Accounting & Finance
Become a leading professional in Accounting and gain skills to take your business career anywhere. A BA in Accounting and Finance gives you a world of opportunities. It is considered Ireland’s premier degree for those wishing to pursue careers as accountants and financial services professionals. The course offers great prospects for career progression, and the chance to work in a wide range of different industries.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | Dublin City University |
| NFQ Level | Level 8 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) | Major | Dublin City University | Level 8 NFQ |
Duration
3 years, full-time.
Specific Subjects or course requirements
General Entry Requirements
Applicants must present a minimum of 6 Leaving Certificate subjects at Grade O6/H7, which must include Mathematics and English or Irish. In addition, applicants must present at least 2 subjects at Grade H5.
Additional Requirements
Minimum of O4 or H6 in Mathematics.
Leaving Certificate General Entry Requirements
Applicants wishing to undertake a Level 8 degree at DCU must be at least 16 years of age on 15 January of the year of entry.
Leaving Certificate Subject Combinations
Certain subjects will not be scored separately if they occur in combination with subjects that are similar in content. In each case, the highest individual grade will be scored. The following 6 groups of subjects are affected by this:
1 Music and Musicianship, Music A, Music B.
2 Economics, Agricultural Economics.
3 Physics with Chemistry - if combined with Physics and Chemistry; only 2 best scored - if combined with Physics or Chemistry; only best scored.
4 History, Economics and Economic History - if all 3 subjects are taken; only the best 2 will be scored.
5 Latin, Classical Studies.
6 Greek, Classical Studies.
Candidates who meet the points requirements but not the specific course requirements, for example H4 in English for the BA in Journalism, are permitted to repeat that subject only to meet the course requirements.
Bonus Points for Honours Mathematics
25 bonus points will continue to be awarded for higher level Mathematics, at grades H6 and above in the Irish Leaving Certificate or equivalent.
Leaving Certificate Mathematics Requirements
DCU does not award points for the subject of Mathematics at Leaving Certificate Ordinary Alternative or Foundation Level. However, these courses will be accepted for admission purposes for the following courses:
DC001 - Bachelor of Early Childhood Education
DC009 - Bachelor of Arts: Joint Honours
DC014 - BA in Jazz and Contemporary Music Performance
DC131 - BA in Communication Studies
DC132 - BA in Journalism
DC133 - BSc in Multimedia
DC155 - BA in Applied Language and Translation Studies
DC231 - BA in International Relations
DC232 - Bachelor of Civil Law and Society
DC235 - BSc in Education and Training
DC238 - BA in Social Sciences and Cultural Innovation
DC291 – Bachelor of Arts – Joint Honours (Media)
DC292 – Bachelor of Arts – Joint Honours (Law)
DC293 - Bachelor of Arts – Joint Honours (International Languages)
DC294 - BA in Climate and Environmental Sustainability
DC295 - Bachelor of Arts – Joint Honours (Politics)
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
Distinction 66
Merit 46
Pass 28
Please note that LCVP link modules cannot be used as a subject for general or specific course entry requirements, but can be used for the calculation of points.
QQI FET Applicants General Information
DCU welcomes applicants with appropriate QQI-FET (Level 5/6) qualifications. Applicants who have a full National Framework of Qualifications Level 5 award in appropriate qualifications and modules can be admitted on a competitive basis to certain DCU courses.
QQI-FET (Level 5) entry route is a competitive entry route with a limited number of places. A quota of places are offered based on the CAO ranked order of applicants based on performance. For courses with a QQI-FET (Level 5) entry route, approximately 10% of places are retained for QQI-FET (Level 5) applicants. Application is made through the CAO.
Careers / Further progression
Future Careers
Professional Accountant
Accounting
Financial Management
Further Study - Teaching
In These Areas
Professional Accountancy Practices
Industry
Commerce
Financial Services
Public Service
Education
Further information
Mature applicants are those aged 23 years, or above, on 1 January in the year of entry. All candidates (presenting with EU/Non EU qualifications) applying on the grounds of mature years should apply ONLY through the CAO by 1 February.
For many DCU courses, mature application assessment is based on the CAO application and in some instances, an assessment and/or interview. ‘Other’ experience, apart from performance in examinations, may be taken into consideration - this may be work experience, further studies, or other such experience deemed to be relevant to the application. Interviews will take place in April either in person or remotely.
For more information, please contact the Mature Student Officer, orla.stafford@dcu.ie or dcu.ie/mature-students
For general and admission enquiries, please visit dcu.ie/registry/ug-admissions
110
Entry 2024
Early online application (discounted): Fee €30 Closing Date: 20 January 2024 at 5pm
Normal online application: Fee €45 Closing Date: 1 February 2024 at 5pm
Late online application - restrictions apply (see page 3 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee: €60 Closing Date: 1 May 2024 at 5pm
Change of Mind - restrictions apply (see page 3 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1 July 2024 at 5pm
Exceptional online late application (see page 34 of the 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee €60 Closing Date: 22 July 2024 at 5pm
Be sure to complete any action well in advance of closing dates. You should avoid making an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all application fees are non-refundable.
LATE APPLICATIONS
Late Applications are those which are received after 5pm on 1 February 2024. The closing date for late applications is 5pm on 1 May 2024, subject to the restrictions listed on page 3 of the 2024 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5 March 2024 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €60 applies.
