Master of Professional Accounting
2025 Deakin University Handbook
| Year | 2026 course information |
|---|---|
| Award granted | Master of Professional Accounting |
| Deakin course code | M742 |
| Course Credit Points | 16 |
| Course version | 1 |
| Faculty | |
| Course Information | For students who commenced from 2021 onwards |
| Campus | Offered at Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
| Duration | Depending on your professional experience and previous qualifications, the Master of Professional Accounting is typically 1, 1.5 or 2 years duration.
Deakin courses can also be studied part-time over a longer period. |
| Course Map - enrolment planning tool | This course map is for new students commencing from Trimester 1 2026 Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central. |
| CRICOS code | 102876K Burwood (Melbourne) |
| Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition | The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 9 |
| Supplementary Information | Students who have commenced before T1 2021 (course M720 Master of Professional Accounting), please refer to the 2020 handbook, or the handbook archives, for the relevant course structure. |
Course sub-headings
- Course overview
- Indicative student workload
- Professional recognition
- Career opportunities
- Participation requirements
- Mandatory student checks
- Alternative exits
- Course Learning Outcomes
- Course rules
- Course structure
- Work experience
- Research and research-related study
- Fees and charges
Course overview
Study at a university ranked in the top 150 globally for accounting and expand your career potential with Deakin’s Master of Professional Accounting.*
This practical, industry-aligned course equips you to practise as a qualified accountant while building specialist expertise in your chosen area of business.
Ready to upgrade your accounting career?
Whether you are reskilling or upskilling, the course is designed for both accounting and non-accounting graduates. It offers a direct pathway towards professional recognition, enabling you to meet the academic requirements for CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ), and the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA).
Learn from expert academics who bring practical insight and current research into the classroom. Our course content is shaped by an industry advisory board made up of representatives from peak professional bodies and active accounting professionals. This ensures your learning is aligned with evolving industry needs and backed by the latest research from Deakin’s IPA-Deakin SME Research Centre and Deakin Sustainable Business Centre.
You will develop expertise across core areas including accounting and systems analytics, audit, economics, finance, financial accounting, law and management accounting.
As a graduate, you will also have the opportunity to complement your primary studies in professional accounting with a specialisation in a business-related field. Designed to meet industry demand for professionals with both deep expertise and transferable skills, a specialisation allows you to tailor your studies to your career goals.
Whether you want to deepen your knowledge of finance, expand into IT, or explore areas such as real estate, the arts, or supply chains, there’s a specialisation to match your ambitions. You can choose from areas including artificial intelligence for business, arts and cultural industries, cyberlaw, finance, financial planning, human resource management, international trade and business, management consulting, marketing, project management, property and real estate, and supply chain management.
You don’t need to choose a specialisation before you begin, you will have the flexibility to explore your options once you have started the course.
*QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025
Indicative student workload
You can expect to participate in a range of teaching activities each week. This could include lectures, seminars, online interactions, or professional experiences for Work Integrated Learning (WIL) units. You can refer to the individual unit details in the course structure for more information. You will also need to study and complete assessment tasks in your own time.
Professional recognition
The course team and teaching staff have well-established links with relevant professional bodies both in Australia and overseas. Continuous effort is made to ensure the Master of Professional Accounting curriculum design and delivery keep abreast of industry needs and developments in the profession.
Deakin Business School holds both AACSB and EQUIS accreditations. These prestigious accreditations are awarded to business schools that meet strict standards of quality, academic and professional excellence, and demonstrate a commitment to ongoing improvement and innovation in their courses, ensuring our graduates are employable worldwide.
Completion of the appropriate selection of units within the Master of Professional Accounting grants eligibility for entry as an associate member of CPA Australia and meets the educational requirements for entry into the:
• CA program of the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ)
• Institute of Public Accountants (IPA)
• Professional Accounting Program (PEP).
Upon completion of appropriate program units, it is also possible to receive exemptions from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) towards the ACCA qualification. Completion of this qualification will allow you to enter the Certified Management Accountants (CMA) study program.
Career opportunities
Graduates of the Master of Professional Accounting are equipped to thrive in a dynamic global market, where businesses are increasingly demanding professionals with expertise in data analytics, compliance, sustainability reporting, and digital finance. This qualification prepares you for senior accounting and advisory roles in both traditional and emerging industries.
Career opportunities include:
• accountant (corporate, public practice, or forensic)
• auditor (internal, external, or IT auditor)
• business or financial analyst
• chief financial officer (CFO)
• ESG and sustainability reporting advisor
• data and business intelligence analyst
• risk and compliance manager
• financial controller
• taxation consultant or international tax advisor
• treasury and corporate finance analyst
• digital finance strategist
• ERP or accounting systems consultant
• corporate governance and ethics officer
• AI/automation advisory accountant
Graduates find opportunities in global accounting firms, investment banks, consulting firms, financial services, FinTechs, multinationals, government agencies, NGOs, and startups, both in Australia and overseas.
Participation requirements
Units in this course may have participation requirements that include compulsory placements, work-based training, community-based learning, collaborative online international learning arrangements or collaborative research training arrangements.
