MSc Accounting and International Management

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Course overview

The programme aims to provide students with a thorough postgraduate education in the field of international management, with a specialism in accounting and its international aspects.

The MSc Accounting and International Management programme is distinctive in its international flavour, with a strong emphasis on the international business themes necessary for analysing the dynamic global business challenges of the 21st century. It offers a critical understanding of current management theories and global accounting practices. The programme covers issues relating to international strategic management, managing people and organisations, global financial reporting, corporate governance, ethics and the fundamentals of marketing.

How we teach you

A holistic approach

Effective leadership requires more than first-class business acumen. It also requires a degree of self-awareness and sensitivity. Henley is renowned for its well-researched, professional approach to this aspect of business education and all our postgraduate programmes examine this aspect of leadership - helping to create emotionally intelligent graduates who can be fully effective in their chosen careers.

How you will learn

Henley Business School enjoys a strong reputation for the practical application of business ideas and concepts, underpinned by academic excellence and the strength of our research. We offer high-quality technical skills training as well as a deep understanding of the importance of personal development for leaders, a thread that runs through all of our Masters programmes.

Our postgraduate Masters programmes feature a mix of core and optional modules, allowing you to tailor your degree towards your individual personal development needs and career ambitions. You will complete up to 10 taught modules during your programme, totalling 180 credits. One module usually equates to 20 credits or 10 hours of work per week. Your week will include lectures, tutorials, workshops and personal study, with each accounting for 25% of your time on average. This stimulating mix of lectures and interactive tutorials provides you with the opportunity to discuss and explore the subject material in depth with your lecturers and fellow students. You will be introduced to the latest thinking and research findings and be able to challenge some of those that have created it. You will also explore real-world issues and tackle current business challenges, and interact with guest lectures and speakers from industry, giving you the opportunity to test, extend and refine your knowledge and skills.

How we assess you

You will learn and be assessed through a wide variety of teaching methods which vary depending on your chosen Masters programme. These include online materials and multimedia content, guest lectures, individual and group assignments, case studies, field visits, dealing room simulations, presentations, applied projects, consultancy work and examinations.

On average examinations form between 50 - 70% of the assessed work with the remaining coming from coursework, including a written dissertation or project depending on your chosen programme. The exam period falls between April and June in the summer term. Graduation normally takes place in December.

Ongoing support

While postgraduate students are self-motivated and determined individuals, study at this level can present additional pressures which we take seriously. Lecturers are available to discuss the content of each module and your academic tutor can meet with you regularly to discuss any additional issues. Full-time support staff are also available to help with any questions or issues that may arise during your time at Henley.

How to apply

Apply for 2020 entry now

There are two different application processes: apply online and apply by post.

The quickest and easiest way to apply for Postgraduate study at Henley Business School, at the University of Reading is through the University’s online application service.

This allows you to complete your application information, attach electronic copies of your academic transcripts, certificates and other supporting information and also provides a facility for an email request to be sent to your referees enabling them to send your supporting references directly to us.

Apply online

Apply online now using the University of Reading's online application system.

Apply by post

If you are unable to apply online you can request a paper application form by telephoning +44(0) 118 378 5289 or writing to the Admissions Office, University of Reading, Miller Building, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6AB, UK.

When to apply

We operate a rolling admissions system and it is recommended that you apply early to secure your place. There is no specific deadline and applications will be considered until the programme is full. However, to allow time for us to process your application we recommend that you apply by the following dates for admission in October:

  • UK/EU applicants: by 1 August
  • International applicants: by 1 June

After you apply

You will receive a confirmation email when we receive your application form. Your application is then reviewed by a member of staff. Successful applicants will receive a formal offer letter outlining any necessary entry cri­teria you will need to meet and you will be asked to confirm your acceptance of this offer.

A (non refundable) deposit of between £500 and £1,000 (depending on the programme you have applied for) is payable upon acceptance of an offer of a place. International applicants requiring a Certificate of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) for a visa will be sent the CAS details by email once all conditions of the offer have been met, and the relevant deposit has been paid.

