MSc Accounting, Organisations and Institutions

The MSc Accounting, Organisations and Institutions is a unique programme which gives you the opportunity to study the interface between accounting, organisations and institutions drawing on a variety of social science perspectives.

Our flagship core course will introduce you to fundamental issues at stake in the interrelationships between accounting, risk management, organisational performance, and institutional frameworks for accountability. The broader programme also addresses key design issues for accounting, risk and management control systems, and their operation and regulation in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors.

This programme, and especially the core course, is distinctive in its approach and differs from a more traditional accounting and finance master’s programme. Indeed, it doesn't require a background in accounting, and students with a good initial training in the humanities or the social or natural sciences, and with good essay writing skills, are strongly encouraged to apply. Yet, the programme is also suitable for those students with an accounting background who wish to develop a deeper knowledge of the organisational and institutional context of accounting.

Because of its breadth, this master’s programme is very flexible and prepares you for a wide range of potential careers in accounting, auditing and assurance, financial management, risk management, management consultancy, and regulation, in a variety of for-profit and non-profit organisations globally. The degree also provides you with solid intellectual preparation if you aspire to embark on academic research in the field of accounting.

The programme is housed within the Department of Accounting, which is widely recognised throughout Europe for its excellence in accounting and financial management research and education, as well as for its leading role in public policy issues. The interface between accounting and managers, organisations, institutions, public policy and regulatory bodies is a particular teaching and research strength of the department.

Welcome to the Department of Accounting – one of the world’s leading centres for accounting and financial management research. The department was rated the top place in the UK to study accounting (Good University Guide 2024).

Our work is focused on understanding the role played by accounting in organisations, the markets and society at large. We have strong links with national and international professional bodies and regulatory institutions, and our research has contributed to shaping international accounting practices. Alongside teaching and research, the department also hosts the interdisciplinary Centre for Analysis of Risk and Regulation.

Every year, we admit more than 400 students to our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Our students don’t just learn about accounting principles – they learn how accounting is used in institutional and organisational processes of calculation, reporting and evaluation. This involves exploring the interdependencies between accounting and accountability, sustainability, governance, risk, performance management, policymaking and change.

We’re proud of our open and collaborative culture, welcoming students, academics, external speakers and practitioners from around the world – all contributing to our rich and diverse community.

Learn more about our programmes and research.

Department of Accounting

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified prospective students. At LSE, we want to recruit students with the best academic merit, potential and motivation, irrespective of background.

We carefully consider each application and take into account all the information included on your application form, such as your:

• academic achievement (including predicted and achieved grades)
• statement of academic purpose
• two academic references
• CV.

See further information on supporting documents.

You may need to provide evidence of your English language proficiency. See our English language requirements.

Applications for this programme are considered on a rolling basis. This means that applications will close once the programme is full.

There is no fixed deadline. However, if you’d like to be considered for any funding opportunities, you must submit your application (and all supporting documents) by the funding deadline. See the fees and funding section below for more details.

For this programme, the tuition fee is different for home and overseas students depending on their fee status.

For this programme, the tuition fee is different for home and overseas students depending on their fee status.

All taught courses are required to include formative coursework which is unassessed. It's designed to help prepare you for summative assessment which counts towards the course mark and to the degree award. LSE uses a range of formative assessment, such as essays, problem sets, case studies, reports, quizzes, mock exams and many others. Summative assessment may be conducted during the course or by final examination at the end of the course. An indication of the formative coursework and summative assessment for each course can be found in the relevant course guide.

Students who successfully complete the MSc Accounting, Organisations and Institutions programme pursue careers across a wide range of sectors, in financial institutions, accounting firms, management consulting, industry, government and academia.

Companies who have employed recent graduates from this programme include Bain & Company, Bank of New York Mellon, Barclays Capital, BlackRock, Crédit Agricole, Crowe Horwath, General Electric, JP Morgan, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, PwC, KPMG, Proctor & Gamble, Merrill Lynch, Mondelez, EMI Music, Nordea Bank, Royal Dutch Shell, Schroders and Strategic Asset Partners LLP.

Further information on graduate destinations for this programme

From CV workshops through to careers fairs, LSE offers lots of information and support to help you make that all-important step from education into work.

Many of the UK’s top employers give careers presentations at the School during the year and there are numerous workshops covering topics such as job hunting, managing interviews, writing a cover letter and using LinkedIn.

See LSE Careers for further details.