Accounting and Finance with a Year in Industry

Accounting and finance are the languages through which business is conducted, investment decisions are made and organisations demonstrate their stewardship of resources to shareholders, regulators and the public. People with genuine fluency in this language are consistently among the most sought-after graduates in the labour market, and the combination of academic rigour and real-world application that a degree with an industry year provides gives graduates a particularly strong start to their professional lives.

At the University of East Anglia this four-year programme includes a year in industry between the second and final year of study, giving you a substantial period of professional experience in an accounting, finance or business setting. You will cover the core areas of the discipline across your years of academic study, including financial reporting, management accounting, corporate finance, investment analysis, taxation and the regulatory and legal environment in which financial professionals operate. UEA develops your quantitative skills, your analytical thinking and your ability to communicate financial information clearly, all of which are central to professional accounting and finance roles.

Returning to your final year after the industry placement, you will bring a practical perspective that enriches your academic work and makes the most advanced material more concrete and meaningful.

Graduates pursue careers in public practice, moving towards professional qualifications such as ACA, ACCA or CIMA with accounting firms, and in finance roles within industry, commerce, banking, investment management and the public sector. The year in industry typically accelerates career development significantly, often leading to a graduate offer from the placement employer or to a stronger and more targeted job search on graduation. Some graduates go on to postgraduate study in finance, management or related fields, while many prioritise completing their professional qualification as the next step after graduation.