In Corporate Finance, we provide the advice that enables organisations on both sides of a transaction to navigate challenges successfully. Whether we're advising sellers or buyers, we create holistic solutions that add real value. On this programme you’ll have the opportunity to experience and build your skills in acquisitions, disposals, mergers and IPOs across a range of markets and sectors. It is at the sharp end of business strategy, where you're recognised for the impact you make and the leadership you show. It makes life as a graduate here exciting, fast-paced – and incredibly rewarding.
In our Debt Advisory team we help companies refinance existing debt, fund future growth, with Corporate Finance, or raise debt to fund shareholder reorganisations. The team also helps companies facing underperformance and needing to renegotiate with their lenders.
As a market leader, we are consistently ranked amongst the most active corporate finance advisors globally and the deals we advise on are often international. We work with a range of clients including both private and public companies, the Public Sector, private equity houses, leading financial institutions and individuals across Corporate Finance. You might find yourself helping a business prepare for exit or looking at which companies could be open to acquisition in a particular market. We operate within a robust framework but, as you grow in experience, you'll have the opportunity to shape the strategies behind our clients' decisions and help to influence their successes.
This 3 year programme will give you an insight into the world of business, through structured training, and support to study for the ACA qualification, as well as coaching from a supportive community. You'll develop a broad commercial awareness, and build an end-to-end understanding of the deal and economic cycle, all whilst working with a supportive team of colleagues and leaders.
We're looking for people with analytical skills, resilience, an entrepreneurial spirit and who are collaborative. You'll be keen to share your ideas and build relationships with internal teams and external stakeholders. Like us, you'll welcome varied perspectives and value the differences that lead to stronger insights and innovation.
Our firm’s hybrid working model balances the flexibility of working from home with the importance of collaborating and learning in offices or at client sites. We trust our people to be where our clients need them to be, with our client-facing colleagues working together in person as often as needed. You’ll be empowered by the technology that supports us to work flexibly and our collaborative offices spaces, building friendships and shared experiences, innovating and learning together.
Join us and have the KPMG community at your side, supporting you to be at your best as you grow in your own way and make your mark.
Programme summary
Programme overview
Capability: Deal Advisory
Programme length: 3 years
Qualifications: ACA
Entry requirements
At KPMG, everyone brings a unique perspective, and we want to ensure that you have the best opportunity to demonstrate your potential. We want to discover your individual strengths and attributes to help us to know whether you’ll enjoy working here and how you’ll thrive. That’s why we operate an open access policy and an application process that will assess both your qualifications and your qualities.
Generally, you’ll be expected to demonstrate the following grades (*or equivalents), to show that you’re able to successfully study for professional qualifications. If you are a few grades or points short, we would still encourage you to apply, as your application will be reviewed together with your performance in our assessments. You‘ll also have the opportunity to provide additional information for us to assess your application and potential in the context of your socio-economic background and/or any extenuating circumstances, which may have a positive uplift on your academic achievements through contextual recruitment. You can find out more here.
- GCSE Maths Grade 5 or B*
- GCSE English Language Grade 5 or B*
- 120 UCAS points* from your ‘top’ 3 A Level grades, excluding General Studies
- 2:1 undergraduate degree in any discipline.
Key skills
Throughout the recruitment process we will be looking to learn more about your strengths.
To be successful on this programme, you will be required to demonstrate the strengths that we look for in our graduates at KPMG.
Learn more about what we look for and how to apply here.
Training and development
The training and development of our people is critical to the future success of our business. We want to empower you to grow in your own way, to feed your curiosity and embrace a growth mindset in an environment where learning is continuous. Therefore, we have created a rich curriculum and learning community to help you build your skills and fulfil your potential. This ranges from an immersive 5-day induction experience to help you transition to the world of work, formal training courses, leadership knowledge bites, learning journals, online courses and networking events – all aligned to our ‘learn for a lifetime’ strategy designed to help you gain an advantage for life.
In addition, in Corporate Finance, we offer the ACA or equivalent CA qualification. The Accelerated Programme is KPMG’s ACA offering. This is a front-loaded programme which uses innovative technology and is delivered via a blend of online and in-centre classroom courses. The ACA Accelerated programme enables you to upskill quickly, so you can make your mark. For the first year of your training contract, you will focus purely on your professional qualification, by completing 12 out of 15 ACA exams. You will also have opportunities to reconnect with your home department and peer group, as well as complete internal training and extra skills sessions. The entire programme is supported by a wide range of mechanisms that will be applied by your tuition provider (BPP) and KPMG’s dedicated Early Careers Development team.
If you join a Scottish office we support our equivalent CA qualification and therefore you will study towards your ICAS qualification. This newly designed programme enables you to sit the majority of the ICAS exams in your first year, provides you with innovative technology to support your learning experience and also enables you to upskill quickly. You will also have opportunities to reconnect with your home department and peer group, as well as complete internal training and extra skills sessions. The entire programme is supported by a wide range of mechanisms that will be applied by ICAS and KPMG’s dedicated Early Careers Development team.
For both programmes in the remaining two years of your training contract, you will concentrate on building up a fantastic range of work experience, complete your exams and will have the technical knowledge to apply to your role in the workplace. These programmes have been structured with you in mind and truly empowers you to accelerate your learning journey at KPMG.
Additional important information
Please visit our Applying to KPMG page to discover more about our application process.
Visit our International Students page to find out more about visas and requirements.
For anything else, please refer to our FAQ section.
Case study
Rani
Rani initially gained an insight into KPMG through our undergraduate programmes when she was an Economics student at the University of Birmingham and found she enjoyed the culture of the firm.
“In the first year of my degree, I attended the KPMG Insight Programme. I especially liked how people-centred the firm is. It was through that programme that I was offered an internship which I also really enjoyed. That led me onto the graduate scheme.
I like having different tasks and trying things that are completely new to me. I’m working in Transaction Services, which is focused on the early stages of a deal. A typical example of our work is when a client asks us to help them sell their company, we’ll look into the accounts, do due diligence and produce a report to give to the buyers.
Our partners often ask you to research a company. That involves searching across everything from news to relevant mergers – to then share back with them. I find it really interesting. It’s great to have that kind of responsibility and partners are genuinely interested in what you think.