TL;DR: An accounting degree in Sri Lanka can be a four-year honours degree, a UK-awarded finance degree taught locally, or an HND in accounting and finance that builds towards professional exams. Uplift lists accounting and finance programs from KIU University, Esoft Uni, Colombo International Campus and Achievers International Campus. Match the route to your A/L stream and to the professional qualification you plan to add later.
Every company, bank, hospital and government body in Sri Lanka needs people who can keep the numbers right. The question most students face is not whether to study accounting, but which route to take: a degree, a professional qualification, or both.
You do not have to pick only one. Many students combine an accounting degree with exams from a professional body such as CA Sri Lanka, CIMA or ACCA. This guide shows the degree and diploma routes on Uplift and how each one fits that plan.
Degree, HND or professional exams first
There are three common starting points after A/Ls.
A four-year honours degree. This gives you a full degree with time for an internship and a research project. Some programs carry exemptions from professional exams.
An HND in accounting and finance. A shorter qualification that gets you job-ready sooner and can lead to a top-up degree or towards professional exams.
Professional exams on their own. Some students go straight into a professional body's exams and study while working. This guide focuses on the degree and diploma routes listed on Uplift. If you choose this path, read the entry rules on the professional body's own site.
Accounting and finance programs on Uplift
| Program | Institute | Level | Length | Notes from the catalogue |
| BM (Hons) in Accounting | KIU University | Undergraduate | 4 years, full-time | Recognised by the UGC, per the course page |
| BSc (Hons) in Banking and Finance | Esoft Uni | Undergraduate | 3 years | Awarded by London Metropolitan University (UK), LKR 1,620,000 total tuition |
| HND in Business (Accounting and Finance) | Colombo International Campus | HND | 18 months, hybrid | Supports progression towards ACCA, CIMA, CMA and CPA, per the course page |
| Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting and Finance | Achievers International Campus | Postgraduate | 6 months | For graduates moving into finance |
Where a fee is not shown, the institute has not published it on Uplift yet. Ask for a written quote that includes registration and exam charges.
Entry rules at a glance
KIU's BM (Hons) in Accounting accepts either three A/L passes in the Commerce stream including Accounting, or three A/L passes in any stream plus credit passes in Mathematics and in Business and Accounting Studies at O/L. Both must come from one sitting.
The HND in Business (Accounting and Finance) at Colombo International Campus asks for two A/L passes in any stream, or a recognised foundation qualification in business.
Open the BM (Hons) in Accounting at KIU University and the HND in Business (Accounting and Finance) at Colombo International Campus for full details. If finance interests you more than accounting, see the BSc (Hons) in Banking and Finance at Esoft Uni.
How a degree works with professional exams
Professional bodies often give exemptions for papers you have already covered in a recognised degree.
KIU's course page states that the program has agreements with ACCA and CIMA that provide subject exemptions. The Colombo International Campus HND states that it supports progression towards ACCA, CIMA, CMA and CPA.
Exemption rules change and depend on the exact program, so always confirm with the professional body before you enrol. The References list each body's main site as a place to start.
