CO U R S E S & C A REERS
Bachelor of Accountancy
Also known as Bachelor of Accounting, this degree is
often the only undergraduate degree recognised for
practice as a professional accountant.
Career Options:
Accountant, actuary, appraiser, auditor, credit manager,
controller, cost accountant, economist, financial analyst,
financial planner, insurance adjuster, investment banker,
research analyst, tax accountant, and treasurer.
Syllabus:
Core subjects revolve around management accounting,
financial accounting, auditing and taxation. Students also
will discover business mathematics and management
theories as well as undertake coursework in economics and
business law. The syllabus for a degree in accounting is very
specialised as it gears students towards professional practice.
Duration:
Four years on a full-time basis.
Entry Requirements:
As with most undergraduate degrees, the entry
requirement for a degree in accountancy is a diploma,
A-Levels, STPM or equivalent.
What’s Your Route?
If you are a high-school leaver and would
like to kick-start your venture into the world
of accounting and finance, there are three
options: LCCI, CAT, or CIMA if you are
particularly interested in management
accounting.
Those with A-Levels or an equivalent
pre-university qualification can take the
Bachelor of Accountancy route. If a
certification is what you are looking
for, you can start the Knowledge
module of the ACCA’s Fundamental
Level. This will lead you to the next
step of the ACCA, which is the
Fundamental Level’s Skill module
and, subsequently, the Professional
Level, which would earn you the
title of a Chartered Accountant.
Accountancy degree holders
can proceed for the ACCA
Professional Level after
being exempted for the
Fundamental level. Some
students choose to
undertake their degree
after completing the
Fundamental Level’s
Skill module, before
proceeding to the
ACCA Professional
Level. In a nutshell, all
qualifications lead to
being a Chartered
Accountant.
A Degree or a Professional
Qualification?
The career options for both degree and professional
certificate holders are similar except that professional
certificate holders have the advantage of being
able to set up their own auditing firm. Professional
certificate qualification, which is bestowed by
Chartered Accountants institutes, can be said to be
an attractive route in the accounting profession,
given that it is a professional certification and
that bachelor’s degree holders also pursue this
qualification upon completing their degree.
Graduates with qualifications from Chartered
Accountants institutes such as ACCA, CFA,
CIMA and LCCI are the preferred choice of
employers as these graduates reduce the
cost of training by having undergone a
flexible and well-structured training path.
These professional certificate graduates
have also gained specialist knowledge
in finance and accounting, obtaining
valuable skills in organisational
management and strategy, which
boost their career prospects and
employability. With this, the
probability of these professional
certificate graduates of moving up
the organisation’s hierarchy is high,
due to their expertise, well-trained
background and industry-ready
minds.
While the career options are
similar, it is not true that
Chartered Accountants
can only pursue a career
in auditing and taxation.
Just like degree holders,
Chartered Accountants can
also venture into banking,
auditing, risk management,
and corporate law.
easyuni Guide 2014
Issue 2
19