Graduate Studies in Accounting
Commencing July 2004

Master of Professional Accounting (MPA)
Master of Professional Accounting - Specialisation (MPAS)

Description
These courses offer participants from different academic and experiential backgrounds the opportunity to specialise in accounting for professional recognition purposes. Accounting is often cited as the language of business. People with accounting skills are in high demand in the business and corporate world embracing areas such as finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, banking and information systems, and increasingly such skills are important to groups performing an overview function such as directors.

Master of Professional Accounting (MPA)
This 12 unit course aims to give students who possess the equivalent of an Australian undergraduate or Masters degree[1], in a discipline other than accounting, a chance to retrain, and provides an opportunity to join professional accounting bodies, including CPA Australia, the National Institute of Accountants (NIA) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (ICAA) upon successful completion. Students may choose to exit the course after 4 units and receive a Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting, or after 8 units and receive a Graduate Diploma in Professional Accounting.

Master of Professional Accounting - Specialisation (MPAS)
This 16 unit course (consisting of the 12 unit MPA plus 4 elective units) aims to provide participants with the skills required to train as professional accountants, to gain professional accounting body membership and offers an opportunity for students to specialise in an area of business offering greater academic rigour with a practical focus. This course will be of particular interest to international students who are considering permanently residing in Australia as it fulfils the current requirements laid out by the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs with regard to the Graduate Skilled Migration to Australia program.

Admission Requirements
1. The equivalent of an undergraduate degree or a Masters degree in a non-accounting discipline
or
2. A 4-unit Graduate Certificate or equivalent from a recognised tertiary institution
or
3. Approved relevant work experience or other special circumstances as approved by the Dean of the Faculty of Business or delegated authority.

English Requirements
For entry into all courses, international students must provide evidence of proficiency in the English language. An overall band score of 6+ in the IELTS test or a TOEFL score of 550 or more with a written English score of 5+ is the normal method of demonstrating English language proficiency.

Professional Recognition
To become members of CPA Australia and the ICAA, students without an Undergraduate or Masters degree must complete a professionally accredited 16 unit Masters level course (this can be a 4 unit Graduate Certificate plus a 12 unit MPA). Students with a recognised Undergraduate or Masters degree must complete a professionally accredited 12 unit Masters level course. The courses are accredited with the professional accounting bodies in Australia. Graduates of the MPA and MPAS will satisfy the educational requirements for associate membership of CPA Australia, the entry requirements at the ICAA and membership of the NIA.

Course Structure
The MPA consists of the following 12 units:

Accounting Framework
Statistics for Managers
Economics for Managers
Business Law
Introduction to Financial Management
Financial and Corporate Accounting
Corporate Law and Regulation
Organisational Risk, Technology and Accounting Information Systems
Management and Cost Accounting
Audit and Assurance
Accounting Theory
Australian Taxation Law

The MPAS consists of the 12 units in the MPA plus a choice of 4 electives from postgraduate units offered by the Faculty of Business.

These units may be chosen from any School within the Faculty and it is recommended that they be linked by theme or content (e.g. 4 advanced accounting units).

Exemption Policy
Exemptions may be considered for the MPA where equivalent units have been successfully completed at undergraduate or postgraduate level. For admission to membership the professional accounting bodies will not recognise exemptions given for work experience, short courses or Australian post secondary TAFE sector (or equivalent) units. Therefore no exemptions will be provided on this basis. Exemptions will normally not be granted in the 4 elective units in the MPAS.

International students entering the MPAS under the General Skilled Migration to Australia program must complete 16 units over a minimum of 2 years.

Teaching and Scheduling Details
Students must normally enrol for 4 units per semester for full time study or 2 units per semester for part time study. Units are designed to provide students with an equivalent of 39 hours contact per unit per semester. Classes may be run in a mixture of block mode (e.g. intensive sessions over a period of a few days), intensive weekend mode, scheduled weekly contact and flexible delivery mode (e.g. using WebCT and CD Rom) depending on the unit lecturer.

For further information about international students and study at the University of Tasmania please refer to: http://www.international.utas.edu.au

For more information about the School of Accounting and Corporate Governance please visit: http://www.utas.edu.au/accfin

For specific enquiries about the MPA and MPAS please contact Dr. Trevor Wilmshurst, email: Trevor.Wilmshurst@utas.edu.au, Phone: (from outside Australia) +61362262266; Fax: (from outside Australia) +61362267845

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[1] Applicants with overseas qualifications must have a qualification recognised by the Australian Government National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (NOOSR) as equivalent to at least an Australian Bachelor's or Master's Degree.