Accreditation
Exemptions from professional examinations
Accreditation with professional accounting bodies
Professional accounting bodies recognise the value of studying accounting and finance at Alliance Manchester Business School and offer exemptions from certain professional exams for students who complete specified course units or programmes. This means you could be exempt from some professional accounting exams upon graduation. However, the exact exemptions will depend on your programme, the course units you have completed, as well as the professional body you choose to join.
It is important to make a well-informed choice when deciding which courses to take. We would not recommend selecting courses solely based on exemption criteria. Most employers value students who achieve a strong degree classification and can demonstrate a broad range of skills and abilities, rather than the number of professional exemptions they have earned. You are much more likely to perform well if you choose to study subjects that genuinely interest you.
For further detail on the level of exemptions available and the specific courses you need to take, please see below for the details of the exemptions available for the main accounting professional bodies.
Exemptions subject to change
Professional syllabuses are periodically revised, so the exemptions available at the start of your degree programme may change by the time you graduate. Therefore, it is important to check the exemptions available for the year you graduate. Students should verify with the relevant professional body to ensure the courses they have taken within their programme are eligible for exemption. You are strongly advised to retain full course descriptions for each year of your programme, as these may be needed for exemption purposes later. Please note that additional copies of course descriptions will incur a charge from AMBS.
Accountancy bodies
Please see below for information regarding accreditation from the specified professional accountancy bodies with which the university currently holds formal accreditation agreements.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) - ICAEW exemption directory
Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) - ACCA exemption database
Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) - CIMA exemption calculator
Although we do not have a formal accreditation scheme with the following professional accountancy bodies, exemptions may be possible upon application. Please find the relevant links below:
Chartered CPA Australia - Eligibility for becoming a CPA | CPA Australia
CIPFA (Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy) - CIPFA Exemptions
ICAS (Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland) - Exemptions - ICAS
AIA (Association of International Accountants) - Exemptions | Association of International Accountants
If you have any further questions about professional body accreditation, please contact your programme lead for more information.
Other accrediting bodies
The CFA programme partnership
Please see the current student guide for the CFA Program Student Scholarships. Further information relating to this programme can be seen below.
What is the CFA Institute?
The CFA Institute is a global association of investment professionals with more than 90,000 members and 135 societies worldwide. The CFA Institute publishes research, conducts professional development programmes and sets ethics-based professional and performance reporting standards for the investment industry. They also offer a range of educational services across the world and the associated professional exams. The CFA Programme is an educational programme that entails three levels of exams.
Level I exams are held in June and December and Levels II and III are only held in June. The exams occur at CFA Institute test centres. It is widely considered as the investment profession's most rigorous credentialing programme with less than one in five candidates enrolling in the programme achieving success in earning the CFA Charter. To become a CFA Charter holder, all CFA Institute requirements have to be met in addition to passing all three levels of the exams sequentially and adhering to specified standards of professional conduct.
What is the CFA Programme Partnership?
The CFA Institute has partnerships with select universities around the world that have imbedded a minimum 70% of the CFA Programme Candidate Body of Knowledge (curriculum) into their degree programmes. Recognition as a partner signals that the degree's curriculum is closely tied to professional practice and is well suited to students preparing to sit for the CFA examinations.
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)
There are currently no exemptions from CIPD examinations.
CIPD can be contacted at:
151 The Broadway
London
SW 19 1JQ
Tel: 0208 612 6208
Web: CIPD
Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)
There are currently no exemptions from CIM examinations but this is subject to change. For the latest information, students are advised to contact the CIM direct.