Master of Practising Accounting

The Master of Practising Accounting offers students the opportunity to specialise in accounting for professional recognition.

Accounting is the language of business and the skills taught in this program are relevant to many areas of professional interest, including marketing, economic forecasting, finance and engineering.

Knowledge of accounting and finance can help individuals and organisations understand how to use resources (money) to the best advantage.

The program incorporates units from the Master of Professional Accounting, Graduate Diploma of Professional Accounting and Graduate Certificate of Professional Accounting.

The Master of Practising Accounting offers participants the opportunity to specialise in accounting for professional recognition. Accounting is the language of business, and skills are relevant to many areas of professional interest: marketing, economic forecasting, finance, engineering and many others. Knowledge of accounting and finance can help individuals and business organisations understand how to use money (resources) to the best advantage. Gaining and maintaining wealth are important elements in a market economy.

To qualify for the award of Master of Practising Accounting (MA-PRACC), students must complete 16 units of study (200 credit points) comprising of:

• 12 core units of study (150 credit points)
• 4 specialist units of study (50 credit points)

Units of study

Students must successfully complete all core units listed below (each unit 12.5 credit points):

ACC60008 Accounting Systems and Reporting ACC60006 Accounting Information Systems FIN60003 Business Modelling and Analysis LAW60003 Corporations and Contract Law BUS80003 Research Methodology FIN80002 Business and Entity Valuations FIN80005 Corporate Financial Management ACC80006 Financial Reporting ACC80008 Managerial Accounting ECO80001 Economics ACC80003 Company Auditing ACC80005 Financial Accounting Theory ACC80012 Taxation Principles and Planning FIN80018 Derivatives and Risk Management FIN80020 Financial Planning ACC80011 Strategic Cost Management FIN80004 Capital Markets

*Outcome units - matched exemptions are generally not granted for higher education outcome units.

A recognised bachelor degree Successful completion of the Graduate Certificate of Professional Accounting or Graduate Diploma of Professional Accounting. Note: Applicants without a recognised bachelor degree but have relevant professional experience* may be admitted to the Graduate Certificate of Professional Accounting. Students with a recognised bachelor degree who wish to undertake a two-year course are also eligible to apply.* Relevant professional experience: If this includes work experience, documents substantiating work experience need to be provided on company letterhead and clearly detail roles as well as duties and duration of posts held.

The Master of Practising Accounting (MA-PRACC) is aimed at applicants who:

• do not have a formal undergraduate qualification but have significant, relevant professional experience; or
• graduates of non-accounting disciplines who wish to complete a two-year qualification at the level of Master leading to eligibility for membership of a professional accounting body.

The aims and objectives of the course are to:

• deliver high quality accounting education to appropriately qualified candidates
• ensure graduates will have demonstrated mastery across all learning outcomes
• position Swinburne University of Technology as a leading institution in delivering relevant business education in the area of accounting
• maintain quality and currency of teaching through ongoing review
• provide graduates with a qualification, which will provide eligibility for admission into a number of accrediting professional bodies

At completion of the Master of Practising Accounting, graduates should be able to:

• apply coherent and advanced knowledge of accounting and business concepts in diverse contexts and applications using critical thinking
• apply problem solving, design and decision making methodologies to identify and provide innovative solutions to complex problems with intellectual independence
• communicate proficiently in professional practice to a variety of audiences, function as an effective member or leader of a diverse team, and use advanced tools and practices of accounting within project work
• demonstrate professionalism, integrity, ethical conduct, professional accountability and a deep awareness of professional practices in a global and sustainable context
• apply accounting fundamentals to the analysis, design and operation of a business model using appropriate accounting methods and tools, applied in a variety of contexts
• apply knowledge of research principles and methods to plan and execute a piece of research with some independence
• reflect on and take responsibility for their own learning and self-management processes, and manage their own time and processes effectively by regularly reviewing performance as a means of managing continuing professional development and lifelong learning.