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BA (Hons) Finance and Business (Top-Up)

UCAS CODE: FBTU
  • Study Mode: Full Time
  • Location: High Wycombe
  • Duration: One Year
  • Start Date: September 2026

You can also study this course:

If you trying to get ahead in the world of business and finance and want to solidify your existing knowledge, then BA (Hons) Finance and Business is the course for you. We’ll help prepare you for a career in business and its operations, as well as develop your entrepreneurial capabilities to run your own business. 

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Top 10 for Teaching Quality*
*The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026
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University of the Year for South East England*
*WhatUni Student Choice Awards 2025
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Top 5 Students' Union in the UK*
*Based on responses from taught BNU students (NSS 2025)
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Risk Management
Why study BA (Hons) Finance and Business at BNU?

This course is a single year top-up degree, the final year (Level 6) of an undergraduate degree course and allows you to top up your existing qualification. 

This means it perfect for you If you already have a foundation degree, Higher National Diploma or equivalent qualification in finance.

Our Finance and Business course is recognised by a number of professional bodies, and you can also obtain a number of exemptions when applying for further certification. The course provides an opportunity to gain exemptions from up to 7 modules from the  (ACCA) papers at the Fundamentals level. In addition, you can also obtain exemptions from up to 8 modules from the  (CIMA) and up to 5 from the  (ICAEW). You will also be able to get exemptions for some of the modules to be eligible to obtain membership with the . 

You'll get lots of practical experience using accountancy software, including Sage. In addition to the time spent using these software programmes in class, you'll have 24/7 access to them to practice in your own time.  

Our BA (Hons) Finance and Business degree is led by a dedicated and experienced course team. Benefit from their industry knowledge and the industry links they bring to the course. Many of our guest lecturers are industry-experts and alongside your lecturers, they’ll nurture your learning and professional development.  

Our curriculum is continuously updated to stay relevant to updates in the finance and business industries. You'll learn about the issues which are driving change, such as blockchain in accounting and the use of AI in accounting. You'll also get to hear from guest speakers from professional bodies on specialist subjects. All of this means you can be confident that you'll graduate ready to step into a role; many of our finance graduates go straight into executive level positions rather than assistant level.  

What will I study?

The focus of this one-year degree is to prepare you for a career in finance and business. Modules such as international finance, corporate governance and ethics, and advanced financial reporting, combined with your previous knowledge as well as an independent research dissertation will enhance your employability. 

In addition to your studies, BNU regularly holds events to enrich your university experience and enhance your employability, such as a management fair, recruitment events, and alumni networking social meetings.  

I had the opportunity to work with a local business and aid them in improving the way they ran. This was brilliant in helping me prepare for the outside world as it gave me a real-life insight into how businesses actually operated - it also allowed for me to improve my network and prepare for life after university.
Harrison Gilkes
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How will I be taught and assessed?

At BNU we like to foster an interactive and student-focused teaching style. We blend lectures, seminars, one-to-one workshops, tutorial sessions, independent study and guest speakers to enhance the learning experience. 

 Our lecturers work hard to ensure that you learn the latest industry standard practices and knowledge. To support in the delivery of this we also welcome industry experts and professionals to deliver guest lectures who share their experience of the latest trends and what companies are looking for. 

 A range of assessment methods will be employed during your studies, including: 

  • essays 
  • reports 
  • exams 
  • presentations (individual and group) 
  • dissertation

BA (Hons) Finance and Business Programme Specification

One of the enjoyable things about studying at BNU is that even though I’m doing Accounting & Finance, there’s still the opportunity to work on group projects. Not only do we come together to solve the problem, it’s also the chance to get to know and make friends with my peers.
Yam Kandel

Modules

This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section. 

What are the tuition fees

Home
  • Home Foundation Year, Academic Year 2025 - 2026: £9,535 *
  • Home, Academic Year 2025 - 2026: £9,535 per year *
International
  • Overseas/International Foundation Year, Academic Year 2025 - 2026: £15,150 *
  • Overseas/International, Academic Year 2025 - 2026: £15,150 per year *

Following the Government’s announcement of 4 November 2024, we will be increasing our full-time undergraduate tuition fees for UK students to £9,535 per year from the start of the 2025/26 academic year. Our part-time fees for UK undergraduate students will increase to £7,145 per annum. Please visit , on the Government’s website, for more information about the changes. 

Tuition fees for Home undergraduate students (including with foundation year) may increase in subsequent years for both new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by the Government.   

Tuition fees for both new and continuing international students may be subject to an inflationary increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the 12-month period to 31 January each year.   

Tuition fees for postgraduate courses and CPD may be subject to an inflationary increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the 12-month period to 31 January each year. This increase will apply to both new and continuing students.   

We understand, and really appreciate, the significant financial commitment our students make when they choose to study at BNU. We take our responsibilities to our students very seriously, and are ambitious for each to reach their full potential and succeed in their chosen career. Our fees help us to continue providing our students with a high-quality education, and to invest in the services and facilities which create an excellent student experience at BNU. 

The following factors will be considered by the University when we set the annual fees: measures of inflation such as the retail price indices; projected increases in University costs; and any changes in the level of funding for teaching received from the Government.

Additional course costs and financial support

Most courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. You could benefit from financial support through a bursary or scholarship during your time as a student. For more details visit our financial support, bursaries and scholarships section.

Questions about fees?

If you have any questions about the fees above, contact our Enquiries team by calling 0330 123 2023 or emailing advice@bnu.ac.uk.

What are my career prospects? 

You will graduate with an industry accredited degree from the  and  which means that you start one step closer to becoming a fully qualified accountant.

Recent graduates from this course have gone onto jobs such as:

  • Accounting Assistant
  • Personal Banker
  • Financial Analyst
  • Graduate Accountant.

You will also be equipped to develop and manage your own businesses, be this sole proprietorships, partnerships or companies.

Course leader

A headshot of Finance Senior Lecturer Anna Korzhenitskaya
Anna Korzhenitskaya
  • Senior Lecturer
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Emmanuel Kwadwo Ntim
  • Senior Lecturer
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Spencer Nzemeka
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Professor Sainey Faye BA (Hons), MSc, PhD, SFHEA, FCMI, CMBE
  • Professor
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Xiangyu Wu
Dr Xiangyu Wu
  • Lecturer
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Suzanne Doria
  • Senior Lecturer
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