Big Four Auditor to Lancaster MSc Accounting and Financial Management

Updated 2026/10/16

Today’s guest is Rover, who graduated in accounting from Soochow University and worked in audit at a Big Four firm. She shares how she got into the master’s in Accounting and Financial Management at Lancaster University in the UK!

About Lancaster’s MS Accounting & Financial Management

Lancaster’s popular MSc Accounting and Financial Management has these required courses: Foundations of Finance, Introduction to Accounting, Introduction to Financial Markets, Introduction to Quantitative Methods, Principles of Financial Reporting, and Quantitative Methods in Finance.

The program mixes theory and practice and uses real cases to build skills and understanding. Students learn the principles of financial reporting and the foundations of finance, and take courses such as financial statement analysis, management accounting and advanced investment management. Throughout the program, students get career support from the school, including one-on-one advising. To help them stand out in the job market, students can build practical skills such as data analysis and programming (Python, R, Stata, MATLAB and SAS), and can even get training on platforms such as Bloomberg and FactSet.

Internships, extracurriculars, volunteering, scholarships and honors

I didn’t do any internships in college, but I was in clubs: I played on my department’s badminton team and helped organize an invitational tournament. I’m also a certified lifeguard~

[How I applied] An agency or DIY?

I applied through an agency at first, because I didn’t really understand the application process and I had done a short study trip with that agency in high school. If your English is good, though, I’d suggest doing it yourself or getting only partial help.

Why did you choose this field? What did you consider?

At first, based on what I thought was realistic and the skills gap I saw coming in the finance industry, I wanted to learn programming plus finance. So I was considering Business Analysis, and the agency also recommended BA.

While narrowing down programs, though, talking things through with friends reminded me that my original plan had been Finance. Also, compared with schools in continental Europe, UK schools have the advantage of not requiring the GMAT (they’ll consider it), but they care more about GPA (relative standing). And when I looked more closely at Finance, I found that pure Finance leans toward modeling research.

With all that in mind, I went back and looked at Accounting and Financial (Management), and realized the curriculum depends on how each school designs it. It isn’t always very accounting-focused, for example at the University of Manchester, Lancaster or Exeter. If you want to get away from accounting, the practical thing is to read the course content yourself!

Why did you end up choosing this school?

I chose Lancaster because it was my second choice. I ranked schools by combining how each one structured its courses with the program’s world ranking. My first choice was UoM, and when I didn’t get in, it came down to my second choice. I also got into my third choice, Exeter, but Lancaster’s curriculum matched what I wanted better.

How did you structure your CV? How did you decide what to include?

For my CV, I looked at examples from friends who had applied to UK and US schools, plus a first draft the agency gave me. Since it was for school applications, I put education first, but I didn’t list my GPA because it wasn’t great. Next came my work experience, which carried the most weight and was a plus for me, because both of my previous jobs were at well-known companies. Last, I added some extracurriculars from college and showed my other skills.

Which experience made you stand out from other applicants?

I think my work experience helped a lot (laughing through tears). I was only at the firm for two years, but I worked with almost every type of financial company, and by the end I was in charge of engagements.

What are the basic requirements? What kind of profile helps an application?

A bachelor’s degree in a business-related field, with no other requirements, and IELTS overall 7 with no band below 6. It helps to show a deeper understanding of the field, for example that your work experience made you want to study it, and to show your leadership and other abilities.

Where would you recommend looking for information about grad school?

The finance world does care about a school’s reputation and world ranking, no question. So I took the UK schools in the top 100 of the QS and Times graduate subject rankings and went through their courses one by one.

Once you were working, how did you balance studying and applying?

I talked it over with my family and took a year off work (a bit like a gap year). I used the time to be with my family while studying for the IELTS and thinking through everything I needed for my applications. I hadn’t spent real time with my family in years, and I expect the next few years will be the same, so I stopped to get ready before setting off again.

How did you handle waiting for offers? Did you have a Plan B if you weren’t admitted?

I did worry, but worrying didn’t seem to help much. For me, the fallback was going back to work. The Big Four are short of people right now, and the finance industry is bringing in new talent. During that time I kept myself up to date on what was happening in Taiwan’s industry.

Tips for IELTS prep? What obstacles did you overcome on the way to passing on your fourth try?

Take a look at this Dcard post I wrote earlier (in Chinese).

Do you regret anything about the application process?

Nothing about the process itself. I only regret that my GPA wasn’t better.

Any advice for younger students, or for others applying to grad school after starting work?

Going back to school after working is a big decision. You’ve enjoyed the freedom of spending your own money, and you may wipe out your savings and take on a lot of debt. I have a lot of romantic ideas about Europe. I know reality might be different, but I still feel a pull toward European culture.

It’s hard to go back to living frugally once you’ve had money. But if you’ve made the decision, and you expect to be able to pay off the debt, then going somewhere with a different culture to grow should be a great experience, don’t you think?

As for studying, I have to admit that work stress can really hurt your memory, and age probably plays a part too, so you’ll likely need more study time. Don’t get discouraged. Keep your brain working and the results will come. To keep growing in today’s world, you have to keep learning and talking with people, and when you’re feeling low, that’s also what keeps you going.

Last and most important: find a program you truly want to study! If you’ve decided to go back and be a student again, you should study something you’re interested in!

Have I wondered whether I shouldn’t have taken a gap year?

Looking back, I’m grateful for my family’s support and for the things I planned to get done during the gap year. As for the financial cost, I can pay it back later, so I’ve relaxed about it. Before that I was under a lot of pressure, because I had no income but kept spending money…

Also, if you’ve decided to take out a loan to study abroad, my advice is to understand the loan terms first (the Ministry of Education and Taipei City programs differ in loan amounts and conditions), and to have enough money of your own for the rest or apply for scholarships. If you can’t find the right resources, you really need to think about whether this investment makes sense for you!