Master of Professional Accounting (MPAcc)
| Course Code | FC055 |
| Course Type | Postgraduate |
| Credit Points Required | 72 |
| CRICOS code | 058362F |
Description
The accounting program draws on the strengths of the Faculty of Economics and Business to assist students in developing the knowledge and skills required for accreditation with professional accountancy bodies and as a foundation for a career in professional accountancy. The program offers specialized education in accounting, business law and finance, with electives in economics, econometrics, information systems and all areas of study taught in the Faculty of Economics and Business.
This degree is also available as part of a two-year combined degree program with the Master of Commerce. For details, please refer to the Master of Commerce and Master of Professional Accounting.
Course Rules
To be awarded the Master of Professional Accounting, students will successfully complete a total of 12 units of study (72 credit points), consisting of the following:
- eight compulsory units of study (48 credit points)
- four elective units of study (24 credit points) from postgraduate units of study offered by the Faculty of Economics and Business (See 'Subject areas for elective units of study' for details of where electives maybe chosen)*
* Note. Students who wish to complete the requirements for CPA or ICAA accreditation must complete a defined set of elective units of study. Please refer to the information under the heading 'Accreditation requirements' below for details of these required units of study.
Compulsory Units of Study
- ACCT5001 Accounting Principles
- ACCT5002 Managerial Accounting and Decision Making
- CLAW5001 Legal Environment of Business
- FINC5001 Capital Markets and Corporate Finance
- ACCT6001 Intermediate Financial Reporting
- ACCT6007 Contemporary Issues in Auditing
- ACCT6010 Advanced Financial Reporting
- CLAW6002 Corporations Law
Subject Areas for Elective Units of Study
* Note.These subject areas are not available for 2009/2010.
Accreditation Requirements
CPA Australia Accreditation
Students who wish to apply for CPA Australia accreditation must complete in addition to the eight compulsory units, the following elective units of study as their four electives in the Master of Professional Accounting degree:
- CLAW6026 Concepts of Australian Taxation *
- ECMT5001 Principles of Econometrics
- ECON5003 Economics for Accountants ** OR (ECON5001 Microeconomic Theory AND ECON5002 Macroeconomic Theory)
- Either INFS5000 Information and Systems in Organisations (formerly titled 'Business Information Systems' in 2009) OR INFS6001 Managing Information and Systems (formerly titled 'BIS Management' in 2009) OR ACCT6014 Designing Accounting Systems
* Note. Students wishing to apply for CPA accreditation may choose to take the unit of study CLAW6026 Concepts of Australian Taxation as either an elective in their degree at University to meet CPA requirements or as part of the postgraduate CPA program once they have completed their degree.
** Note. This unit of study is only available to students enrolled in the Master of Professional Accounting and related combined degrees
ICAA Accreditation
Students who wish to apply for ICAA accreditation must complete in addition to the eight compulsory units of study, the following elective unit of study as part of their four electives in the Master of Professional Accounting degree:
Enrolment Guide
Students should check the particular requirements for accreditation with CPA Australia or ICAA to ensure that they select the appropriate elective units of study. Students wishing to have accreditation with CPA or ICAA should refer to the information under the heading 'Accreditation requirements' for details of the required elective units of study they will need to complete.
Degree Progression Examples
Generic Degree Progression Example
| Year / Semester | Unit of study 1 | Unit of study 2 | Unit of study 3 | Unit of study 4 | Total credit points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 Semester 1 | Accounting Principles | Legal Environment of Business | Capital Markets and Corporate Finance; | elective | 24 |
Year 1 | Managerial Accounting and Decision Making | Intermediate Financial Reporting | Corporations Law | elective | 24 |
| Year 2 Semester 1 | Contemporary Issues in Auditing | Advanced Financial Reporting | elective | elective | 24 |
The following tables illustrate program of study examples for CPA Australia or ICAA accreditation requirements in the Master of Professional Accounting degree.
Please Note: The information listed in these program of study examples are meant as a guide only. Students should always check the requirements for individual units of study(see information at the bottom of this webpage. Students are advised to plan their degree based upon their individual needs and to contact the Student Information Office if they need any assistance in planning their progression in their degree.
Master of Professional Accounting - CPA Accreditation Requirements
The following program of study illustrates the progression of a full-time student completing four units of study per semester to meet CPA accreditation requirements in the Master of Professional Accounting.
In this table the term 'CPA elective' refers to the units of study ECMT5001 Principles of Econometrics, ECON5003 Economics for Accountants, or one of INFS5000 Information and Systems in Organisations, INFS6001 Managing Information and Systems or ACCT6014 Designing Accounting Systems
| Year / Semester | Unit of study 1 | Unit of study 2 | Unit of study 3 | Unit of study 4 | Total credit points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 Semester 1 | Accounting Principles | Legal Environment of Business | Capital Markets and Corporate Finance; OR CPA elective* | Capital Markets and Corporate Finance; OR CPA elective * | 24 |
| Year 1 Semester 2 | Managerial Accounting and Decision Making | Intermediate Financial Reporting | Corporations Law | Capital Markets and Corporate Finance; OR CPA elective * | 24 |
| Year 2 Semester 1 | Contemporary Issues in Auditing | Advanced Financial Reporting | Concepts of Australian Taxation | Capital Markets and Corporate Finance; OR CPA elective * | 24 |
* Note: Students must complete all these units of study. Most of these units are offered for both Semester 1 and Semester 2 enrolments and have no prerequisite requirements. Therefore they can be completed in any order.
Please Note: This program of study example is meant to be a guide only. Students may be able to undertake the required units of study for this degree in a different sequence to that listed above. Students should also note that this example has been developed using 2010 offerings of units of study and there is no guarantee that the units listed above will be offered in the same semesters in the years after 2010. Units of study listed above may also be available in Summer or Winter School sessions.
Master of Professional Accounting - ICAA Accreditation Requirements
The following program of study illustrates the progression of a full-time student completing four units of study per semester to meet ICAA accreditation requirements in the Master of Professional Accounting.
| Year / Semester | Unit of study 1 | Unit of study 2 | Unit of study 3 | Unit of study 4 | Total credit points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 Semester 1 | Accounting Principles | Legal Environment of Business | Capital Markets and Corporate Finance | elective | 24 |
| Year 1 Semester 2 | Managerial Accounting and Decision Making | Intermediate Financial Reporting | Corporations Law | elective | 24 |
| Year 2 Semester 1 | Contemporary Issues in Auditing | Advanced Financial Reporting | Concepts of Australian Taxation | elective | 24 |
Please Note: This program of study example is meant to be a guide only. Students may be able to undertake the required units of study for this degree in a different sequence to that listed above. Students should also note that this example has been developed using 2010 offerings of units of study and there is no guarantee that the units listed above will be offered in the same semesters in the years after 2010. Units of study listed above may also be available in Summer or Winter School sessions.
Entry Requirements
For entry into this course, students must have either a completed bachelor's degree, graduate diploma, graduate certificate from a recognised from a recognised tertiary institution with a minimum Credit (65 per cent) grade average.
For details of the English language requirements for entry into this course, please refer to the webpage titled 'English Language Requirements for International Students' under the Admissions information on the University's website.
Duration of Course
Full-time: A typical full-time student would undertake three or four units of study per semester, completing the 12 units in between three and four semesters (1.5 to two years).
Part-time: Students undertake one or two units per semester, typically completing the program in three to six years.