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Master of Professional Accounting (Graduate Entry)

Postgraduate course

  • This information is for local students.
  • View course information for international students.
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Overview

This Master course 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. A 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.
The Master of Professional Accounting forms the third stage in a four-stage nested suite of courses incorporating the Graduate Certificate of Professional Accounting, Graduate Diploma of Professional Accounting and Master of Practising Accounting. The course builds on the skills and knowledge acquired in the Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma. It further develops the analytical and creative skills necessary when dealing with accounting and finance issues within planning and decision making.
Duration1.5 years full-time or 3 years part-time
Campus and intakes  Calendar
Hawthorn -Semester 1, Semester 2
Study modeFull-time
Part-time (day)
Course codeCMPA640
Fees
The total tuition fee is dependent upon the combination of units of study selected by the student. Fees are reviewed each year.
For information about Swinburne's fees visit the Fees website.

Career opportunities

This suite of accounting courses provides an avenue for graduates to achieve professional recognition and help fill the shortage of professionally recognised accountants. As many graduates may already be established in a business career, the key vocational outcomes may arise from better current job performance together with new opportunities opening in the accounting and finance areas.
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Course in detail

On this page: course description, course structure and units of study.

Course description

This Master course 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. A 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.
The Master of Professional Accounting forms the third stage in a four-stage nested suite of courses incorporating the Graduate Certificate of Professional Accounting, Graduate Diploma of Professional Accounting and Master of Practising Accounting. The course builds on the skills and knowledge acquired in the Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma. It further develops the analytical and creative skills necessary when dealing with accounting and finance issues within planning and decision making.

Course structure

The Master of Professional Accounting (CMPA640) incorporates the Graduate Certificate of Professional Accounting (CMPA440) (entry award) and Graduate Diploma of Professional Accounting (CMPA540).
To qualify for the award of Master of Professional Accounting, incorporating the Graduate Certificate of Professional Accounting (entry award), students must complete 12 core units of study (150 credit points).
Units normally carry 12.5 credit points. In each year, eight units or equivalent normally constitute a full-time load of 100 credit points and four units or equivalent normally constitute a part-time load of 50 credit points*.
Full-time students normally attend three-hour weekly classes on weekdays during business hours over a 12-week semester.
Part-time students* normally attend Saturday morning classes and are taught in six-hour blocks in alternate weeks over a 12-week semester. The first class is normally held on the Saturday immediately prior to the official commencement of the upcoming semester.
Part-time students may apply to undertake weekday classes if they wish.
Examinations are conducted at the end of the semester in the formal university examination period.
*Students holding an international student visa are required to study full-time and cannot take the part-time study mode.

Units of study

Students must successfully complete all core units listed below (each unit 12.5 credit points):
HBC606 Accounting Principles 
HBC607 Accounting Information Systems
HBC608 Business Modelling and Analysis 
HBL606 Australian Contract Law 
HBL607 Australian Company Law 
HBC609 Corporate Financial Management 
HBC610 Financial Reporting 
HBC611 Managerial Accounting 
HBE613 Economics 
HBC614 Company Auditing 
HBC615 Financial Accounting Theory
HBC616 Income Tax Law
A suffix ‘B’ will be added on the unit of study code for classes taught in Saturday block-mode.
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Graduate outcomes

On this page: aims and objectives, career opportunities and professional recognition.

Aims and objectives

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 the completion of the master course, it is expected that students will be able to:
  • Communicate effectively in a business environment (Communication Skills)
  • Deploy professional skills in multi-disciplinary teams (Teamwork Skills)
  • Critically evaluate financial and related business issues and demonstrate problem solving skills and ethical behaviour in arriving at recommendations (Critical Thinking, Problem Solving Skills, Ethics)
  • Further apply at a highly developed level, practical accounting and finance related expertise in the work environment (Problem Solving Skills, Working Independently, Ethics)

Career opportunities

This suite of accounting courses provides an avenue for graduates to achieve professional recognition and help fill the shortage of professionally recognised accountants. As many graduates may already be established in a business career, the key vocational outcomes may arise from better current job performance together with new opportunities opening in the accounting and finance areas.

Professional recognition

Upon successful completion of the master course, students may be eligible to apply for Associate membership of CPA Australia and the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAA). Membership of CPA Australia and the ICAA depends on the student's previous undergraduate degree being assessed and final confirmation of eligibility will be provided by those bodies.

If students have undertaken their undergraduate degree outside of Australia and are wishing to gain professional membership, they will need to have their previous undergraduate degree assessed as comparable to an Australian undergraduate degree by CPA Australia and the ICAA in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Australian Education International - National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (AEI-NOOSR).
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On this page: entry requirements

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

An accredited undergraduate degree from a recognised tertiary institution – equivalent to a three-year Australian bachelor degree.
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Apply

On this page: how to apply, course fees and find out more.

How to apply

Application forms can be downloaded from the website at: http://www.swinburne.edu.au/postgrad/apply/

Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)
Eligible students who enrol in the Master of Professional Accounting can apply for a CSP to help fund their degree. A CSP is a higher education place for which the Australian Government makes a contribution towards the cost of your education. The difference between the CSP contribution and the total fee charged by the provider is called the student contribution and paid by the individual student.

Course fees

The total tuition fee is dependent upon the combination of units of study selected by the student. Fees are reviewed each year.
For information about Swinburne's fees visit the Fees website.

Find out more

 
Book a one-on-one appointment with a postgraduate course adviser to discuss this course further and receive advice on your study options. Book an appointment now.
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