As part of our portfolio review process, the BAcc (Hons) Accounting is being phased out at our Lanarkshire campus. For those seeking September 2025 entry at our Lanarkshire campus, there will be no Year 1 entry to the degree. Advanced entry will only be allowed in years 2 and 3 for suitably qualified individuals. Similarly, for those seeking entry in September 2026, there will be only be advanced entry to Year 3 for suitably qualified individuals.
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The Bachelor of Accounting offers you, as a student, an opportunity to study towards a specialised degree which brings substantial professional accreditation and exemptions.
The programme covers a full range of accountancy subjects from financial and management accounting to financial management, taxation, auditing and ancillary areas ensuring the student acquires the necessary specialist and generic transferable skills relevant to a career in the field of accountancy.
The BAcc Accounting is accredited by all the major accountancy bodies including:
ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants)
CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants)
ICAS (Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland)
CIFPA (Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy)
ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales)
AIA (Association of International Accountants)
You will have the option to undertake a one-year placement during your course. This can either occur between the second and third year, or the third and fourth year. Placements provides essential practical experience and can boost your job prospects upon graduation.
Placement providers include:
A placement year gave me the opportunity to gain invaluable experience within a large Finance department...when I got my degree I was successful in securing a permanent position within the company.
Nichola McGinlay, UWS Accounting graduate and current Business Analyst
After successfully finishing my year placement with The Hilton I was offered a position to continue working as a Process to Pay Helpdesk Analyst part time alongside my studies where I ensure that payment performance is optimized, financial controls are complied with, and performance metric targets are achieved. I have had the opportunity to see how accountancy fits into the world outside education and put my accountancy education into practice. My placement has grown my confidence and accountancy skills.
Aaron Sweeney, UWS BAcc current student on placement with Hilton
We welcome Scottish, UK and international students and consider all applicants on an individual basis.
Please visit our Undergraduate Entry Requirements page for information on our different entry requirements, including country-specific details for EU and non-EU qualifications.
Direct entry to Year 2 (with an appropriate HNC) and Year 3 (with an appropriate HND) may be possible.
Year 3 entry to this UWS programme is also offered at Ayrshire College, South Lanarkshire College and New College Lanarkshire under our college partnership agreements. Please note that these routes are only open to students who have completed an HND in Accounting at those institutions. Students wishing to complete the Honours year will be required to attend either the Paisley or Lanarkshire campuses.
All academic degrees/awards at UWS are taught in English. For applicants whose first language is not English*, the University sets a minimum English language proficiency level. All English language qualifications must have been gained within two years of the start of your UWS course.
* applicants who are exempt from English language requirements include:
In general terms, if you are applying to study a course at, or above, Year 1 (SCQF Level 7) bachelor’s degree level, then the UKVI’s minimum level of English proficiency is Common European Framework for References of Languages (CEFR) at B2 (Upper Intermediate).
At UWS, we define our general English language requirements using the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training) as follows:
These are minimum requirements and some courses may require a higher standard for admission†.
† Exceptions to this level of IELTS scoring exist for some accredited or professionally-recognised courses (see IELTS Score Exceptions section below for more information).
For our research degrees (MRes, MPhil, PhD, DBA, DProf) applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
For Health, Nursing & Midwifery courses that lead to professional registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council (BSc Adult Nursing, MSc Adult Nursing, BSc Mental Health Nursing, MSc Mental Health Nursing, BSc Midwifery and MSc Midwifery), applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
Our BSc Paramedic Science degree leads to professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC); it has different IELTS requirements than other Health-related courses. Although it is not possible to apply for this degree directly as an international student, for applicants who meet SAAS residency requirements and for whom English is not their first language, then the following IELTS scores are required:
For our BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science and MSc Advanced Biomedical Science degrees, which may lead to professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
Our BA (Hons) Social Work and MSc Social Work degrees are professionally recognised by the Scottish Social Services Council and applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
For our Certificate of Higher Education courses, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
In additional to IELTS, we also accept a number of alternative English language for application and admission to our courses for both home/EU and international students at bachelor's degree study at Year 3 (SCQF Level 9), and above. From Cambridge to TOFEL iBT qualifications the number of these qualifications is extensive.
Find out about non-IELTS English Language Tests
UWS has also reviewed a range of High / Secondary School qualifications studied by non-EU applicants that can be used as a basis of entry to a UWS. These range from Botswana GCSEs to USA High School Graduation Diplomas, the number of these qualifications is extensive.
Find out more about international English Language high-hchool qualifications
Applicants who do not meet the minimum English language requirements have the option to study one of our preparatory and pre-sessional English courses. The UWS courses available are:
The BAcc Accounting course covers the full range of accountancy subjects. You will develop specialist accountancy expertise as well as key transferable skills.