Throughout the admissions process we will keep you updated with key information via email. We also provide opportunities to interact with faculty and staff online.

You can find us on Facebook and keep up-to-date with news and events in the School or ask us a question. In addition, you can speak to a current student; our students and alumni are always happy to share their Henley experience.

Meet Us

If you are unable to attend a postgraduate event please get in touch with our team. We will be happy to speak to you by telephone, on Skype or through our Live Chat system (during UK office hours: 9 - 5 pm).

Our contact details are: postgraduate@henley.ac.uk or telephone: +44 (0) 118 378 7593.

Please see our list of world fairs below where you can meet a Henley representative.

UK

  • Postgraduate Study Fair - Senate House, London

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  • Postgraduate Visit Afternoon

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  • QS World Grad School Tour – London

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EUROPE

  • Postgraduate Study Fair - Senate House, London

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  • QS World Grad School Tour - Thessaloniki

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INDIA & THE MIDDLE EAST

  • SI-UK University Fair, Pune

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  • Edwise World Education Fair, Pune

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  • SI-UK University Fair, Mumbai

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  • IDP Education Fair, Mumbai

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Faculty & Staff

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Contact Us

If you have any questions, please contact us by email at postgraduate@henley.ac.uk or by phone on +44 (0)118 378 7593.

Important Information

Duration: 12 months full-time

Starts: September 2020

Assessment: Exams, applied project and individual and group assignments

Consistently maintain highest standards and with an excellent networking potential of over 80,000 Henley alumni members in 150 countries

High calibre students: always oversubscribed, 1,000 ambitious new Master's students join Henley each year

Award winning campus: beautiful, green, 134 hectares, with state of the art facilities

World-leading faculty: widely published, frequently asked for expert comment by media and to speak at events

Henley is proud to be part of the University of Reading. The University is ranked within the top 250 universities worldwide (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2018 and QS World University Rankings 2018) and 98% of the research is rated as being of international standard.

Course modules

The module descriptions set out on this page are correct for modules being taught in the current academic year. Optional module listings are indicative and may be subject to change

Modules Credits

Compulsory modules:

This module aims to introduce students to the core concepts and models underlying contemporary strategic management, their theoretical and empirical foundations, their limitations, the arguments surrounding them and their practical application to real issues facing real companies. This module provides students with an understanding of the conceptual and analytical tools of strategic management and economics.

  • Theories, frameworks and introduction
  • Internal resources and competencies of firms
  • External environment in which firms operate
  • The process of internationalisation
  • Globalisation and regional integration
  • Collaborative behaviour and strategic alliances
  • Integration/responsiveness framework and strategy

See Full Description
20 [10 ECTS credits]

This module introduces students to the basic concepts, principles and techniques involved in marketing, and to the role of marketing management within all types of organisations (retail, consumer goods, industrial goods, service, non-profit oriented, domestic and international). Students will develop an appreciation of the special requirements for successfully conducting marketing activities by concentrating on the market-oriented approach to doing business.

  • Marketing planning
  • Marketing environment
  • Segmentation, targeting and positioning
  • Buying behaviour (consumer behaviour and business to business)
  • Product
  • Promotion
  • Price and distribution
See Full Description
20 [10 ECTS credits]

This course is about how organisations behave and how people behave in organisational settings. It is both practically useful and intellectually challenging. The module will explore three distinct bodies of knowledge: firstly, your informal and tacit knowledge of organisations gained from everyday life; secondly, the mainstream approaches to organisational behaviour (OB) and management studies; and finally, alternative, critical approaches drawn from OB and the wider social sciences.

Topics include:

  • Motivational theory
  • Critical approaches to motivation and work
  • Technology and progress
  • Varieties of authority
  • Power in organisations
  • Bureaucratic rationality
  • Post-bureaucracy: real or imagined?
See Full Description
20 [10 ECTS credits]

This module aims to provide students with the opportunity to develop their critical knowledge and understanding of the decision-useful and stakeholder-related aspects of financial reporting. This is achieved through an exploration of the principles and methods that underlie both the preparation and presentation of financial statements in an international context.

