About the programme
The Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting and Finance) is an NZQF Level 7 undergraduate degree at Lincoln University that develops accounting and finance professionals for roles in New Zealand and internationally. It carries 360 credits over 3 years of full-time study on the Lincoln University campus, and graduates receive a Bachelor of Commerce with an Accounting and Finance major.
Students learn how organisations design and use financial systems and models to create value. The curriculum meets the academic requirements of the region's professional accounting bodies, including CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ) and ACCA. The degree is also part of the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program, offering a route towards the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Year one covers the commerce core: commercial law, management, economics, marketing, statistics and the fundamentals of accounting and finance. Year two adds financial and management accounting, financial management and investments. In the final year students take corporate financial strategy plus options such as auditing, taxation, international finance, financial institutions and markets, and commodity risk management, completing at least 60 credits of 300-level ACCT and FINC courses. Lincoln specifies which courses support the CFA pathway and which meet professional accounting requirements.
The programme blends academic study with practical skills and suits students who want to keep both the chartered accountant and financial analyst routes open. An additional major or minor may be possible.
Entry requirements
- University Entrance through NCEA or an approved equivalent, with separate guidance for overseas qualifications.
- Applicants whose first language is not English must meet additional English language requirements.
- Accounting and English are highly recommended; computing, business studies, economics, maths or statistics and Māori studies are also useful.
What you study
- Accounting Fundamentals and Finance Fundamentals
- Introduction to Commercial Law
- Economies and Markets
- Financial Accounting
- Management Accounting
- Financial Management
- Investments
- Corporate Financial Strategy
- Auditing and Taxation
- International Finance and Investment Management
Careers after graduation
- Professional accounting and auditing
- Banking and rural banking
- Rural accounting
- Financial consulting and business advisory
- Stock broking and investment analysis
- Insurance and financial control
Post-study work visa
Equal to the length of the programme, 3 years maximum
Depends on the qualification, the length of study and other Immigration New Zealand requirements.
This description is based on the official programme page, checked on 09/09/2026. Ask an NIU adviser about fees and intake dates — the programme page on the Lincoln University website