stand out from the crowd

MSc in International Consultancy and Accounting at the University of Reading

excellent job prospects for qualified graduates

A fast growing industry

The consultancy industry has been growing rapidly

in recent years and is set to continue its development

and expansion in the future.

Large service providers

International accountancy firms have become major

players among the large, integrated service providers

in the consulting industry.

Excellent job prospects

International consultancy and accountancy firms

recruit large numbers of qualified graduates each year.

5

A Specialist Degree

The MSc in International Consultancy and Accounting is primarily intended for

graduates with a background in accounting, business or management studies,

economics and other social sciences wishing to pursue a career in a consultancy

firm or in the consulting arm of an international accountancy firm. It requires

some background in accounting (at least one module at the undergraduate level or

its equivalent). A two-day, intensive refresher course is offered to those who want

to improve their knowledge of accounting before the start of the Autumn term.

Excellence in Business and Management

In the latest exercise to assess research quality in 1996, Reading was one out of

only ten institutions in England and Wales to receive a top (5) rating in business

and management.

The MSc is offered through the Graduate Centre of International Business,

which also offers a generalist MSc in International Management. Both Masters

share a commitment towards academic quality combined with a practical

orientation.The Graduate Centre of International Business attracts large

numbers of students from around the world each year. Reading also houses

the innovative ISMA Centre which provides research and training in the

financial and securities markets.

Expertise in Consulting and Accounting

Reading has a long tradition and excellent reputation in research and teaching

related to consulting and accounting. The Course Director of the MSc worked

with an international strategy consultancy before joining Reading. He is currently

carrying out a major EU-funded research project on the contribution of consultants

to the ‘Creation of European Management Practice’.

The PriceWaterhouseCoopers Professor of Accounting is another member of

the staff, and also sits on the Board of the International Accounting Standards

Committee. Many other members of staff provide consulting services to business,

international organisations and government.

a tailored and recognised qualification

7

the masters courseThe MSc introduces students to key aspects of consulting and international

accounting through a compulsory core. It also provides a large number of

different options for further specialisation. It is taught full-time over 12 months.

Course overview

Autumn Term Lent Term Summer

(October–December) ( January–March) ( June–September)

Introduction to Consultancy

International Accounting I

Analytical Techniques and

Information Sources

Option 1

Consulting Practice

International Accounting II

Option 2

Option 3

Dissertation or

Internship with final report

The Core

Introduction to Consultancy gives an overview of the consulting industry and

its evolution, the role of consultancies in the diffusion of new management

know-how and the ways in which they work as organisations.

Consulting Practice uses case studies to introduce students to some of

the major consulting firms and their services, including for example corporate

strategy and organisation, business process re-engineering and lean management.

International Accounting is taught over two terms. In the Autumn term,

it gives an overview of the development and current state of different

international accounting practices both at a country and a company level.

In the Lent term, it looks at some of the major issues in international

accounting, including corporate taxation, transfer pricing, currency

translation and harmonisation of financial reporting.

Analytical Techniques and Information Sources is taught in the Autumn

term only. It provides an overview of practical tools, including for example

the use of computer spreadsheets and the internet as a resource.

(An alternative option may be chosen by students who are considered

to have enough relevant experience).

8

The Options

The following options are available to students taking the MSc in International

Consultancy and Accounting. Those taught in both terms have to be followed

from October through to March.

Autumn term only

International Marketing looks at market research, brand development

and management, marketing strategies etc. in an international context.

International Financial Markets and Institutions offers an introduction

to the working of global financial markets and corporate finance.

Theories of International Business discusses the most widely used

explanations for the globalisation of business and their implications

for management practice.

Lent term only

IT for Business provides an introduction to some of the widely used

business software packages.

Human Resource Management looks at issues such as recruitment and

training, incentive and remuneration schemes, corporate culture, managing

expatriation.

Crisis Management presents different ways to diagnose and analyse crisis

situations in companies and provides an overview of turnaround strategies.

International Competition Policy discusses the responses of business

and government to international collaboration, mergers and acquisitions.

Evolution of International Business analyses the sources of competitive

advantage of multinationals from different countries and in different sectors

over time.

Research & Development in the Multinational Enterprise presents and

assesses different strategies for the location and management of R&D efforts

in the global environment.

9

Both terms

Technological Innovation and International Competitiveness looks at the

innovation and learning process of companies and its implications for their

strategies in global competition.

● Further details on each of the above core and optional course units are available upon request.

Please note that all of them are offered subject to availability. While every effort is made to offer

the course units described in this brochure, the University reserves the right not to offer certain

units in any given year.

The Assessment

The overall result is based on a combination of assessment throughout each

term and final exams. Methods of continuous assessment vary from unit to

unit, but usually include essays, tests and/or case studies. All core and optional

units are examined in May and June. Over the summer, students will also have

to write a dissertation of at least 10,000 words to be handed in by 20th

September. Alternatively, we will help qualified students to arrange an

internship of not less than two months with an accountancy or consultancy

firm about which they should write a report of about 5,000 words.

