpret business problems. students pursuing accountancy qualifications will have a clear vision of their career path from day one.no other career offers the same level of mobility within industries and geographies.
Professional Qualification Exemptions
BSc Accounting students gain the highest possible amount of exemptions from professional body exams available from an undergraduate degree.
No other UCC degree gives students as many exemptions.
For Professional Accounting body exemption details awarded to BSc Accounting graduates please see the links below and enter University College Cork when prompted.
Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI)
Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
Certified Public Accountants of Ireland (CPAI)
Chartered Tax Advisor (CTA)
Further information
Approximate Available Places 7
Find out about the mature entry requirements at https://www.ucc.ie/en/study/undergrad/entryreqs/matureapplicants/
Approximate Available Places Overall 75
Entry 2024
Early online application (discounted): Fee €30 Closing Date: 20 January 2024 at 5pm
Normal online application: Fee €45 Closing Date: 1 February 2024 at 5pm
Late online application - restrictions apply (see page 3 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee: €60 Closing Date: 1 May 2024 at 5pm
Change of Mind - restrictions apply (see page 3 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1 July 2024 at 5pm
Exceptional online late application (see page 34 of the 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee €60 Closing Date: 22 July 2024 at 5pm
Be sure to complete any action well in advance of closing dates. You should avoid making an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all application fees are non-refundable.
LATE APPLICATIONS
Late Applications are those which are received after 5pm on 1 February 2024. The closing date for late applications is 5pm on 1 May 2024, subject to the restrictions listed on page 3 of the 2024 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5 March 2024 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €60 applies.
Exceptional Late Applications (Exception to the timetable)
The exceptional closing date of 22 July at 5pm applies only to applicants who are registered as an undergraduate student on 1 May 2024 in any year in any one of the participating HEIs (subject to the exclusions listed below). In order to avail of the Exceptional Late Application facility you must have entered the HEI through the CAO system. This is an exceptional late closing date and all steps must be completed by 5pm on 22 July. No changes may be made after this date.
If you did not enter your current course through the CAO system, you must first contact the Admissions Office of the HEI to which you wish to apply and they will inform you if you may submit an application direct to the institution.
Exclusions:
You may submit a late application only for entry to courses other than your existing course. If you wish to repeat the year in the same course you must arrange this within your HEI.
Mary Immaculate College Limerick, Marino Institute of Education, Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick and Maynooth University have special procedures in place in the case of current or previous students who wish to apply for entry to another course in the same HEI. Such applicants must contact their Admissions Office to determine the application procedure. However, if you are a student in another HEI and you wish to apply to any of these five HEIs, you should apply through CAO.
Refer to page 34 of the 2024 CAO Handbook on how to make an Exceptional Late Application.
Restrictions
As a CAO applicant you may experience one or more of the following restrictions based on your course choices, your category of application, or restrictions imposed by the HEIs that you wish to apply to. Please read the section on 'Restrictions' on page 3 of the 2024 CAO Handbook carefully. This section includes information on:
General Restrictions
1. Making a late application
2. Making changes to your course choices
Restricted Courses
3. Applying for a restricted course
Mature Applicants
4. Mature applicants
Supplementary Admissions Routes
5. Applying for DARE and/or HEAR
Course Outline
The BSc Accounting is a distinctive broad business degree. It is unique in that it prepares students for a career in business and finance and for the pursuit of a professional accounting qualification, to further enhance career progression in business. Students have the opportunity to study a wide range of subjects including finance, law, management, economics, information systems, accounting, marketing, and statistics.
The programme is delivered by top-tier, friendly and supportive lecturers. Lecturers include experienced academics and professionals; who have worked in a variety of major accounting firms, financial institutions, and leading industrial companies. Some lecturers also teach at professional accounting level for the main professional accounting bodies. They have PhDs and are research active in UCC. Lecturers also consult for industry and publish regularly in international journals that are pertinent to industry and practice.
The programme boasts relatively small class sizes (approximately 70 students). This creates a student-friendly environment in which students benefit from high levels of guidance, support and peer networking, forming an excellent foundation for the development of life skills, critical thinking, problem-solving and teamwork.
The degree is designed to produce high-quality graduates equipped with skills to succeed in a variety of diverse roles while also offering a fast track to a career as a professional accountant. The programme maximises the exemptions from Professional Accounting body exams relative to other UCC undergraduate degrees (see Professional Accountancy Qualification below for more information).
