Quick answer
Good finance and accounting dissertation topics ask a measurable question with data you can access, such as ESG scores and firm value using annual reports. This guide lists 40 topics for 2026 across corporate finance, banking, Islamic finance, ESG, fintech, auditing and Saudi markets, plus methods and data sources.
Finance and accounting dissertations stand or fall on data. A topic is only researchable if you can get the figures you need, in the right form, for enough companies or years. That is why the best finance topics are planned around a data source from the start: annual reports, stock exchange data, central bank statistics or a survey of investors or accountants.
Below are 40 finance and accounting dissertation topics for 2026, grouped by theme, for undergraduate, Master's and MBA students in the UK and Saudi Arabia. After the list you will find the methods and data sources that suit quantitative and qualitative finance research.
Corporate finance dissertation topics
- The relationship between capital structure and profitability among FTSE 350 non-financial firms.
- Do dividend announcements affect share prices? An event study of UK listed companies.
- Working capital management and firm performance in UK small and medium-sized enterprises.
- The impact of board size and independence on firm value in UK listed companies.
- Mergers and acquisitions and shareholder returns: evidence from recent UK deals.
Banking dissertation topics
- The effect of interest rate changes on the profitability of UK banks.
- Customer switching to digital-only banks: drivers and barriers in the UK.
- Non-performing loans and bank-specific factors in Gulf banks.
- Customer trust in AI chatbots for banking services.
- The effect of capital requirements on lending to small businesses.
Islamic finance dissertation topics
- Profitability of Islamic banks compared with conventional banks in Saudi Arabia.
- Factors influencing the adoption of Islamic finance products by Muslim consumers in the UK.
- Sukuk issuance and its role in financing infrastructure in the Gulf.
- Awareness and perceptions of Islamic mortgages among young British Muslims.
- Shariah governance practices and their effect on stakeholder trust.
ESG and sustainable finance dissertation topics
- The relationship between ESG disclosure scores and firm value among UK listed companies.
- Do green bonds offer a pricing advantage? Evidence from European issuers.
- Carbon emissions disclosure and cost of capital in energy-intensive industries.
- Investor attitudes towards ESG funds among UK retail investors.
- Greenwashing risk in sustainability reports: a content analysis of UK firms.
Fintech and digital payments dissertation topics
- The use of 'buy now, pay later' and its effect on young consumers' personal debt.
- Adoption of digital wallets among small merchants in Saudi Arabia.
- Retail investor behaviour on commission-free trading apps.
- Open banking awareness and willingness to share financial data among UK consumers.
- Cryptocurrency investment intentions among university students.
Accounting and auditing dissertation topics
- Audit quality and audit firm size: evidence from UK listed companies.
- How UK SMEs use cloud accounting software, and whether it changes financial decision-making.
- Key audit matters in UK audit reports: what they reveal about company risks.
- Earnings management around CEO changes in UK firms.
- The use of data analytics by external auditors: benefits and challenges.
Behavioural and personal finance topics
- Overconfidence and trading frequency among young retail investors.
- Financial literacy and pension saving decisions among UK employees in their twenties.
- Herding behaviour during periods of market stress.
- The effect of the cost of living on household saving behaviour.
- Gender differences in investment risk-taking among university graduates.
Saudi Arabia and Gulf finance topics
Saudi capital markets have grown quickly under Vision 2030, with more listings on the Saudi Exchange (Tadawul) and the expansion of fintech. These topics suit students who can access Gulf market data.
- Does board diversity influence the financial performance of companies listed on Tadawul?
- IPO underpricing on the Saudi Exchange in recent years.
- Access to finance for Saudi SMEs and the role of government support programmes.
- Oil price changes and stock returns across Saudi market sectors.
- Adoption of open banking and fintech services in Saudi Arabia.
Methods that suit finance and accounting dissertations
- Panel data regression (fixed or random effects) for questions across many companies and years
- Event studies for the market reaction to announcements such as dividends or mergers
- Ratio analysis and trend comparison for case studies of one company or sector
- Content analysis of annual reports, audit reports or sustainability reports
- Surveys or interviews for behavioural topics and questions about how accountants or investors make decisions
- Software: Excel, SPSS, Stata, EViews or R, depending on your programme
Where to find finance and accounting data
- Company annual reports and sustainability reports, free on company websites
- Companies House filings for UK private companies
- Stock exchange data from the London Stock Exchange and the Saudi Exchange (Tadawul)
- Central bank statistics from the Bank of England and the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA)
- Library databases such as FAME, Orbis, Refinitiv or Bloomberg, if your university subscribes
Tip: Check the exact data you need before you commit to a topic. Collecting five years of figures for 50 companies by hand takes far longer than most students expect.
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