Accounting & finance degree
Studying accounting and finance opens the door to a major sector of business management. All companies need skilled accountants, and graduates can expect exciting opportunities.
Accounting is a vital activity for businesses. Accountants are finance specialists who keep track of income and expenditures and ensure that all official documents are legally sound. The information they contain is used by management and stakeholders to make business decisions. These documents are also used by the state for tax and control purposes. Accountants have high responsibilities. All companies need such professionals to protect them from legal liability and to help them make the right decisions.
EDHEC Business School offers an Accounting & Finance programme to help you achieve your professional goal.
The importance of accounting
To grow, companies need to make informed decisions. One of the most influential elements is their own financial health. This is why accounting is so important to businesses. By recording all the company's transactions and monitoring revenues, costs and profits, accounting departments have a clear understanding of how the company is doing and what it can do with its current financial status. They can use this information to make recommendations.
- Investors also need information before they decide to invest in the company.
They can’t make a decision if they don’t have clear and reliable data. Because accountants provide such reliable information, the whole business world knows it can rely on them to make their investment decisions.
Budgeting and planning would be almost impossible without the input of accountants. With their in-depth knowledge of the business situation, they help to forecast future budgetary needs, set goals and devise strategies to achieve them.
- Accounting also has strong legal implications.
As mentioned earlier, many of the documents produced by accounting departments are used by governments for tax purposes. An error or omission can have legal and costly consequences for the company. Ensuring compliance with the law is one of the most important responsibilities of accounting professionals.
The ultimate aim of accounting is to help companies achieve their objectives by monitoring their financial health: cost reduction, cash flow management, financial analysis... are some of the daily tasks that accounting professionals carry out in order to contribute to the success of their company.
The future of accounting
Accounting has evolved in recent years. New technologies offer opportunities for professionals. In recent years, accounting has undergone a significant digitalisation.
In the future, this trend will continue and more innovations will emerge and reshape the sector. Solutions such as cloud computing or ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software open up new opportunities for greater efficiency and better synergy with other departments.
One of the most important trends is the rise of AI and automation. Accounting involves many repetitive tasks that can be automated, allowing accountants to focus on recommendations and other high-impact tasks. Their role is likely to evolve towards more leadership and decision-making. AI is also one of the hottest topics in the sector, as it can help with data collection and analysis.
With the digitalisation of the sector, another important issue is emerging: cybersecurity. Accounting departments need to consider the security of the data they handle. To do this, they need skills and knowledge in cybersecurity.
Innovation plays an important role in accounting, and professionals in the sector need to adapt. If you choose to study accounting and finance, you will learn how to anticipate future trends and be ready to integrate them into your work.
Career prospects after obtaining a degree in accounting & finance
A degree in accounting and finance can open the door to many positions. While being an accountant is the best known career prospect, there are more job opportunities than you might think. First, you can work for many different types of organisations. The main employers are companies and accountancy firms. Depending on where you work, your daily activities will be different. There are many opportunities for career progression. You will often start as a junior, but after years of experience and several promotions, you can move into management positions and become an accounting manager. You can also specialise in areas such as forensic accounting (detecting fraud) or even environmental accounting (analysing the costs and benefits of a company's activities and their impact on the environment).
In corporate accounting, you will have an in-depth knowledge of your company and you will play a more direct role in its strategy and development. Whereas working for an accounting firm involves a less direct involvement. On the other hand, you will have more opportunities for career development and you will learn a lot in a company that is entirely dedicated to accounting. There is also the possibility of working for a bank or insurance company.
Accountants are usually well paid. For example, in the United States, the average annual salary is around $62,000.
After graduation, aside from an accountant, you can become a:
- Financial analyst
- Structured finance analyst
- Auditor
- An analyst specialised in transaction advisory services
- An analyst specialised in valuation & business modelling
Key recruiters in Accounting & Finance
What skills will you gain from studying accounting & finance?
To obtain your degree in accounting and finance, you will need to develop a range of skills. The sector has many facets that you will discover during the programme.
In addition to advanced accounting, you will also study specialised subjects such as international or sustainable accounting, two important topics in today’s world. You will also learn about mergers and acquisitions, audit and internal control. You will also learn about transversal skills such as project management and leadership.
A good accounting and management programme will also include business cases to help you learn by solving very real problems.
The programme will help you develop the important soft skills required in the sector such as good communication to explain complex financial concepts, analytical skills and attention to detail, teamwork and integrity.
Why should you pursue a degree in accounting & finance at EDHEC Business School?
Accounting is an important area of finance and offers many career opportunities to those who choose it. It is a modern and evolving field, adopting new technologies to improve its efficiency.
EDHEC Business School offers an MSc in Accounting & Finance, in partnership with PwC, one of the leading audit and consulting companies in the world. This advanced Master of Science degree will provide you with all the necessary skills and knowledge to start an exciting career in accounting, in your home country or abroad.
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