Course overview
Our MSc Accounting and Performance Analytics (formerly the MSc Management Information and Managerial Accounting Systems) is a full-time conversion programme running for 12 months from the date of first registration for the programme. Students take taught modules from September to May, followed by a graduate placement, or the completion of a group-based applied research project, commencing from June onwards.
This MSc is a challenging postgraduate degree course. The employment record for our graduates is excellent, and many are currently employed in a variety of positions, including: management consultant, project manager, business analyst, business intelligence analyst, management accountant and financial accountant.
The programme includes the possibility of a three-month industrial internship, and you will also take modules in a variety of subjects relevant to both accounting and Information Systems (IS).
The IS modules will give you an appreciation of how technology can be used to support the operations and transactions of modern organisations. The management accounting modules will provide you with a thorough understanding of management accounting concepts and techniques and how these can be used to support managerial decision-making. The course also carries exemptions from three major accounting bodies: CIMA, ACCA and CAI..
Job outcomes
- Business analysts
- Accountants
- Auditors
- Information systems professionals
What you'll learn
You will acquire the skills to steer organisational performance and monitor financial health, analyse historic data to predict future trends, and budget and forecast.
In parallel, you will learn to design and build information systems from a process, database and user interface perspective.
You will be introduced to business intelligence and data analytics, and you will gain important communication skills.
Study method
- In-class
- Blended
- Online
Duration study load
- 1 Year Full-time
Entry requirements
The MSc Accounting and Performance Analytics is a conversion programme designed for applicants who have not previously studied Accounting or Software Development. As such, the course is not suitable for graduates from degrees with high levels of software development and accounting content (e.g. BSc Business Information Systems, BSc Accounting).
This course is open to graduates of all disciplines (but not for graduates from degrees with high levels of software development and management accounting, as stated above) with a minimum Second Class Honours Grade II in a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8). Applicants who do not meet the Second Class Honours Grade II in a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8) standard may be admitted to the programme under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) on the basis of significant practical or professional experience as deemed appropriate by the Head of Department and subject to the approval of the School of Business.
It is important to apply early as this programme is often over-subscribed. If your application is successful at this stage, you will receive an offer or (if you have not yet received your final exam results) a conditional offer. If you meet the application requirements but the course is full, you will be placed on the waiting list. Students on this waiting list get priority over later applicants. If the course has not been filled in the first round or by the first round waiting list, and your application is successful, you will receive an offer or a conditional offer. If you meet the application requirements but the course is full, you will be placed on the waiting list.
For Applicants with Qualifications Completed Outside of Ireland
Applicants must meet the required entry academic grade, equivalent to Irish requirements. For more information, please submit an enquiry.
International/Non-EU Applicants
For full details of the non-EU application procedure, please submit an enquiry.
- In UCC, we use the term programme and course interchangeably to describe what a person has registered to study in UCC and its constituent colleges, schools, and departments.
- Note that not all courses are open to international/non-EU applicants; please check the fact file above. For more information, please submit an enquiry to find out more.
English Language Requirements
Applicants who are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university-approved English language requirements.
Work placement
There are national and international placement opportunities available. The Accounting and Performance Analytics course is unique in having cultivated an international reputation for the calibre of our students, and we have strong relationships with placement companies and employers in Ireland, the UK, and Europe. Across the Atlantic, students have been placed in organisations in New York and Seattle. Strong links are maintained with the financial services industry in Luxembourg. Post-graduation, a growing contingent of Chinese students has opened up the possibility of careers in China.
Assessment
A variety of assessment methods are used during this course. In addition to the traditional end-of-year written examinations, you will undertake a series of individual and group assignments and projects during the year in the areas of both management accounting and information systems.
Delivery
This course consists of traditional classroom-based lectures in addition to a series of computer practical sessions. You will also gain experience of seminars, industrial site visits, guest lectures, student presentations to (and feedback from) leading industry experts etc. On average, you can expect 25 contact hours per week (i.e. lectures/practical sessions) with the remainder of your time spent researching and completing projects and assignments.
Who's it for?
This course is unique in being the only master’s level course in Ireland that focuses on both accounting and information systems. The course content is tailored to industry requirements, with frequent site visits, guest speakers, and case studies.
The graduate placement opportunities are unparalleled in Ireland in terms of the profile of the companies, the international scope, and the full-time positions open to students on completion. It is an invaluable launch pad for careers in international business and entrepreneurship.
Subjects
Students take 90 credits as follows: 60 credits of taught modules (Part I) and 30 credits of research modules (Part II)
Part 1: Students take 60 credits as follows – all listed core modules, 50 credits, and 10 credits of elective modules:
The MSc Accounting and Performance Analytics is a full-time programme running for 12 months from the date of first registration for the programme. Students take taught modules from September to May, followed by either the completion of a group-based research project or a graduate placement commencing from June onwards.
Students undertake taught modules to the value of 60 credits and an industrial placement or industry report to the value of 30 credits. In the event of a placement not being secured an unplaced student will undertake project work of an equivalent credit value as specified by the Head of Department.
About University College Cork
University College Cork is ranked in the top 1.1% of universities in the world. It is Ireland’s leading institution for the delivery of research impact and the top Irish institution for highly cited researchers. We are the leading global university for sustainability and the Irish university with the highest level of industry collaboration.
The university was founded in 1845 as one of three Queen's Colleges located in Belfast, Cork, and Galway. It became University College, Cork, under the Irish Universities Act 1908. The Universities Act 1997 renamed the university as National University of Ireland, Cork, and a Ministerial Order of 1998 renamed the university as University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork, though it continues to be almost universally known as University College Cork.
