Accounting

Accounting is the language of business, providing the systematic processes and frameworks through which the financial performance, position, and cash flows of organisations are recorded, reported, and analysed. It encompasses financial accounting, which prepares reports for external stakeholders including investors and regulators, management accounting, which provides information for internal decision-making, and auditing, which provides assurance that financial information is reliable. The skills developed in accounting are foundational to careers in finance, business, and the public sector, and the professional qualifications that typically follow an accounting degree are among the most recognised credentials in the global labour market.

At Edinburgh Napier University, accounting is offered as a part-time programme with a year abroad, making it accessible to people who need to study flexibly around existing commitments, while also including the opportunity to study in a different international academic and business context. The curriculum covers the principles of financial and management accounting, business finance, taxation, auditing, and the regulatory and ethical frameworks that govern accounting practice. Quantitative skills, including data analysis and the use of accounting software, are integrated throughout the programme.

Edinburgh's position as a significant financial centre, home to major financial institutions and professional services firms, provides a context in which connections between academic study and professional practice are close.

Graduates from accounting programmes are well placed to pursue professional qualifications with the major accounting bodies, including the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, which typically accelerate the route to qualification for graduates. Careers in public practice, including auditing, tax, and advisory roles with accounting firms of all sizes, are the most direct professional path. Industry roles in finance, financial control, and management accounting across every sector, from technology and manufacturing to retail and healthcare, are further destinations.

Public sector and government accounting, the charity sector, and financial services organisations all employ accounting graduates. The year abroad is a credential that is valued in an increasingly international profession.