A variety of teaching and learning approaches emphasise the practical aspects of accounting, these include lectures, small group tutorials and workshops.
Highly-qualified professionals and academics and guest speakers will input to the course to provide industry insights and deepen your understanding of:
Studies include financial and management accounting and more general module, which put accountancy into perspective in the business world.
Digital Skills for Accounting and Finance
Financial Accounting 1
Class test: 40%
Examination: 60%
Business Economics
Accountant in Business
Management Accounting 1
Data Analysis
This year develops your financial and management accounting experience and introduces specialised areas of accounting such as personal tax. Modules include:
Intro to Business Ethics
Financial Accounting 2
Management Accounting 2
Financial Management
Business Law
Employability skills for Accounting and finance.
In-depth financial and management accounting is taught alongside the core module of accounting, providing excellent practical and theoretical knowledge. Modules include:
Auditing
Management Accounting 3
Personal Tax
Advanced Financial Management
Business Taxation
Financial Accounting 3
You will complete a dissertation on a topic of your choice and will study the development of accounting standards and contemporary issues in accounting. Modules include:
Honours Dissertation (part 1)
Research Methods for Accounting and Finance
Finance in a Digital World
Honours Dissertation (part 2)
Term 2 Options
Contemporary Accounting Issues
Personal Finance
Financial Modelling & Change Management
Public Sector Accounting
Python for Accounting and finance
In line with the Academic Engagement and Attendance Procedure, Students are defined as academically engaged if they are regularly engaged with timetabled teaching sessions, course-related learning resources including those in the Library and on Moodle, Aula and complete assessments and submit these on time.
For the purposes of this programme, this equates to the following:
Our accounting degree is mainly assessed using variety of assessment methods including.
Programme Specification and Module Descriptors for Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses are available to download (PDFs). These provide you with core information concerning your chosen subject.
UWS accountancy graduates have made careers in accountancy, finance, and general business management.
Previous graduates have gone on to work with well-known employers including:
Graduates are currently working in roles including:
Some graduates choose further study, leading to an MSc, PhD or teaching qualification.
£1,820 cost per year of study (usually paid by the Scottish Government via SAAS*)
£9,250 Cost per year of study, but not more than £27,750
£9,250 Cost per year of study, but not more than £27,750
£15,500 per year of study
£305 per module (20 credits)
£1,550 per module (20 credits)
£1,550 per module (20 credits)
£2,580 per module (20 credits)
£1,820 cost per year of study (usually paid by the Scottish Government via SAAS*)
£9,535 per year of study (4 years of study for the price of 3 years)
£9,535 per year of study (4 years of study for the price of 3 years)
£15,500 per year of study
£305 per module (20 credits)
£1,590 per module (20 credits)
£1,590 per module (20 credits)
£2,580 per module (20 credits)
Ready to apply? All UK & EU Undergraduate applications should be made through UCAS. Further information for international, part-time and exchange applications can be found below.
Apply on UCASAll UK and EU applicants for undergraduate study, not applying through an agent or partner, should apply through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service)
The on-time application deadline for 2025/26 entry is 29 January 2025, 18:00 (UK time). For some courses it may still be possible to apply beyond this period, subject to suitable vacancies remaining. The final deadline for late applications via UCAS is 30 June 2025. Beyond this deadline, you may be able to apply via ‘UCAS Clearing’ if the course you are interested in has remaining places.
Please refer to our Undergraduate Application Guide for domestic & EU/EEA to find more information on when and how to apply to study at UWS.
You can find out more about applying for this undergraduate course on UCAS.
Students from non-EU/non-EEA countries can apply directly to UWS via our dedicated online application system. The latest we can process your application is 6 weeks before the course start date to allow for visa processing times. For more information on when and how to apply to study at UWS please refer to our International Undergraduate Application Guide.
For part-time & online study, you should apply directly to the University through our online application system, not through UCAS. Please select the part-time mode of study when submitting your application. Before you begin your application, it is important to read the part-time application step-by-step guide for a smooth process.
To come to UWS as a visiting student on a study abroad or exchange programme, you must apply entirely through our online system.
An ATAS certificate is not required for overseas students applying for this course.
Do you have a question about applying for this course? Get in touch. We are here to help!
Going to university is about much more than getting a qualification, it’s also the chance to enjoy an exciting social life, gain some independence and make the most of the new opportunities available.
DiscoverWe will always try to make sure that we publish accurate course information but we do not accept responsibility for any mistakes or omissions. We will also try to make sure that we deliver our courses in line with our published information. However, we may not always be able to do so and you can find further information about this in our enrolment terms and conditions.