The Master’s Programme in Accounting prepares students for producing and using financial and non-financial information to control and manage companies. Accounting, whether financial accounting or management accounting, is at the heart of every business and a critical part of planning and decision-making in companies. Accounting graduates possess invaluable and highly universal know-how for succeeding in different organisations across all industries and continents.
The language of instruction is English.
The tuition fee for this programme is 15 000 euros per academic year. Citizens of European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland do not pay tuition fees. Citizens of other countries must pay tuition fees.
Aalto University offers a small number of scholarships in the form of tuition fee waivers to fee-paying students. Scholarships can be awarded to the highest-achieving applicants based on the programme's evaluation criteria. Applicants are ranked according to the criteria outlined on the programme's webpage.
More information on tuition fees and scholarships at Aalto University is available at the Scholarships and Tuition Fees webpage.
The Master’s Programme in Accounting is organized by the School of Business and comprises a total of 120 ECTS credits. The two-year programme consists of:
Students have the opportunity to complete the minor studies (24 ECTS) in an official exchange programme partner of the School of Business.
At the beginning of their studies, students define their Personal Study Plans (PSP) together with an academic advisor. The primary purpose of PSP is to ensure that the studies support the student’s interests and are completed in a logical order.
Cindy Svetkow, Consultant, EYThe key takeaways from my years at Aalto include critical thinking, networking and problem-solving skills.
Specialisation is built mainly through advanced studies, where students may choose courses.
Accounting is universal, making it an ideal field for international careers. The skills that students learn in the programme are universal and can be applied industry-wide. To further encourage internationalisation, Accounting professors have diverse backgrounds and most of the courses handle global topics.
Aalto University is international by nature, welcoming thousands of degree and exchange students from abroad each year. These students join the diverse Aalto community not only through studies, but also multiple free time events, activities and celebrations around the campus. Programme administrators, active student tutors and student support services work rigorously to help international students integrate into Nordic culture and welcome them at home in Finland.
The degree grants eligibility for doctoral studies.
As a graduate of Accounting, you will have broad career prospects. Typical job titles include, for example, Chief Financial Officer, Business Controller, Financial Analyst, Auditor and Business Consultant. The typical route from university to these positions happens through corporate collaboration. The students can network with companies especially during courses (e.g. Capstone course), student activities organised by Aalto Accounting (student association of accounting students) or thesis assignments. Most of the Accounting students have a guaranteed job already before graduating from the programme.
Aalto University has well-established career services that help you get employed in Finland and abroad. Aalto students tend to find good positions with ease upon their graduation. An active entrepreneurship community is also present at Aalto, which can help as a springboard for founding your company. Finally, if an academic career is of interest, the Master’s programme in Accounting is a great foundation for doctoral studies and post-doc positions.
At the Department of Accounting, we conduct high-quality accounting research that is published in international top peer-reviewed journals. The emphasis of the research is on financial statement analysis, capital budgeting, auditing, performance measurement, management control, risk management, sustainability reporting, and corporate governance.
At the Department of Accounting, we believe that it is our responsibility to leave a positive mark not only on academic life but also on society at large. To accomplish this goal, the teachers at the department engage actively in societal discussions, cooperate closely with firms, other organizations, and other Aalto university parties. Many of the teachers give management and executive education for managers and executives.
Accounting is needed in companies across all industries, and applying it is not only limited to the field of business. In the Master’s programme in Accounting, students can choose their minor and elective courses from a wide selection to meet their interests and goals.
Aalto University is well-known for bridging disciplines of business, arts, technology and science. The lively campus and freedom to choose elective courses across the university bring students from different fields under one roof. This spontaneous multidisciplinary environment sparks new ideas, gathers enthusiasts around them and gives birth to friendships, networks, and every so often, startups.
Applicants meeting Aalto’s general eligibility criteria for master's studies are evaluated and ranked according to the evaluation criteria decided in advance for each study option.
The applications to Master’s Programme in Accounting are evaluated based on the following criteria.
Bachelor’s degree from a university in Finland
| What is evaluated? | Previous studies |
|---|---|
| Admission requirements |
Required previous studies To be considered for admission, the applicant must demonstrate suitability by previous studies. A successful candidate has typically at least 18 ECTS credits of studies in accounting (including both financial accounting and management accounting). In addition, studies in subjects closely related to accounting (for example, corporate finance or business law) are considered an advantage. The programme reserves the right to assess the applicability and sufficiency of the prior studies. Course descriptions of the required previous studies must be explicitly included in the application. It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide adequate information on the content, credits, and grading of the courses. If the previous studies were evaluated on other scale than the ECTS, the applicant must attach an informal description regarding the evaluation scale to the application. |
| Evaluated documents | Transcript(s) of records, degree certificate(s), course descriptions |
| Criticality | Critical (0 points = rejection) |
Please note! Remember to submit course descriptions for the required previous studies.
