Frequently asked questions

Diploma in Accounting and Finance
• Study in one of the most highly rated departments in the subject area in the world, both for its research and its institutional links.
• Designed for students with little or no previous knowledge of accounting and finance, and who wish to develop their knowledge in this area within a flexible programme.
• Prepares students for careers in the fields of accounting, finance, consulting, and general management.
• The opportunity to automatically join the MSc Accounting and Finance (subject to satisfactory performance in the Diploma programme).

MSc Accounting and Finance
• This MSc has an established reputation for excellence extending for more than five decades.
• Study in one of the most highly rated departments in the subject area in the world.  
• Interaction with fellow students from over 40 countries.
• The course is structured so that students can specialise through designated pathways in finance, international accounting and finance, or accounting and financial management.
• Prepares students for a variety of careers across a wide range of sectors, including financial institutions, accounting firms, management consultants, industry, government and academia.  Many graduates also opt for doctoral studies.

MSc Accounting, Organisations and Institutions
• The opportunity to study accounting and its organisational and institutional significance in one of the world's leading social science institutions and departments of accounting.
• Aimed at those exceptional individuals aspiring to the highest levels of seniority, whether in accounting firms, management consultancies, or government and regulatory institutions.
• Introduces students to the different ways in which accounting shapes modern organisations and institutions across a range of different contexts.
• The course is designed to appeal to those without prior academic training in accounting, given its emphasis on the analysis of accounting's relationships to policy, risk, and social and institutional phenomena.
• Suitable for those who may be interested in pursuing doctoral studies.

MRes/PhD in Accounting
• Strong performance in the Department of Accounting or School's own MSc programmes can meet the entrance requirements for this degree.
• A formally structured programme that has received research training recognition from the ESRC.
• Aims to produce students whose research is of the highest international quality and is designed to provide a comprehensive training in theoretical and empirical research in accounting.
• To allow students to attend seminars which gives them an opportunity to hear presentations not only from academics, but also from policy makers and business practitioners. 

A GMAT test is required for MSc Accounting and Finance students without a UK undergraduate degree. It is also recommended for all students with UK undergraduate degrees, particularly those whose quantitative skills are not demonstrated by their undergraduate studies. Candidates are advised that we do not ordinarily give conditional offers subject to a minimal GMAT score being attained.

The GRE is not preferable to the GMAT for MSc Accounting and Finance but will do under special circumstances (e.g. a late transfer from another programme).

The GRE/GMAT test is not required for applicants to the MSc Accounting, Organisations and Institutions, Diploma in Accounting and Finance or MRes/PhD in Accounting.

The minimum requirements on English tests for MSc Accounting and Finance and Diploma in Accounting and Finance are Standard. The MSc Accounting, Organisations and Institutions programme requires a Higher English Requirement, as does the MSc Law and Accounting programme.

- UK/EU students applying to the MRes/PhD in Accounting may apply for ESRC funding. The Department holds a small number of ESRC awards.
- All other applicants are considered for the Graduate Support Scheme.
- All other funding applications and enquiries are dealt with by the LSE's Financial Support Office. You are advised to visit their website and, if necessary, contact them directly for any further information you may require. 

An LSE Summer School course may be required for MSc Accounting and Finance applicants who do not have the appropriate level of prior study in financial reporting, management accounting, corporate finance, economics and quantitative methods but who are otherwise strong candidates for admission to the programme. Taking the required Summer School course(s) will be made a condition of your offer to the programme.

MSc Accounting, Organisations and Institutions applicants are not required to attend an LSE Summer School course. 

If you cannot attend the LSE Summer School, it is also possible for you to take an assessed course at a university in your home country or an equivalent online assessed course or. You will be required to send the course syllabus and outline to the Department for approval prior to registering on any such course.

For the MSc Accounting, Organisations and Institutions a short, focused, introductory course on accounting practices and techniques will be held at the beginning of the programme.

For the MSc Accounting and Finance an intensive revision course of the fundamentals of algebra, analysis and statistics, and of the basic accounting and disclosure principles and practice that are required for the programme will be held in the first week of the academic year.

The Department of Accounting registers approximately 240 graduate students each year chosen from over 1250 applicants. 15% enrol in the Diploma, 20% in the MSc Accounting, Organisations and Institutions and 
the balance in the MSc Accounting and Finance programme.  One or two students are accepted onto the PhD programme following 50 plus applications.

MSc Accounting, Organisations and Institutions vs. MSc Accounting and Finance
The two programmes complement each other but the MSc Accounting, Organisations and Institutions is different from our existing MSc Accounting and Finance, the latter requiring prior knowledge of both accounting and finance, whereas the MSc Accounting, Organisations and Institutions does not require applicants to have prior academic courses in accounting. The MSc Accounting, Organisations and Institutions is particularly attractive to those interested generally in careers in management, consulting, regulation, assurance and the public sector. The core course covers topics under the headings "Foundations" and "Risk Management, Accountability and Corporate Governance". 

MSc Accounting and Finance vs. MSc Finance and Economics
The two programmes have different compulsory courses, but almost the same optional courses. MSc Finance and Economics has more optional courses.
MSc Accounting and Finance offers 9 months full-time or 21 months part-time study, whereas MSc Finance and Economics offers 10 months full-time study only.
The MSc Accounting and Finance programme is appropriate for those interested in a career in financial institutions, management consulting, industry, or government bodies, whereas the MSc Finance and Economics programme will be of interest if you plan a career in a financial institution or in a role in industry which calls for advanced analytical skills. A short, focused, introductory course on quantitative methods and technical accounting will be held at the beginning of the programme for MSc Accounting and Finance, while students for MSc Finance and Economics are required to attend a Introductory Course in Mathematics and Statistics.

MSc Accounting and Finance vs. MSc Finance (Full-Time) and MSc Finance (Part-Time)
The two programmes have different compulsory courses, but five of the optional courses are the same (Applied Corporate Finance, Global Financial System, Forecasting Financial Time Series, Quantitative Methods for Finance and Risk Analysis and International Finance).
MSc Accounting and Finance offers 9 months full-time or 21 months part-time study, whereas MSc Finance (full-time) offers 10 months full-time study only, and MSc Finance (part-time) offers 24 months part-time.  The compulsory courses for MSc Finance are closed to anyone not registered on these programmes. Similarly, MSc Finance students are not allowed to take Accounting courses offered on the MSc Accounting and Finance programme. 

Diploma in Accounting and Finance
For students studying on the Diploma in Accounting and Finance programme there is a clear route towards MSc level study within the Department of Accounting, subject to satisfactory performance. Diploma students who wish to apply for the MSc Accounting and Finance in the following year will not ordinarily be required to submit a GMAT test with their application.
The Diploma in Accounting and Finance is a flexible postgraduate programme providing an opportunity for students with little or no background in accounting and finance to acquire a solid foundation in these areas. The programme allows students with varying levels of knowledge and experience to build or extend their understanding of topics such as financial accounting, managerial accounting, auditing, asset pricing, corporate finance, and valuation. Students can also acquire knowledge of, or specialise in, other areas within the social sciences such as economics, management, mathematics, and statistics.

For Entry Requirements and How to Apply, please refer to the relevant pages in the Graduate Prospectus or directly to the Graduate Admissions office. 

You will be required to make a formal application to the MSc Accounting and Finance programme. Any offer for the MSc will be dependent upon your performance in the Diploma, usually conditional on obtaining an overall Merit. 

Professional qualifications alone will not be considered equivalent to an undergraduate degree. You will require an undergraduate degree that meets our minimum requirements to be accepted on an MSc programme.