Introduction
Accountancy and German at Aberdeen adds considerable career benefits to your grounding in accountancy, business and finance, giving you the competitive advantage of a modern European language. You will gain a cultural perspective and experience a fast track career in European and international organisations.
This programme is studied on campus.
Not only will you gain a cultural perspective, you will benefit from developing a thorough business grounding through studying Accountancy with courses in Management, Statistics and Economics.
You will thrive in the international, dynamic environment of our Business School and will study with classmates from 45 nationalities. You will be inspired by staff who are leaders in accounting practice and theory, financial markets, corporate finance, and global economics. All the while, you will benefit from small classes and be supported by dedicated careers advisers.
German at Aberdeen has an outstanding reputation with the highest possible rating of ‘Excellent’ in the last national Teaching Quality Assessment. You will develop your language skills, taught by native speakers from Germany and Austria and you will gain a broad understanding of Germany’s complex history and culture.
As part of your programme, you will spend half of year three honing your language skills and cultural familiarity as a Language Assistant or visiting student in Germany or Austria.
Upon graduating, you will have the option of many career paths. Should you opt for a career in business, you will be seen as highly valuable by employers and business organisations operating in Europe, including the European Commission. Other career options include tourism and education.
Key Programme Information
At a Glance
- Learning Mode
- On Campus Learning
- Degree Qualification
- MA
- Duration
- 48 months
- Study Mode
- Full Time
- Start Month
- September
- UCAS Code
- NR42
What You'll Study
- Year 1
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Year 1
Compulsory Courses
- Academic Writing for Business (AW1003)
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This compulsory evaluation is designed to find out if your academic writing is of a sufficient standard to enable you to succeed at university and, if you need it, to provide support to improve. It is completed on-line via MyAberdeen with clear instructions to guide you through it. If you pass the evaluation at the first assessment it will not take much of your time. If you do not, you will be provided with resources to help you improve. This evaluation does not carry credits but if you do not complete it this will be recorded on your degree transcript.
- Professional Skills Part 1 (PD1001)
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This course, which is prescribed for level 1 students and optional for level 2 students, is studied entirely online and covers topics relating to careers and employability, equality and diversity and health, safety and wellbeing. During the course you will learn about the Aberdeen Graduate Attributes, how they are relevant to you and the opportunities available to develop your skills and attributes alongside your University studies. You will also gain an understanding of equality and diversity and health, safety and wellbeing issues. Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Enhanced Transcript as ‘Achieved’ (non-completion will be recorded as ‘Not Achieved’). The course takes approximately 3 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across a number of weeks and it will be available to you throughout the academic year.This course, which is prescribed for level 1 students and optional for level 2 students and above, is studied entirely online and covers topics relating to careers and employability, equality and diversity and health, safety and wellbeing. During the course you will learn about the Aberdeen Graduate Attributes, how they are relevant to you and the opportunities available to develop your skills and attributes alongside your University studies. You will also gain an understanding of equality and diversity and health, safety and wellbeing issues. Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Enhanced Transcript as ‘Achieved’ (non-completion will be recorded as ‘Not Achieved’). The course takes approximately 3 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across a number of weeks and it will be available to you throughout the academic year
- Accounting and Accountability (AC1011) - 15 Credit Points
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This course introduces the theoretical and contextual foundation of accounting. It does not involve any technical aspects of accounting or bookkeeping but provides an introduction to the political, economic, institutional, professional and managerial context of accounting. The main content includes:
- Socio-political and economic mechanisms of accountability; theories of accountability.
- Constitution of organisations and the role of accounting within organisations.
- Constitution of accounting as a business function: how accounting is organised within organisations.
- Constitution of Accountancy as a Profession: how accountancy is organised as a profession.
- Sustainability and accounting: how accounting is reorganised to address sustainability issues.
- The Economics of Business and Society (EC1006) - 15 Credit Points
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This course is an introductory course in microeconomics where we study the decision making of individual actors (consumers, employees, firms, governments, etc.) in an economy. Actors must make decisions about behaviours because they face scarce resources, but often they find that trading with other actors in markets can increase the wellbeing of all parties. This course models and examines the nature of these interactions, highlighting when they work well and when they fail to increase wellbeing and what might be the solution to these failures.
- Finance 1: Finance, Risk and Investment (FI1004) - 15 Credit Points
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This foundation course in finance, risk and investment is the requisite for several degree programmes and for level 2 real estate and finance courses. The module considers the nature and operation of investment markets, focusing on three asset classes; shares, bonds and real estate. It looks at the characteristics of these investment options in terms of their risks and returns. The module introduces basic financial mathematics: time value of money, calculation of present values and investment rates of return. Finally, it considers the role of financial institutions and regulatory bodies in personal finance, where consumers and financial markets interact.
