Master of Professional Accounting

What is this course about?

CSU's Master of Professional Accounting program is designed to build upon previous non-accounting undergraduate studies and work experience, and to add conceptual depth by concentrating on studies in accounting and related disciplines.

The purpose of the Master of Professional Accounting is to provide a generalised professional accounting education to graduates of non-accounting disciplines and to satisfy the academic requirements of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and CPA Australia.

The Master of Professional Accounting is designed for students looking for a change in career, and opens the way to many vocational choices in areas of financial management, public practice, commerce and industry, government and semi-government organisations, and accounting education.

The Master of Professional Accounting will prepare students to:

• undertake and evaluate the conceptual basis of accounting and financial decision making
• understand, evaluate and apply the principles of current accounting practice
• recognise and analyse the impact of the business environment on accounting theory and its application, including the regulatory requirements controlling the accounting process
• understand and be able to apply principles and analytical techniques from economics, commercial law, business communications and quantitative methods in the accounting context.

Flexible offering

The Master of Professional Accounting supersedes the Master of Accountancy and allows for more flexibility in enrolment structures.

As with all our courses, the Master of Professional Accounting and articulated programs are designed and delivered with study flexibility in mind. Our students choose between full-time and part-time study options so as to fit in with work and lifestyle commitments. You could choose to study just one subject in an academic session or with approval, fast-track degree completion by undertaking three or four subjects per session.

This course is available by distance education and on campus at Wagga Wagga and the CSU Study Centres in Sydney and Melbourne. The course is offered across a three session academic year with sessions commencing in February, July and November each year.

The Master of Professional Accounting has a minimum full-time duration of three sessions, however actual duration is dependent on subject availability and the session of commencement.

The Master of Professional Accounting, Graduate Diploma of Professional Accounting and Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting are offered by distance learning at Charles Sturt University.

The courses are also available at the CSU Study Centres in Sydney and Melbourne for domestic and international students.

At the Study Centres, the Graduate Diploma in Accounting is an entry pathway for the Master of Professional Accounting (16 subjects). Applicants who have completed the Graduate Diploma of Accounting will be awarded credit for those subjects upon admission to the Master of Professional Accounting (16 subjects).

Further study

After completing the Master of Professional Accounting, graduates may consider undertaking the Chartered Accounting program with the Institute of Chartered Accountants or the CPA program with CPA Australia.

Access to allowances for study

The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) now offers student income support to students undertaking study in a number of professionally-oriented Master by coursework degrees.

Eligible students undertaking approved Master degrees will be able to access Youth Allowance, AUSTUDY, ABSTUDY or Pensioner Education Supplement. To be eligible for student income support through Youth Allowance and AUSTUDY, students will still need to be studying full-time and to satisfy all other Youth Allowance and AUSTUDY program requirements, including personal, parental or partner income tests.  Students who have queries about masters courses and their income support entitlements should contact Centrelink on 13 2490 for further information.

More information from DEEWR

Professional recognition

These courses are accredited by CPA Australia, and the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia.

Career opportunities include vocational choices such as:

• financial management
• public practice
• commerce and industry
• government and semi-government organisations
• accounting education.