  • Main objectives of financial reporting
  • Implications of globalisation of accounting practice
  • Preparation of main financial statements
  • Regulatory framework of financial reporting
  • Analysing and interpreting financial statements – financial ratios
  • Current issues in financial reporting
See Full Description
20 [10 ECTS credits]

This module aims to develop further students’ critical knowledge and understanding of financial reporting by considering broader social and political aspects of accounting practice. It is an intermediate to advanced study of financial reporting that builds on the concepts and techniques covered in the International Financial Reporting 1 module (MMM062). Students will develop both applied and theoretical expertise and skills, as a result of this course.

  • Provisions
  • Preparation and interpretation of the key components of group accounting reporting
  • Creative accounting
  • Financial instruments: classification and presentation (fundamentals)
  • The concept of public interest in the context of accounting theory and practice
  • Further evaluation of the usefulness of financial statements
See Full Description
20 [10 ECTS credits]

This module aims to help students get the most from the learning opportunities offered during their MSc course. It provides students with an understanding of what is required to perform well in essays, dissertations, projects, report writing and examinations at the University of Reading. It develops students’ awareness of the appropriate use of methodology, theory, data, literature reviews and original research for a Masters dissertation or project.
  • Essay and exam skills
  • Learning styles
  • Literature review
  • Selecting an appropriate methodology
  • Good research practice
  • Specific research methods
  • MSc dissertation and project

See Full Description
0 [0 ECTS credits]

This module covers the development of corporate governance codes of practice in the UK and around the world. Students undertaking this course will gain a critical and holistic view of corporate governance, which will include an examination of some of the key contextual factors: boards of directors, institutional investors, transparency, sustainability reporting, ethical issues and responsible investment.

  • Theoretical frameworks for corporate governance, accountability and ethics
  • The consequences of corporate governance weaknesses and failure
  • The UK corporate governance framework: codes of practice and governance reviews
  • Internal mechanisms: board effectiveness, the role of non-executive directors, remuneration structures
  • External mechanisms, especially the role of institutional investors
  • International corporate governance: comparative analysis
  • Corporate governance and stakeholder accountability: holistic governance
  • Responsible investment
See Full Description
20 [10 ECTS credits]

What am I going to do when my course ends, and how am I going to achieve it? This module has been designed to help Accounting, Informatics and Business Management students answer those two questions, and empower them to take the actions required. It’s a suite of sessions that pays close attention to the general pathways Business Management, Accounting and Informatics students tend to take, and their aspirations as expressed during pre-sessional career activities & induction surveys. Students will choose this the mix of custom-made sessions that best suit their stage in life and supplement them with the open careers programmes offered at the University, the online content on the Henley Careers Blackboard site and 1-2-1 careers consultations.

See Full Description
0 [0 ECTS credits]

Either/Or:

Dissertation/Project:

The Project enables students to undertake independent research on a specified topic relating to international accounting and/or financial management. With the guidance and support of a supervisor, students manage their own project, taking an aspect of theory and applying it to real companies. Previous projects, for example, have involved analysing published accounts of listed companies to investigate financial performance, dividend policy and the management of capital structure.

  • Define objectives of research
  • Research subject company
  • Synthesise relevant literature
  • Identify relevant data
  • Analyse data
  • Evaluate findings
See Full Description
20 [10 ECTS credits]

Students undertaking this module will gain an awareness of the appropriate use of methodology, theory, data, literature review and original research that is required for a Masters dissertation. Students will thus be equipped with the necessary skills that will enable them to conduct their own piece of original research, analyse the results and present their findings.

  • The nature and practice of research
  • The literature review process and the composition of a literature review
  • The nature and role of methodology in management research
  • The role and application of theory in management research
  • Quantitative and qualitative data sources
  • Data analysis and writing up research findings
See Full Description
40 [20 ECTS credits]

Optional Modules:

Students choosing the dissertation must choose ONE optional module from the list below. Students choosing the Management or Accounting project must choose TWO optional modules. Students choosing MMM054 cannot choose MMM027 and vice versa.

