Scholarships
The scholarships below are open to international students and those applying from England, Wales and Northern Ireland with a 2.1 or above for a postgraduate course.
Designed with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), this Master's gives you an accelerated route to becoming a chartered management accountant while you build broader finance and leadership skills.
You’ll develop the confidence to step into roles where you’re expected to interpret complex financial data, advise senior leaders and shape strategy – not just “do the numbers”. Organisations in every sector are looking for people who can combine top-end financial expertise with commercial awareness, communication skills and sound judgement.
On joining this programme, you will:
Build a contemporary understanding of how organisations measure performance, manage risk and allocate resources.
Explore environmental and sustainability challenges and how they affect financial decision making.
Strengthen the professional skills employers look for in high-performing finance teams – analysis, presentation, teamwork and influencing.
Work towards CIMA’s Management Level while you study your MSc.
Gain a significant opportunity to pursue the CIMA qualification. Your programme fees will cover your first year's CIMA subscription fees, one attempt at the CIMA Management Case Study Exam, and access to CIMAstudy.com.
This is one of a small number of UK programmes that can fast-track you towards the Strategic Level of the CIMA Qualification Framework, cutting years off a traditional route while you gain an internationally recognised Masters.
You’ll learn through a mix of:
Guest lectures from practitioners and professional bodies.
Case-based teaching using international, real-world business scenarios.
Lectures, seminars and tutorials to introduce and deepen key concepts.
Group work and presentations that mirror how finance teams operate in practice.
At the start of each module you’ll get clear guidance, structured tasks and support from your tutors. As you progress, the emphasis shifts towards independent study, peer learning and applying theory to live business problems.
Studying full-time means treating the programme like a serious professional commitment, balancing timetabled sessions with reading, group work and assignment preparation. If you’d prefer to stay in work while you study, you can take the programme part-time over two years or more.
Across the programme you’ll cover:
Advanced management accounting and performance management
Corporate finance and investment decision making
Financial reporting and analysis in an international context
Social, environmental and sustainability accounting
Research methods for accounting and finance
An independent project or dissertation linked to your career interests
Full details of individual modules are listed in the Modules tab below.
On successful completion, you’ll be awarded an MSc Accounting and Finance (CIMA Gateway). The programme is mapped to the CIMA Qualification Framework and gives you:
Significant exemptions from CIMA professional exams – up to 11 out of 15 papers.
Direct entry to the Management Level Case Study exam, which leads to the CIMA Advanced Diploma in Management Accounting.
A fast-tracked route towards the Strategic Level and full CIMA membership. Abertay
In practical terms, many international students complete in around one year what might otherwise take three to four years in their home country, reducing both study time and living costs while gaining a UK Master's at the same time.

Critically understand the underlying principles and theories of financial reporting and analysis in the international context and demonstrate extensive knowledge with the recent development of international accounting and reporting standards and practices
Assess current developments in strategic financial accounting, management accounting and social, environmental and sustainability accounting in theoretical, practical and historical contexts
Critically understand the principles and underlying theories of corporate finance and equity investments
Apply appropriate strategic management accounting techniques for strategic planning, control and performance management and analyse a business project and identify where improvements could have been made
Identify, conceptualise and define a research question(s) and justify its relevance to practice and its significance as a potential contribution to existing knowledge
Critically evaluate a range of complex scenarios and generate evidence-based solutions using contemporary research methods/methodologies in the context of relevant accounting and finance theories and sound organisational management principles, especially in the area of financial and management accounting
Interpret, assess and communicate knowledge and information effectively using a range of analytical tools for presenting, communicating and assessing financial and accounting strategies with academic, professional or practical contexts, both as an individual and as part of a team
Choosing the right Master's is about both fit and eligibility.
We normally look for applicants with an undergraduate accounting degree (2:2 or above), or a closely related business degree with significant accounting content, plus a clear motivation to progress towards CIMA and a career in management accounting or strategic finance. Professional qualifications such as ACCA or CIMA can also be taken into account.
Use the UK and International entry tabs to check the qualifications we accept, then tell us about any relevant work experience in your application.
Applicants should have:
Applicants with a business-related honours degree who have studied some accounting will be considered for entry. Applicants who have professional accounting qualifications are eligible for entry on successful completion of ACCA papers F1-F9 or the CIMA Advanced Diploma in Management Accounting.
Please note: this course will run over 16 months full-time and 28 months part-time if you begin your studies in January.
Postgraduate study is a significant investment, so it’s important to understand the full picture.
The tuition fees you’ll pay and the funding available depend on factors such as your nationality, location, personal circumstances and the course you’re studying. If you’re studying a postgraduate taught (PGT) degree, your fee status will be classed as one of the following:
Scotland
England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland
International
Your fee status is typically based on the country where you’ve lived on a regular, non-temporary basis for the three years prior to the start of your course.
We’ll confirm your tuition fees once you’ve applied.
International includes applicants from EU countries who do not hold Pre-Settled or Settled Status in the UK. (Students from the Republic of Ireland are not included.)
|
Fee Status |
2025/26 |
2026/27 |
|
£7,900 |
£7,900* |
|
|
£10,400 |
£10,400* |
|
|
£17,000 |
£18,950** |
*Tuition fees for 2026/27 are still under review and may be subject to change.
**Eligible international students will automatically receive a scholarship worth between £3,000-£7,000 over the duration of their course.
Find out about grants, bursaries, maintenance loans and living costs in our postgraduate taught fees and funding section.
The scholarships below are open to international students and those applying from England, Wales and Northern Ireland with a 2.1 or above for a postgraduate course.
This £1,000 award is open to all prospective new postgraduate students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
An award of up to £3,000 per year for up to a maximum of four years, for prospective new international undergraduate and postgraduate taught students.
Learn more about Abertay's English language requirements, as well as visa information.
Explore English language requirements for entry to Abertay University.
All the information you need about visa requirements for studying here at Abertay University.