Exceptional Late Applications (Exception to the timetable)
The exceptional closing date of 22 July at 5pm applies only to applicants who are registered as an undergraduate student on 1 May 2024 in any year in any one of the participating HEIs (subject to the exclusions listed below). In order to avail of the Exceptional Late Application facility you must have entered the HEI through the CAO system. This is an exceptional late closing date and all steps must be completed by 5pm on 22 July. No changes may be made after this date.
If you did not enter your current course through the CAO system, you must first contact the Admissions Office of the HEI to which you wish to apply and they will inform you if you may submit an application direct to the institution.
Exclusions:
You may submit a late application only for entry to courses other than your existing course. If you wish to repeat the year in the same course you must arrange this within your HEI.
Mary Immaculate College Limerick, Marino Institute of Education, Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick and Maynooth University have special procedures in place in the case of current or previous students who wish to apply for entry to another course in the same HEI. Such applicants must contact their Admissions Office to determine the application procedure. However, if you are a student in another HEI and you wish to apply to any of these five HEIs, you should apply through CAO.
Refer to page 34 of the 2024 CAO Handbook on how to make an Exceptional Late Application.
Restrictions
As a CAO applicant you may experience one or more of the following restrictions based on your course choices, your category of application, or restrictions imposed by the HEIs that you wish to apply to. Please read the section on 'Restrictions' on page 3 of the 2024 CAO Handbook carefully. This section includes information on:
General Restrictions
1. Making a late application
2. Making changes to your course choices
Restricted Courses
3. Applying for a restricted course
Mature Applicants
4. Mature applicants
Supplementary Admissions Routes
5. Applying for DARE and/or HEAR
Why DCU?
— Generous exemptions from examinations of professional accounting bodies
— Continued high level of recruitment by all the leading accounting firms
— Options to specialise in a range of areas, including accounting, finance and management, or go on to a one-year Masters upon completion of Year 3
— Student-friendly, congenial environment with excellent, supportive and friendly lecturers
— Sponsored prizes from KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Grant Thornton, Mazars, Kavanaghfennel and CIMA - awarded to top students (see dcu.ie/DC115 for more details)
About You
Accounting is for logical thinkers. If you like problem solving and are interested in how businesses and organisations operate in adding value to their activities, then this is the course for you. If you have not studied accounting previously, don’t worry. Prior knowledge of accounting is not a specific course entry requirement and introductory classes will be provided to give you the basics you will need.
Understanding: Accounting and Finance
The BA in Accounting and Finance at DCU is Ireland’s premier degree for those wishing to pursue careers as accountants and financial services professionals. This is an extremely popular course, which was the first of its kind in Ireland and continues to be highly regarded by the accounting and financial services professions.
Course Structure
The course develops top-quality graduates who can think critically and creatively, and who have technical expertise and well-developed decision-making and problem-solving skills. The goal of the course is to give you in-depth knowledge of the theoretical and practical aspects of accounting and finance, as well as an understanding of the business, legal, taxation and IT context of this work. These skills will help you to succeed in accounting, finance, taxation or related careers.
The 3 year course is structured around 3 main areas:
— Accounting: financial and management accounting are studied from Irish and international perspectives. Taxation, auditing and professional ethics modules are also offered
— Finance: a thorough foundation in the principles of economics, corporate finance and topics such as investments is provided
— Business: a rounded understanding of the principles of business is developed through the study of subjects such as commercial and company law, psychology, marketing, HR, management, communications, business analytics, business strategy and new enterprise development. If you wish, you may choose to study one of three European languages (French or German or Spanish) as part of the course. You can study a language throughout your degree or in Year 1 only, depending on your preference.
Exemptions
Graduates are granted generous exemptions from the examinations of professional accountancy bodies. Current exemptions include:
1 Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI): 2.2 Honours graduates – gain full exemption from the CAP1
2 Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA): Exemption from F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F7, F8, F9 at fundamental level
3 Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA): Exemption from BA1, BA2, BA3, BA4, P1, P2, F1
4 Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Ireland (ICPAI): Formation Levels - full exemption; Professional Level 1 - exemption from Auditing and Corporate Reporting
5 Irish Taxation Institute (ITI): Exemption from three out of four papers of Part 1
Note: All exemptions awarded are subject to annual review and revision by the various professional bodies, and depend on your achieving clear passes on completion of specific modules.
What Will I Study?
Year 1
Financial Accounting | Management Accounting | Accounting Mathematics | Law | Business Analytics | Economics | Critical Thinking for Business | Learning Innovation for Enterprise | Language Option | Planning and Control
Year 2
International Accounting | Financial Accounting | Management Accounting | Quantitative Methods | Company Law | Business Ethics | Financial Management | Information Systems | Language Option | Critical Thinking for Business | The Innovators Toolkit | Accounting for Sustainable Business
Year 3
Business Strategy | Taxation | Management Accounting | Macroeconomic Policy | Language Option
The final year also incorporates specialisation in one of the following areas:
Accounting | Finance | Economics | Management of Operations
Additional Information
This course is recognised by the Teaching Council for teaching Accounting and Business Studies.
Contact Details
Tel: +353 (0) 1 700 5265
E: business.dcu@dcu.ie
E: studenthelp@dcu.ie
Visit Us Online dcu.ie/DC115