The majority of graduates go on to qualify as Professional Accountants and subsequently go on to pursue successful careers in diverse roles in a range of sectors. Careers include finance managers, business analysts, advisory, investment managers, risk management, business owners, teaching, as well as professional accountants. Recruitment of UCC accounting graduates remains exceptionally high among leading firms nationally and internationally.
Modules
Each year, students complete 12 modules amounting to 60 credits, except for the third year where students are on paid work placement for semester 2.
During the programme students study modules from finance, law, IT, management, economics, accounting, auditing, governance, marketing, statistics and tax subjects.
Year 1
In year 1 students are given a thorough introduction to all business subjects which underpin the profession: finance, economics, IT, statistics, financial accounting and management accounting.
AC1103 Financial Accounting Fundamentals
AC1104 Accounting for Partnerships and Companies
AC1107 Investment in Capital Assets
AC1108 Introduction to Valuation and Risk
AC1109 Management Accounting: Principles and Concepts
AC1115 Management Accounting: Cost & Control Systems
EC1202 Economic Reasoning for Business
EC1203 Macroeconomic Context and Business
IS1106 Introduction to Information Systems
IS1107 Information Systems for the Networked Enterprise
ST1023 Introduction to Business Statistics
ST2200 Methods of Business Statistics
Year 2
In Year 2 students take a combination of compulsory and elective modules, allowing students to begin to specialise in fields that interest them. Compulsory modules further develop knowledge of financial accounting, management accounting and finance while also introducing students to law and taxation subjects.
* Compulsory modules (45 credits) include International Financial Reporting 1; Consolidated Financial Statements and Reporting; Placement Plan; Introduction to Taxation; Data Analysis, Business Reporting & Process Automation; Corporate Financial Management; Data Management and Fundamentals; Introduction to the Legal System and Introduction to Business Law.
* Elective modules (15 credits) are chosen from Business Microeconomics 1; Business Microeconomics 2; Systems Analysis and Systems Design: Systems Analysis and Systems Change: Introduction to Marketing: Principles of Management and Organization: People and Organisation: Data Analysis II: Introduction to Operations Research: Modelling and Systems for Decision Making.
Year 3
In Year 3 students will study in UCC for Semester 1, then complete a 6-month paid work placement (see Work Placement information below). Students build on their accounting and business knowledge. There is a focus on group work and teamwork and other soft skills in preparation for placement.
* Compulsory modules: International Financial Reporting 2: Theory and Practice; Auditing; Multinational Finance; Cases in Corporate Finance; and Governance, Regulation and Control of Financial Organisations; Management Accounting: Data & Decision Making.
Year 4
In Year 4 students will have a large selection of elective modules to study. Module selection will be guided by their placement experience.
* Compulsory modules (25 credits) include Advanced Financial Accounting; Management Accounting: Planning and Control; Taxation: Income Tax and VAT; Financial Information Analysis; Corporate Valuation.
* Elective Modules (35 credits) are selected from Economics, Information Systems, Accounting, Law, Marketing, and Management subjects.
Placement or Study Abroad Information
In year 3 of the programme students have to opportunity to go on a 6-month paid work placement with some of the world’s leading companies, organised by UCC Careers Service. Extensive preparation for placement commences at the start of year 2. During placement, students are supported by both academic and business mentors.
Students gain experience in high-quality professional environments in globally renowned firms including Deloitte, EY, KPMG, PWC, AIB, Apple, CITCO, Eli Lilly and FDC. As a result, students successfully apply and contextualise academic studies, develop professional skills, and explore career opportunities. Students also have the opportunity to secure their placement abroad for example in London, Luxembourg etc.
Academic Programme Catalogue
See the Academic Programme Catalogue (https://ucc-ie-public.courseleaf.com/programmes/) for the complete and up-to-date content for this course. Note that the modules for all courses are subject to change from year-to-year. For complete descriptions of individual modules, see the Book of Modules (https://ucc-ie-public.courseleaf.com/modules/)
Dr Peter Cleary / Dr Elisabetta Barone
bscaccounting@ucc.ie
+353 (0)21 490 2967
https://www.cubsucc.com/programmes/ug/CK202/
Bróna Meenan, Programme Administrator
bscaccounting@ucc.ie
(+353) 21 4902136