A key link between Griffith Business School and CPA Australia is set to provide a new impetus for graduates planning a career in accounting.
Griffith University has registered with CPA Australia as a Registered Tuition Provider for the CPA Program, meaning graduates planning to take the CPA Program professional level examinations have an opportunity to prepare and study for the rigorous industry exams in a structured, university setting.
Two flagship programs, starting in early 2014, will equip students for the CPA Program challenge while also adding a postgraduate accounting qualification to their undergraduate degree.
Classes in the Master of Professional Accounting (2.5 years) and the Master of Accounting (1.5 years) will be run full-time at Griffith’s Nathan campus.
“The combination of CPA Program tuition and a Master’s degree distinguishes Griffith from all other universities in Queensland,” Professor Peter Best, Griffith Business School, said.
Professor Best is head of the accounting discipline at Griffith’s Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics and is a member of the Queensland Divisional Council of CPA Australia.
He says the postgraduate programs will be shaped and scheduled for students aiming at the CPA Program, with university exams providing a timely and relevant precursor to CPA Program exams.
Course content will address the extensive accounting knowledge covered by the internationally-recognised CPA Program. This ranges from strategy development in a global business environment to the most up-to-date teaching on financial reporting, ethics, auditing and financial risk management.
Accounting graduates who complete the CPA Program join a globally-recognised accountancy network incorporating more than 144,000 members, thus opening up personal and professional opportunities across Australia and around the world.
“For graduates who have just finished university and are now considering the CPA Program examinations, this is an option that offers a structured learning process,” Professor Best said.
“It provides an engaging study group environment with feedback from experienced instructors, a situation that is not available when someone is working full-time and is left to their own devices to study for the CPA Program examinations after work and at weekends.”
Part-time options will also be available for each program at Nathan, while the Gold Coast campus will host a part-time option for the Master of Accounting. The courses specifically providing support for CPA Program will be taught at the South Bank and Gold Coast campuses.
The Master of Professional Accounting enables non-accounting university graduates to gain an accounting qualification accredited by the Australian professional accounting bodies. Students achieve Associate membership with CPA Australia and also are supported in their study of the CPA Program.
“For someone with an engineering degree, for example, this program offers them a great opportunity to exploit both disciplines and effectively take a double degree into the job market,” Professor Best said. “There is a wide range of disciplines that can be combined with accounting to great effect.”
The Master of Accounting enables university accounting graduates to complete a Master’s degree while studying the CPA Program professional level examinations.