- Accounting and Entrepreneurship (AC1515) - 15 Credit Points
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This is an introduction to accounting which aims to provide an understanding of how organisations – particularly small and medium sized businesses – capture, create and use accounting information both to guide their activities internally within the management function and to communicate their financial performance and position to external users of the accounts. This course allows students to develop practical and analytical skills through a problem-solving approach to accounting-related aspects of business performance reporting and control, particularly in relation to bookkeeping, accounts preparation, budgeting and management accounting.
- The Context of Business (MS1509) - 15 Credit Points
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In The Context of Business, you will be introduced to the external context in which businesses operate. The course is designed to explore the political, economic, sociocultural, technological, ethical and market influences on business. It examines the role and place of business in an increasingly globalized world by looking at the ways in which businesses respond to their environment through innovation, strategy, operations and marketing. The aim of the course is to give an overview of issues that are relevant to the modern business environment and to prepare you for further study by stressing learning skills relevant across disciplines.
Optional Courses
Beginner
- German for Beginners 1 (GM1054)
- German for Beginners 2 (GM1554)
- Background to German Beginners 2 (GM1549)
Advanced
- German Language 1 (GM1050)
- German Language 2 (GM1550)
- Modern German Culture 1 (GM1052) AND/OR Modern German Culture 2 (GM1556)
- Background to German Beginners 2 (GM1549) - 15 Credit Points
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This course is intended for beginners, wishing to proceed with German Studies beyond level 1. It provides an introduction to selected German Short Stories from the 20th-century, with a particular focus on relating these to their cultural, historical and social context.
- German for Beginners 1 (GM1054) - 15 Credit Points
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This language course provides students with a sound foundation in German (grammar and vocabulary). It enables students to understand the gist of authentic written and spoken German and to speak and write about familiar topics with a degree of accuracy and fluency.
No previous knowledge of German is required, but this course is also for students which took German at school before, on any level lower than Higher or A-level.
With 3 Language Classes and 1 Language Practical per week this course encourages and supports students to develop their personal self-study strategies.
- German for Beginners 2 (GM1554) - 15 Credit Points
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This language course provides students with a sound foundation in German (grammar and vocabulary). It enables students to understand the gist of authentic written and spoken German and to speak and write about familiar topics with a degree of accuracy and fluency.
No previous knowledge of German is required, but this course is also for students which took German at school before, on any level lower than Higher or A-level.
With 3 Language Classes and 1 Language Practical per week this course encourages and supports students to develop their personal self-study strategies.
- German Language 1 (GM1050) - 15 Credit Points
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This module is designed for students with an SCE H in German or equivalent. The course develops receptive and productive oral and written German language skills. Students who are considering applying for entry to German Honours must take this course.
- German Language 2 (GM1550) - 15 Credit Points
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This module is designed for students with an SCE H in German or equivalent. The course develops receptive and productive oral and written German language skills. Students who are considering applying for entry to German Honours must take this course. The course builds on GM1050.
- Modern German Culture 1 (GM1052) - 15 Credit Points
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Learn more about German 20th-century literature, dealing with the events that shaped German and European history. As in all good literature, we will discuss universal themes and topics covering all of the most important aspects of modern life.
- Modern German Culture 2 (GM1556) - 15 Credit Points
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Learn more about modern German history, culture and literature while also extending your skills in reading German texts.
- Year 2
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Year 2
Compulsory Courses
- Management Accounting 2 (AC2031) - 15 Credit Points
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This course extends the operational tools and techniques introduced in AC1514. It develops more complex problem-solving techniques in the planning, control and decision-making process. It shows how quantitative methods and analytical techniques can be applied in management accounting solutions to management problems. It also emphasises the diverse industrial, commercial and not-for-profit settings in which management accountants work. It seeks to develop in students an understanding the organisational context as well as the nature of management accounting information. The focus is to enhance students’ problem-solving and communication skills, and develop their ability to select and apply appropriate techniques in specific contexts.
- Finance 2: Business Finance (FI2004) - 15 Credit Points
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The main aim of this course is to develop a sound understanding of fundamental principles underlying the theory and practice of finance, thereby providing a strong basis for further study of advanced finance theory and cognate disciplines. The course introduces students to important concepts in finance: principles of assets pricing, concept of risk and return, theory of interest rates and pricing fixed income securities, evaluation of investment project with a focus on embedded real options. It equips students with good analytical skills in order to understand the implications of financial decisions by understanding the fundamentals that govern them.
