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BA Accounting and Business – The Flying Start Degree Programme

  • UCAS code
    NN41
  • Typical offer
    AAB
  • Year of entry
    2023/24 See 2022/23 entry
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  4 Years Other: 4 years includes guaranteed industry placements in years 2, 3 and 4
  • Year of entry
    2023/24 See 2022/23 entry
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  4 Years Other: 4 years includes guaranteed industry placements in years 2, 3 and 4

Fast-track your career and become a Chartered Accountant in the UK with our BA Accounting and Business – The Flying Start Degree Programme.

Join a university that’s ranked 19th in the UK for Accounting and Finance (Complete University Guide, 2022).

This four-year programme has been developed in partnership with the University of Reading’s Henley Business School, PwC – the UK’s leading professional services organisation – and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

An innovative, challenging degree, it’s been designed to provide you with:

  • the benefit of university study and life
  • paid work experience
  • a guaranteed job offer from PwC at the end of the programme, if you achieve a 2:1 or above on your degree and perform well on placement
  • one of the fastest degree routes to becoming an ICAEW Chartered Accountant in the UK.

Once you’ve graduated, you’ll be approximately one year away from achieving full chartered status.

The application process involves online assessments – including an online interview – as well as an Assessment Centre and Open Day, run together with PwC.

During your first year you will study alongside other students at Henley Business School, enjoying the traditional university experience and developing a thorough grounding in fundamental aspects of accounting, business, ethics and law.

In Years 2, 3 and 4 you will then combine your studies with paid professional work placements at PwC, lasting 12-16 weeks each (16-20 weeks during your final year). You will receive dedicated training and can expect to earn a competitive salary, offsetting a significant proportion of your tuition fees or living costs.

During the four years, you will gain a strong academic and professional foundation in business and accountancy, along with a significant proportion of the work experience and technical study requirements needed to qualify as an ICAEW Chartered Accountant. This means that by the time you graduate, you will have completed modules that give you credit for prior learning for 12 out of 15 professional examinations.

Our teaching and assessment approach

Henley Business School’s undergraduate degrees are taught through a mix of lectures, group projects and interactive classroom lessons, giving you the opportunity to discuss, explore and then apply the subject content in depth with both lecturers and fellow students. Through exploring and tackling real-world challenges, you will also develop key critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.

Thanks to a varied range of assessment methods – including written assignments, in-class tests, group presentations and formal examinations – you’ll graduate as a well-rounded individual with transferable skills that are highly sought after by leading graduate employers.

New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,250*

New international students: £20,300

*UK/Republic of Ireland fee changes

UK/Republic of Ireland undergraduate tuition fees are regulated by the UK government. These fees are subject to parliamentary approval and any decision on raising the tuition fees cap for new UK students would require the formal approval of both Houses of Parliament before it becomes law.

EU student fees

With effect from 1 August 2021, new EU students will pay international tuition fees. For exceptions, please read the UK government’s guidance for EU students.

Additional costs

Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.

Financial support for your studies

You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.

Bursaries of £10,000 from PwC are available for this programme to help with living costs. Read the bursary information on the PwC website for more information.

 

Fee reduction

This programme only costs the full amount in the first year (£9,250 for new UK students and £19,500 for new international students). There is a 20% fee reduction in years 2, 3 and 4.

We are ranked 14th in the UK for graduate career prospects by the Times/Sunday Times University Guide 2021, and PwC has been voted students’ employer of choice in The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers survey, 2018/19, for 14 consecutive years.

Flying Start graduates who join PwC are roughly a year ahead of traditional graduates, becoming fully qualified ICAEW Chartered Accountants with a salary to match, just over a year after graduation.

At Henley Business School, we are committed to empowering and enabling you to excel in your future career. Your degree will be respected internationally, and can provide a route into many areas:

  • Accounting and professional services
  • Banking
  • Consultancy
  • Finance
  • Human resources
  • IT
  • Investment banking
  • Marketing
  • Operations
  • General management.