11

the staffTeaching for the core and optional units of the MSc in International

Consultancy and Accounting is provided by staff with a wide range of expertise.

These include:

Consultancy and Accounting

Professor Christopher Nobes is PriceWaterhouseCoopers Professor of

Accounting and also a member of the Board of the International Accounting

Standards Committee. He has authored, co-authored and edited numerous

volumes on comparative and international accounting.

Dr Matthias Kipping, the Course Director, is a Reader in European

Management. He has published widely on the role of consultancies

and management education as well as business-government relations

in an historical and comparative perspective. He was also an advisor to a

documentary on management consulting screened on Channel 4 in the UK.

International Business

Professor John Dunning has pioneered the study of the economics of the

multinational enterprise and is the author, co-author and editor of 40 books

and over 400 articles on the subject. He is the Chairman of the Graduate

Centre of International Business, and Chairman of Economists Advisory Group,

a well-experienced London based consultancy which specialises in advising

governments and corporations.

Professor Geoffrey Jones has published widely on the evolution of international

business, specialising in the service sector. He is currently leading a large project

concerned with the development of Unilever since 1965.

Business Strategy

Professor Michael Utton is an expert on competition and industrial policy,

a subject on which he has published many articles and books.

Dr Simon Booth is a recognised specialist on crisis management. He has

also participated in a world-wide research project on business leadership.

12

International Management

Dr Lina Gálvez Muñoz has extensive expertise on management in Southern

Europe. She is also an expert on gender issues in management.

Dr Yelena Kalyuzhnova has conducted extensive research on management and

economics in transition economies. She is the Director of the University’s

Centre for Euro-Asian Studies.

Dr Uma Kambhampati has conducted research and published on the

management of companies in the Indian corporate sector.

Dr Christine Phillips specialises in Asian Management. Her main research

interests are Chinese and Taiwanese firms.

Technology, Innovation and Competitiveness

Professor John Cantwell has (co-)authored numerous articles and books on

technology and innovation, based on his pioneering research on the use of

patent statistics as an indicator for technological competitiveness.

Mr Robert Pearce has written extensively on the internationalisation of

research and development as well as international technology management.

13

Entrepreneurship

Professor Mark Casson has published widely on entrepreneurship as well

as on the economics of trust, information and business culture.

Dr Anuradha Basu has recently completed a major research project on Asian

entrepreneurs in Britain.

Visiting Professors

In addition, Reading also has a number of visiting professors, especially from

leading Japanese universities. Other distinguished scholars associated with

Reading include Professors Peter Buckley and Alan M. Rugman, both experts

of the multinational enterprise, Robert Locke, renowned for his pioneering

work on management education, and David Storey, a leading specialist on

small firms.

15

the environmentFollowing the MSc in International Consultancy and Accounting gives you the

opportunity to study in an international and supportive environment within

beautiful surroundings and in easy reach of London and Oxford.

The Graduate Centre

The Graduate Centre of International Business provides dedicated teaching

facilities. The Centre also has its own resource room which offers access to on-

line business information and displays relevant discussion papers and journals

from around the world.

Students have access to the University’s computer facilities and to the

institution-wide language programme which offers courses in many European

languages at different levels, as well as in introductory Japanese.

The University also provides a comprehensive Careers Advisory Service which

will assist Masters students in finding a suitable job.

The Campus

The University of Reading is one of the oldest in Britain. It was founded as

an extension college of Oxford University in 1892 and received its own Royal

Charter in 1926. It is located in a beautiful landscaped park with rich fauna and

flora on the outskirts of Reading. The campus also houses a modern sports

centre and most of the halls of residence which are open to our Masters

students.

Central Location

Reading is located in the picturesque Thames Valley some 40 miles west of

London. It is a major centre of the information technology industry in the UK

and home to the European headquarters of many multinationals. Fast trains to

central London run several times an hour and take less than 25 minutes. Oxford

can be reached by train in half an hour. There are also frequent and easy

connections by bus or train to Heathrow and Gatwick airports as well as

the Eurostar terminal at London Waterloo.

16

information and applicationAdditional information on the Graduate Centre of International Business

and the MSc in International Consultancy and Accounting can be obtained

by visiting our Website on www.rdg.ac.uk/GCIB. You can also contact the

Course Director, Dr Matthias Kipping via e-mail: m.kipping@reading.ac.uk

or fax: +44 (118) 975 0236.

To apply, complete the form in the back pocket of this brochure and send

it to the following address where you can also obtain additional copies:

Postgraduate Admissions Office

Faculty of Letters and Social Sciences

The University of Reading

PO Box 218

Reading rg6 6aa, uk