- Financial Accounting 2 (AC2530) - 15 Credit Points
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The objective of FA2 is to build upon material introduced in first year in order to develop students' technical skills in financial statement preparation. Students will gain an appreciation of the regulatory framework for financial reporting. They will examine the usefulness of financial statement information, by looking at the form and content of accounts produced by partnerships and public limited companies. Students will explore how to account for basic transactions through the implementation of current accounting standards and apply their knowledge in both the manual and the computerised environment, the latter through the SAGE accounting package.
- Understanding Statistics (PO2508) - 15 Credit Points
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This course aims to provide students with an understanding of statistical concepts and methods relevant to accounting, management, finance, real estate and economics. The course is intended to enable students
i) To understand the principles of descriptive statistics, index construction, statistical inference, correlation, regression and time series analysis
ii) To apply statistical techniques to the analysis of accounting, business and economic issues and interpret findings
iii) To identify important sources of data in accounting, business and economics
- Modern German Culture 3 (GM2043) - 15 Credit Points
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The meaning of life? Knowledge of good and evil? What are the limits of human understanding? Of scientific inquiry? Goethe's Faust knows of no questions that are too big to tackle. In the course, students will encounter some of the greatest literary figures of European thought and literature, and follow them on their perilous journey.
- Modern German Culture 4 (GM2543) - 15 Credit Points
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This course consists of the study of selected aspects of modern German culture and involves the close analysis of German texts. The latter are normally 20th-century texts.
Optional Courses
Beginner
- German Language (Advanced Introductory) 1 (GM2040)
- German Language (Advanced Introductory) 2 (GM2540)
Advanced
- German Language 3 (GM2042)
- German Language 4 (GM2542)
- German Language (Advanced Introductory) 1 (GM2040) - 15 Credit Points
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The course consists of language classes leading to advanced communicative competence in German and it will include the analysis of contemporary texts drawn from a variety of contexts. This course may be taken only by students who have completed the German for Beginners courses.
- German Language (Advanced Introductory) 2 (GM2540) - 15 Credit Points
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The intention of the course is to extend and reinforce further students' command of German grammar, vocabulary and syntactic structures, and to introduce various styles of written and spoken German. The course builds on the work done in GM2040 and is intended only for continuing beginners.
- German Language 3 (GM2042) - 15 Credit Points
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This level two language course will build on and extend students' fluency and written skills in German.
- German Language 4 (GM2542) - 15 Credit Points
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Building on work done in GM 2042, the course will develop further language skills.
- Year 3
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Year 3
Compulsory Courses
- Academic term spent in a German-speaking country
- Year 4
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Year 4
Compulsory Courses
- Financial Accounting 3 (AC3049) - 15 Credit Points
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This course builds upon the material in Financial Accounting 2. The aim of the course is to strengthen practical and analytical accounting skills through the study of accounting problems and to develop the ability to critically appraise conventional accounting practice through an understanding of alternative accounting theories and their application to topical issues in financial accounting.
- Management Accounting 3 (AC3054) - 15 Credit Points
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Building upon the material in Management Accounting 2, the course examines in greater detail behavioural, managerial, and strategic aspects of management accounting and management control. The course content includes management accounting issues pertaining to:
- Strategic management accounting
- Operational management issues including quality management
- Performance evaluation and management systems
- Management control systems, and
- Advance decision making techniques such as decision-trees, learning curves and project evaluation and review techniques
- German Junior Honours Language Study (GM3069) - 15 Credit Points
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This junior honours language course will build on and extend students' written skills and fluency in German.
- Auditing (AC3557) - 30 Credit Points
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The objective of the course is to allow students to develop an understanding of financial statement audit processes and the role of auditors in society. Students will gain an understanding of the history, and legal and professional frameworks within which audit operates. They will gain an appreciation of audit techniques , the role of judgment and ethical requirements and will explore current developments in the profession. There is regular interaction with local accountancy firms. The course requires a high degree of personal study and students will be required to prepare individual and group presentations which are key audit skills.
Optional Courses
- Select 45 credit points from Level 3 German courses
- Year 5
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Year 5
Compulsory Courses
- Accounting Theory (AC4033) - 30 Credit Points
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The content is organised into three main areas covering mainstream, positive and critical theoretical literature in accounting related to:
• Financial reporting practices and regulations
• Management accounting practices and history
• Accounting research methodologies
- German Language Study for Senior Honours (GM4099) - 30 Credit Points
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Building on the skills gained during the Junior Honours language course and before, this module expands and refines German language expertise in writing, reading, speaking and listening, to an advanced level, for their final exit written and oral exam in German.