If your previous studies were evaluated in other scale than the ECTS then you need to attach an informal description regarding the evaluation scale to the application.
| What is evaluated? | Grades of the previous degree(s) |
|---|---|
| Admission requirements |
Applicants are evaluated on the basis of GPA of the degree granting eligibility to apply. Additional studies outside the degree are not considered for GPA. Applicants with a GPA lower than 3.50 are not eligible for admission. If the studies were evaluated on other scale than the ECTS, it is the applicant’s responsibility to provide adequate information on the credits and grading of the courses. |
| Evaluated documents | Transcript(s) of records, degree certificate(s) |
| Criticality | Critical (0 points = rejection) |
| What is evaluated? | Motivation letter (or motivation video) and CV |
|---|---|
| Admission requirements |
Motivation letter (or alternatively, motivation video) in English. The motivation letter should not exceed 300 words. Alternatively, motivation video should not exceed the time limit of 2 minutes. The motivation letter / video should cover at least the following topics:
In case of motivation video, the applicant must include the video file or address (URL) of a video stream to his/her application. The video file or video stream must play in the VLC-application or in the web browser. The applicant is responsible that the address works. |
| Evaluated documents/Method of demonstrating competence | Motivation letter (or motivation video) and CV |
| Criticality | Critical (0 points = rejection) |
Bachelor’s degree from a university of applied science in Finland or from a higher education institution abroad
| What is evaluated? | Previous studies |
|---|---|
| Admission requirements |
Required previous studies To be considered for admission, the applicant must demonstrate suitability by previous studies. A successful candidate has typically at least 18 ECTS credits of studies in accounting (including both financial accounting and management accounting). In addition, studies in subjects closely related to accounting (for example, corporate finance or business law) are considered an advantage. The programme reserves the right to assess the applicability and sufficiency of the prior studies. Course descriptions of the required previous studies must be explicitly included in the application. It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide adequate information on the content, credits, and grading of the courses. If the previous studies were evaluated on other scale than the ECTS, the applicant must attach an informal description regarding the evaluation scale to the application. |
| Evaluated documents | Transcript(s) of records, degree certificate(s), course descriptions |
| Criticality | Critical (0 points = rejection) |
Please note! Remember to submit course descriptions for the required previous studies.
If your previous studies were evaluated in other scale than the ECTS then you need to attach an informal description regarding the evaluation scale to the application.
| What is evaluated? | Grades of the previous degree(s) |
|---|---|
| Admission requirements |
Applicants are evaluated on the basis of GPA of the degree granting eligibility to apply. Additional studies outside the degree are not considered for GPA. Applicants with a GPA lower than 3.50 are not eligible for admission. If the studies were evaluated on other scale than the ECTS, it is the applicant’s responsibility to provide adequate information on the credits and grading of the courses. |
| Evaluated documents | Transcript(s) of records, degree certificate(s) |
| Criticality | Critical (0 points = rejection) |
| What is evaluated? | Analytical and quantitative skills |
|---|---|
| Admission requirements | Applicants are evaluated on the basis of their GMAT/GRE score. GMAT or GRE is obligatory in admission group 2 (minimum score 550 in GMAT, 515 in GMAT Focus edition or GRE score of 154 verbal reasoning - 155 quantitative reasoning). |
| Evaluated documents | GMAT/ GRE test results |
| Criticality | Critical (0 points = rejection) |
| What is evaluated? | Motivation letter (or motivation video) and CV |
|---|---|
| Admission requirements |
Motivation letter (or alternatively, motivation video) in English. The motivation letter should not exceed 300 words. Alternatively, motivation video should not exceed the time limit of 2 minutes. The motivation letter / video should cover at least the following topics:
In case of motivation video, the applicant must include the video file or address (URL) of a video stream to his/her application. The video file or video stream must play in the VLC-application or in the web browser. The applicant is responsible that the address works. |
| Evaluated documents | Motivation letter (or motivation video) and CV |
| Criticality | Critical (0 points = rejection) |
The academic evaluation for the Master’s Programme in Accounting is done based on the following programme-specific documents:
Please also remember to check the general document requirements for all master’s applicants.
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