Master's program in Accounting

ECTS: 120 ECTS
Field of Study: Business and Economics
Duration: 2 years, full-time
Language of Instruction: English
Organising school/s: School of Business
Application period: 2016-12-15 - 2017-01-25

MSc Programme in Accounting provides students with in-depth expertise in issues concerning the production and use of financial information of business firms and other organizations. The content and focus of the programme differ according to its two optional areas of specialization.

The focus of financial accounting is on topics relating to the preparation and use of financial statement information serving the needs of the firm's external stakeholders, especially the decision making of debt and equity holders. The core contents in this area of specialization include theories of financial statements, international and national accounting standards, issues in group accounting and consolidated financial statements, as well as auditing theory and practice.

The focus of management accounting is on topics relating to the preparation and use of financial and non-financial information serving the needs of managerial control and decision making. The core topics in this area of specialization include accounting for management control, strategic management accounting, capital investment decisions, and management accounting information systems.

In addition, the MSc Programme in Accounting offers students relevant knowledge of and expertise in financial statement analysis, company law, financial institutions, corporate governance, as well as different research methodologies.

The MSc Programme in Accounting is tuned to address the challenges of the digital age, where managers and decision-makers often become overwhelmed by masses of data, dubious sources of knowledge and misleading pieces of information.  Reliable, valid and focused financial information, for both financial accounting and management accounting purposes, is increasingly important in an age where more “information” is often synonymous with chaos and confusion. Accounting remains a powerful instrument in the creation of relevance - in the often turbulent contemporary organizations of our time. Competence in accounting leads to the right questions. It assists us in identifying the most strategic issues or the most urgent operational problems. It makes visible the risks that may loom ahead. And accounting is the invaluable tool for finding financially sound, workable solutions in today’s often complex and ambiguous managerial challenges. Moreover, accounting knowledge is a shared “language” of business: It mobilizes people – making them think, act and perform - across global distance, national borders, functional segments or organizational boundaries.   

The MSc Programme in Accounting provides students with know-how in the production and use of financial information of business firms and other organizations. Students graduating from the program know how to generate, analyse, interpret and communicate this information for the needs of external stakeholders and for managerial purposes. They are also able to contribute effectively to the development of management information systems. Furthermore, as experts in accounting, they are prepared to participate in management’s strategic and operative decision making.

The general management skills the programme aims to foster include the student’s analytical abilities, teamwork, and problem solving skills. The student will also have the opportunity to consider challenging issues in business ethics and to develop his/her international business communications skills at an advanced level.