Optional Courses
Option 1
- Dissertation in German (GM4052)
- Select further credit points to a total of 120 from level 4 Business School courses
Option 2
- Dissertation in Accountancy (AC4528)
- Select a further 30 credit points from level 4 courses in German
- Select further credit points to a total of 120 from level 4 Business School courses
- Dissertation in Accountancy (AC4528) - 30 Credit Points
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All Accountancy and Finance students must undertake a dissertation. Students taking a joint degree may undertake the dissertation in either discipline, but not both. It is designed to show that you are able to:
Carry out a substantial piece of research on a chosen subject without close supervision
Critically analyse and evaluate work carried out by others
Reach your own conclusions based upon your analysis and evaluation of relevant evidence, whether this is prior research only or prior research coupled with your own research.
Write-up the results of your work in a clear, coherent and logical way.
- German Dissertation (Joint Honours) (GM4052) - 15 Credit Points
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Students engage in their first larger project of independent research.
Course Availability
We will endeavour to make all course options available; however, these may be subject to timetabling and other constraints. Please see our InfoHub pages for further information.
How You'll Study
Learning Methods
- Individual Projects
- Lectures
- Research
- Tutorials
Assessment Methods
Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods:
- Coursework such as essays and reports completed throughout the course.
- Practical assessments of the skills and competencies they learn on the course.
- Written examinations at the end of each course.
The exact mix of these methods differs between subject areas, years of study and individual courses.
Honours projects are typically assessed on the basis of a written dissertation.
Why Study Accountancy and German?
- You will develop intellectual skills through analysing and evaluating accounting information and through critically evaluating the role of accounting in a modern economy.
- You will gain practical skills, enabling you to read and understand financial reports and prepare financial statements.
- In Aberdeen, you will be in the main European centre for the oil and gas industry, where international accountancy firms, multinational companies and financial services all have offices.
- The University of Aberdeen is the first academic institution to subscribe to Thomson Reuters Eikon in the UK and Ireland. This flagship trading floor integrates real activity in financial markets directly into your courses. The platform is used by major financial services companies across the world. You will gain experience of sophisticated financial management technology placing you at the leading edge with skills that employers are seeking.
- You will learn the German language to a high degree of fluency - courses focus on Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
- The department offers a flourishing German Club and Drama Group.
Entry Requirements
You will find all the information you require about entry requirements on our dedicated 'Entry Requirements' page. You can also find out about the different types of degrees, changing your subject, offers and advanced entry.
Qualifications
SQA Highers - AABB*
A Levels - BBB*
IB - 32 points, including 5,5,5 at HL*
ILC - 5H with 3 at H2 AND 2 at H3 OR AAABB, obtained in a single sitting. (B must be at B2 or above)*
*There is no formal requirement for entry to the German beginners' course. A pass in German at SQA Higher, GCE A Level or equivalent is necessary for entry to the German non-beginners course.
Further detailed entry requirements for Arts and Social Sciences degrees.
English Language Requirements
To study for a degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write English fluently. Read more about specific English Language requirements here.
International Applicants
Fees and Funding
You will be classified as one of the fee categories below.
Fee Waiver
For international students (all non-EU students) entering in 2017/18, the 2017/18 tuition fee rate will apply to all years of study; however, most international students will be eligible for a fee waiver in their final year via the International Undergraduate Scholarship.
| Fee category | Cost |
|---|---|
| Home / EU | £1,820 |
| All Students | |
| RUK | £9,250 |
| Students Admitted in 2018/19 Academic Year | |
| International Students | £14,600 |
| Students Admitted in 2018/19 Academic Year |
International non-EU Applicants
Further Information about tuition fees and the cost of living in Aberdeen
Additional Fees
- In exceptional circumstances there may be additional fees associated with specialist courses, for example field trips. Any additional fees for a course can be found in our Catalogue of Courses.
- For more information about tuition fees for this programme, including payment plans and our refund policy, please visit our InfoHub Tuition Fees page.
Our Funding Database
View all funding options in our Funding Database.
Careers
- Chartered and Certified Accountants.
- Work in German speaking companies and countries.
- Accountancy work in German speaking companies and countries.
Accreditation
The University of Aberdeen courses are accredited by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS), Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) which can form part of a direct path to being granted exemptions from the examinations necessary to get professional qualification status.
This degree holds accreditation from
Our Experts
Information About Staff Changes
You will be taught by a range of experts including professors, lecturers, teaching fellows and postgraduate tutors. Staff changes will occur from time to time; please see our InfoHub pages for further information.
Key Information Set (KIS)
Unistats draws together comparable information in areas students have identified as important in making decisions about what and where to study. The core information it contains is called the Key Information Set.
You can compare these and other data for different degree programmes in which you are interested.
Get in Touch
Contact Details
- Address
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Student Recruitment & Admissions Service
University of Aberdeen
University Office
Regent Walk
Aberdeen
AB24 3FX