This module concerns the entrepreneurial activity and the distinctive features of management in the SME environment, its complexity, the additional challenges and risks related to the small dimension, but also its advantages.

By the end of the module students are expected to be able to question theories and standard knowledge, often referring to large corporations, and apply this body of knowledge to SMEs.

The module consists of lectures and seminars. The seminars focus on the students’ groupwork on their Business Plans. Entrepreneurs and experts from the business world contribute to the module by sharing and discussing their experience.

  • Concept of entrepreneurship and the economic role of entrepreneurs
  • Business plan
  • The importance of SMEs
  • Networks and clusters
  • Sources of finance
  • Marketing
  • Innovation
  • Internationalisation
See Full Description
20 [10 ECTS credits]

This module uses annual reports and accounts, company web sites and share price data to study aspects of business strategy over time; company performance and executive remuneration; and financial performance and valuation. It involves group work, presentations and discussions, as students are asked to analyse a selection of materials, in order to apply the knowledge developed across the programme. Assessment is individual and based on case studies.

Content may include the analysis of:

  • a company’s strategy
  • its executive remuneration policy
  • its financial performance
  • its share price performance
  • the use of other performance measurement metrics (such as the Balanced Scorecard)
  • the value of the company using various valuation techniques to assess future prospects and to evaluate the current share price

See Full Description
20 [10 ECTS credits]

This module aims to foster a critical awareness of organisational design (OD) issues to enable informed decision-making in the workplace. The course will highlight contemporary thinking, which places greater emphasis on a more adaptive, emergent process of organising to suit complex changing circumstances within an international context. Theory and practice of contemporary organising are examined for their links with organisational performance.

  • The structural perspective: hierarchy and traditional design choices
  • The relational perspective: groups and teams
  • The relational perspective: networks and virtual organising
  • The information perspective: the role of information and ITC in OD
  • Designing across borders
  • Re-designing organisations: change and OD approaches
  • Re-designing and downsizing organisations
  • Designing the post-industrial organisation
See Full Description
20 [10 ECTS credits]

Enterprise Systems (i.e. ERP, CRM, SCM and KMS) are used to reinforce the efficiency and productivity of businesses, however implementation failure-rates remains high. This module helps students to understand the organisational and business impact of using Enterprise Systems, the potential role of Enterprise Systems in organisational transformation and change, and highlights the benefit and risk aspects involved in systems implementation.

Outline content

• Understand Enterprise System solutions;

• Appreciation of Enterprise Systems implementation methodologies;

• Understand business risk factors, and how such risks can be minimised;

• Appreciating the impact of Enterprise Systems on stakeholder relationships;

• Consider the business benefit of integrating business functions; • Understanding the business conflict involved in process reengineering and customisation.

See Full Description
20 [10 ECTS credits]

This module aims to define the ‘cultural industries’ and identify the key features of these sectors that explain their structure and functioning over time. It identifies the main challenges for organisations involved in the production or distribution of cultural products and services, and critically analyses the various ways in which organisations have responded to these challenges in different commercial and cultural contexts.

  • Protecting intellectual property rights
  • Creative individuals, teams and clusters
  • The perpetual search for innovation amid shifting logics
  • Managing uncertainty: a historical perspective
  • Strategic planning
  • Technological change
  • The role of networks
See Full Description
20 [10 ECTS credits]
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Fees & funding

Home (UK/EU)Overseas (non EU)
2020 Entry£12,900£22,500
Please note that a non-refundable deposit is payable when confirming your acceptance of an offer of a place. This is part of your tuition fee and will be deducted from the total amount upon enrolment.

UK/European Union Postgraduate Loans

Loans of up to £10,000 are available to eligible students studying for postgraduate Master's courses from the 2019-2020 Academic year. In general, students need to be domiciled in England. EU students, and individuals falling within certain specified categories, may also be eligible.