Placement can occur at any time, including during standard holiday breaks. Learn about key dates at Deakin.
Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability. More information available at Disability support services.
Mandatory student checks
Units which contain work integrated learning, a community placement or interaction with the community may require a police check, working with children check or other check. These requirements will be detailed in unit guides upon enrolment.
Alternative exits
| Graduate Certificate of Commerce (M516) | |
| Graduate Certificate of Professional Accounting (M506) | |
| Graduate Diploma of Commerce (M616) | |
| Graduate Diploma of Professional Accounting (M696) |
Course Learning Outcomes
| Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes | Course Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|
| Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities | Integrate advanced theoretical and technical knowledge of current and emerging accounting concepts and practices in contemporary business contexts |
| Communication | Use advanced communication skills to justify and communicate complex accounting concepts and ideas to both accountants and non-accountants |
| Digital literacy | Select and apply appropriate digital technologies to find, use, manage and disseminate complex accounting and business data, information and ideas |
| Critical thinking | Use a specialised set of high order cognitive and critical analysis skills expected of accounting professionals in contemporary business to evaluate, synthesise and justify complex ideas and recommendations |
| Problem solving | Develop solutions to real world and ill-defined problems faced by accounting professionals in business |
| Self-management | Use acquired skills to undertake own work and learning and conduct independent research |
| Teamwork | Collaborate and communicate in teams to interpret decision-relevant information and develop accounting and business advice and ideas |
| Global citizenship | Engage ethically, professionally and productively in a professional accounting and business context in light of changing global perspectives |
Course rules
To complete the Master of Professional Accounting students must pass 16 credit points and meet the following course rules to be eligible to graduate:
- DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in their first study period
- 12 credit points of core units
- 4 credit points of open elective units
Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements. See the enrolment codes and terminology to help make sense of the University’s vocabulary.
Course structure
Compulsory 0-credit point module
To be completed in the first trimester of study:-
| DAI001 | Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin |
Core units
Foundational
| MAA701 | Accounting 1, 2, |
| MAF752 | Principles of Finance 1, 2, 4 |
| MPE781 | Economics for Managers 1,2, |
| MLC707 | Business Law 1, 2, 4 |
Intermediate
| MAA703 | Accounting for Management 1, 2, 4 |
| MLC703 | Principles of Income Tax Law 2,3,4 |
| MAF717 | Analytical Methods 1, 2 |
| MAA716 | Financial Accounting 1, 2 |
Advanced
| MAA705 | Corporate Auditing 2,3,4 |
| MAA789 | Accounting Systems and Analytics 1,2 |
| MAA725 | Advanced Accounting Principles and Practice 1, 2 |
| MAA753 | Professional Research and Analysis (Capstone) |
Notes:
1 Required by CPA Australia for Associate (foundation level) Membership.
2 Required by the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand for entry to the CA Program.
3For candidates who have completed an accredited degree in Australia, this unit may be taken as part of the CPA program. Other students must complete the unit before becoming an Associate Member of CPA Australia
4 For candidates who would like to obtain exemptions to the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) program.
Open elective Units
The remaining 4 credit points may be selected from a range of postgraduate level study options including:
Recommended elective units^ that extend specific accounting and financial knowledge (subject to availability)
Other postgraduate units, including Work Integrated Learning (WIL) units, offered by the University (subject to availability)
Deakin stackable short courses (0.5cp microcredentials)
Any unit listed in the Postgraduate business specialisations
The following electives are strongly recommended for Master of Professional Accounting students seeking to extend specific accounting-related knowledge and employability skills in areas of sustainability and client analysis.
^Recommended electives:
| MAA767 | Enterprise Value Creation: Sustainability and Integrated Reporting |
| MAA728 | Financial Behaviour and Decision Making |
| MAA745 | Financial Planning and Economic Fundamentals |
Recommended WIL electives that can be studied to extend professional development and general employability skills:
| MWL705 | Business for Social Impact |
| MWL716 | Consultancy Experience |
| MWL717 | Entrepreneurship Experience |
| MWL718 | Internship |
| MWL719 | International Consultancy Experience |
Stackable short courses
Mix and match Deakin stackable short courses (0.5 credit point microcredentials) to earn up to 1 credit point of open electives, subject to eligibility. Any stacking must add up to a whole number to be used for credit. For more information, visit the Deakin stackable short course options.
Work experience
This course does not require students to complete compulsory work integrated learning units.
Course duration
You may be able to study available units in the optional third trimester to fast-track your degree, however your course duration may be extended if there are delays in meeting course requirements, such as completing a placement.
Research and research-related study
This course includes 1cp equivalent research-related study [MAA753 Professional Research and Analysis] in addition to associated learning embedded across a number of units where student achievement is demonstrated in specific assessment tasks.
Fees and charges
Tuition fees will vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study, your study load and/or unit discipline.
Your tuition fees will increase annually at the start of each calendar year. All fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD) and do not include additional costs such as textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment, mandatory checks, travel, consumables and other costs.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current students website.
Further information
Contact Student Central for assistance in course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements. Student Central can also provide information for a wide range of services at Deakin.