Accounting and Finance (with Foundation Year)

From balance sheets to bold solutions. Launch your finance career with a degree that looks beyond the spreadsheets. We'll equip you with professional qualifications while developing the human skills that employers truly value. Our award-nominated programme balances technical expertise with real-world application – giving you everything you need to thrive in a changing financial landscape.

Financial careers are evolving fast. While AI can handle the routine tasks, today's finance professionals need to be communicators, problem solvers, strategic advisors, and ethical decision-makers. Our programme prepares you for this reality.

A Foundation Year is the perfect way to boost your academic skills, build your confidence and develop your wider subject knowledge so you can succeed at Winchester. This course offers an extra year of study at the start (Year 0) which leads onto a full degree programme (Years 1, 2 and 3) where you may choose to spend a year on a paid work placement before your final year.

You'll benefit from our close-knit learning environment where lecturers know you by name and provide tailored guidance on your journey toward professional status. Many of our academics are qualified Chartered Accountants who bring current industry practices directly into the classroom, while our innovative teaching approaches – from Excel mastery to AI-powered accounting simulations – ensure you're equipped for the digital transformation reshaping the profession. Our academics are well connected and invite practitioners in for guest lectures to share real world perspectives, as well as offering opportunities to visit local employers and London's Financial District.

Our Programme Team has been nominated for the PQ Magazine 2025 award for 'Accountancy College of the Year' in the public sector – recognition of our commitment to excellence. With hands-on learning, maximum professional exemptions, and personalised support, you'll develop into a well-rounded finance professional who can interpret data, communicate effectively, and adapt to an evolving industry.

Course Highlights

• Fast-track to qualification: Get a head start on your professional journey with our maximum 9 ACCA exemptions

• Learn from practising Chartered Accountants who know what today's employers want

• Apply your knowledge to real financial challenges through case studies and industry simulations

• 100% students have had their learning supported, find the course intellectually stimulating, and say the course develops knowledge and skills for the future (NSS 2025)

• Programme was nominated for PQ Magazine 2025's 'Accountancy College of the Year' award

• Skills beyond the numbers: Develop the human side of accounting – communication, creativity and critical thinking

• Choose an optional placement year or embed work experience into your final-year project

• Opportunities to network with employers at our valuable finance-focused careers events

Our Connections

Our BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance programme is accredited by prestigious professional bodies known for their commitment to excellence and maintaining the highest standards. This helps to boost your employability and can give you exemptions from some professional exams.

ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales)
ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants)
CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants)
CIPFA (Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountants)

Many of our alumni have secured positions at prestigious organisations including the "Big Four" accounting firms, major corporations like Next and Tesco, and public sector bodies such as
HMRC. The roles they take on are equally varied – from audit trainees and tax specialists to financial analysts, management accountants, and general business managers.

https://www.winchester.ac.uk/NN3X

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• Principles for Responsible Management Education