You can apply for a loan through the UK Government website. You can read more about the scheme on the Student Loans Company website or on these two UK Government sites: Introduction of loans for postgraduate students and Government response to the Consultation on Support for Postgraduate Study.

Entry requirements

A good first or second class UK honours degree, or overseas equivalent, will usually be required; not necessarily in a related discipline.

Academic requirements

A good first or second class UK honours degree, or overseas equivalent, will usually be required. Applicants with relevant experience or professional qualifications will also be considered.

Prior knowledge or experience of your chosen subject area is not required. We welcome applications from recent university graduates from a wide range of disciplines.

See country and region-specific information and entry requirements for International applicants or please contact us with any questions.

Not quite at the required level of English language proficiency for your chosen programme?

Applicants to Henley Business School, whose first language is not English, will be required to attain the International English Language Test Scores (IELTS), or equivalent acceptable qualification accepted by the University, as defined below, to enter a programme.

However, for students who successfully complete one of the Pre-sessional English Language courses run by our International Study and Language Institute, a half-band credit will be applied to their English language condition. (For example - programmes requiring IELTS 7.0 will accept students with a result of 6.5 in the end of Pre-sessional English course assessment providing the student has completed the relevant English course with us).

Applications to the International Study and Language Institute.

Henley Business School requires a minimum IELTS score of 7.0 (with no element below 6.0) to enter all programmes except Information Management. Information Management programmes require an IELTS score of 6.5 (with no element below 5.5).

Students completing the above mentioned pre-sessional courses would be allowed entry onto their chosen programme with an overall score of 6.5 for all programmes except Information Management, which will generally accept 6.0.

Equivalent English Language Qualifications will also be accepted. If you require specific advice on your qualification please contact our admissions office directly either by e-mail at pgadmissions@reading.ac.uk or by telephone on +44 118 378 5289.

UK visa requirements

If you are not a national of the European Union (EU), it is likely that you will need to obtain a UK visa to live and study in the UK before you travel. See the UK Border Agency website. Contact the University's International Office with any questions: intoff@reading.ac.uk.

Tier 4 visa pilot scheme

Find out more about the tier 4 visa pilot scheme on the University of Reading website.

Careers

How can Henley Careers work with you?

Here at Henley we have an award-winning careers team here to support you through your time here and four years after graduating from us.

Here is how Henley Careers can help you:

  • Careers Consultant appointments - Our Careers Consultant are here to help and support you with any careers related concern that you might have. Whether it’s advice on your CV, practicing for an interview, looking at possible reasons why applications aren't being successful or support planning your career goals, we’re here to help empower you to progress in your career.
  • Events - Henley Careers organise numerous events aimed to help you build your confidence, develop the skills employers are looking for, network with employers and expand your industry knowledge.
  • Alumni support - You can continue to book one-to-one appointments with your Careers Consultant and use our online resources for up to four years after you graduate to get help and support in your career.
  • Career Smart - Get a head start in securing a graduate job by taking part in our online course, Career Smart. You can expect to learning about the graduate recruitment cycle in the UK, where to look and how to start applying to jobs, and the different types of roles available to you.

For more information please see our Careers page.

Continuing your career

The MSc Accounting and International Management programme is distinctive in its international flavour, with a strong emphasis on the international business themes necessary for analysing the dynamic global business challenges of the 21st century.It offers a critical understanding of current management theories and global accounting practices. The programme covers issues relating to international strategic management, managing people and organisations, global financial reporting, corporate governance, ethics and the fundamentals of marketing.

Graduates from this programme will enhance their employability in a range of careers related to their first-degree discipline or in a general international management as well as more specialized accounting roles.

Accreditation Information

This programme is granted exemption from four of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) professional exams: BA1 to BA4.

Speak to a student

Our students and alumni are always keen to share their Henley experience, whether you are a prospective applicant or you've already applied for a place on a Masters programme at Henley Business School. For a unique insight into every aspect of life in the School and on campus, you can contact any of our students and alumni below, via email, Skype or social media.

When contacting one of our students for the first time, please introduce yourself and the Masters programme you have applied for before you outline any questions you might have.

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