The financial sector is one of the UK’s most important industries, which employs around 2 million people or 7 per cent of the working population. More and more students are choosing to pursue this line of work during higher education. To cater for this growing demand, universities up and down the UK, such as the London School of Business & Finance (LSBF), are increasing their course choices and student capacity.
But what are the current study options for tomorrow’s chartered accountants, retail bankers and tax advisers? And what are the benefits of learning finance at a university?
Study options
Those interested in studying finance have numerous different options when it comes to picking a degree and university. The range of potential courses is vast and optional modules provide students with the opportunity to pursue specific interests as well.
There is no shortage of high-ranking universities to choose from either. For example, along with locations in London and Birmingham, the state-of-the-art LSBF Manchester campus is becoming increasingly popular among financial students. The city is home to several blue-chip companies and global institutions, making it an ideal place to chase that perfect career.
Career prospects
After completing your course and earning a degree, there are various areas you can consider working in. Accountancy and finance will be the main one, but you may also be interested in looking at banking, insurance, investments and pensions, or financial planning.
Even though there are a combined total of 70,000 businesses providing either financial or accountancy services in the UK, finding a job can be difficult. Certain firms have graduate schemes in place, but you might need to complete some work experience or sign up for an internship in order to secure full-time employment.
Remuneration
As you would probably expect, the starting salaries for graduates are quite impressive, generally between £17,500 and £24,000 depending on where in the country you end up working.
This level of pay is sure to increase as you climb the career ladder and receive promotions or performance-based bonuses too. Further qualifications from recognised professional bodies such as the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Chartered Banker Institute and the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) will probably help increase your earnings as well.
Therefore, the benefits of learning finance at university are incredibly far-reaching. Not only are there various courses and education institutions to choose from, the career and remuneration prospects are very impressive too.
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