Graduate Certificate of Public Accounting

2025 Deakin University Handbook

Year	2025 course information
Award granted	Graduate Certificate of Public Accounting
Deakin course code	M512
Faculty	Faculty of Business and Law
Campus	Offered at Burwood (Melbourne)
Online	Yes
Duration	0.5 year full-time or part-time equivalent
Course Map - enrolment planning tool	This course map is for new students commencing from Trimester 1 2025 Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central.
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition	The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 8

Course sub-headings

Course overview

Take your finance and accounting skills to the next level with a Graduate Certificate of Public Accounting. Whether you're seeking a career change, a boost to your existing skillset or you are looking to gain the expertise required to secure a management role, this course will get you ready to make an impact. With finance jobs expected to increase by 15.5% and accounting jobs by 17.9% by 2033*, secure your future in a rapidly growing sector.

Ready to unlock exciting career opportunities in the business sector?

Develop the in-demand skills and professional recognition required to thrive in accounting and finance. Tailor your learning to your career goals with a range of course electives in accounting, tax law and financial planning. Learn from industry experts while gaining the practical skills and knowledge needed for the next step in your career.

This course offers a pathway into Deakin's Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, subject to satisfying other program requirements.

*2023 Employment Projections for the ten years to 2033, Job Skills Australia

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

Completion of the appropriate selection of units within the Graduate Certificate of Public Accounting grants eligibility to higher professional membership levels as administered by the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA). To complete the Graduate Certificate, you must complete one ethics course elective (either MAA769/MAI769 or MAA763*), and three additional course elective units from the range agreed by the IPA.

Students are advised to choose course elective subjects that best suit their personal and professional development needs and provide the potential to contribute towards any relevant professional requirements (e.g. financial advisers)

In this course you will choose four course elective units, including an ethics unit in keeping with the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) move to bolster ethics training requirements. Depending on the entry pathway, the ethics unit meets both Financial Adviser Standards (FAS) and the Accounting Professional & Ethical Standards Board (APESB) ethics requirements.

*MAA763 is not accredited by FAS.

Career opportunities

Graduates of this course are typically already employed and seeking enhanced employment opportunities in areas of accounting such as:

financial accounting
financial planning/advising
taxation

Participation requirements

Units in this course may have participation requirements that include compulsory placements, work-based training, community-based learning 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.

Course Learning Outcomes

Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes	Course Learning Outcomes
Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities	Demonstrate conceptual knowledge on accounting and ethical theories and principles to public accounting practice and business decision models
Communication	Communicate the merits of alternate solutions to real-world business issues with reference to relevant accounting and ethical standards
Digital literacy	Not explicitly addressed as a learning outcome in this award
Critical thinking	Critically analyse, evaluate and synthesise information in the application of accounting frameworks for business decision making
Problem solving	Determine ways to resolve a firm’s financial constraints through appropriate match with the theoretical solutions
Self-management	Not explicitly addressed as a learning outcome in this award
Teamwork	Not explicitly addressed as a learning outcome in this award
Global citizenship	Not explicitly addressed as a learning outcome in this award

Course rules

To complete the Graduate Certificate of Public Accounting students must pass 4 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
4 credit points of course 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

Course elective units

Ethics course electives:

Complete 1 unit from:

MAI769/MAA769

Ethics for Financial Services ^{^*}

MAA763

Governance and Fraud

*Students requiring FAS accreditation must complete MAI769 or MAA769.

Plus

Complete 3 units chosen from any of the following units listed below:

(Note: for ease of reference units are grouped into accounting, tax law and financial planning electives)

Accounting course electives:

MAA701

Accounting

MAF752

Principles of Finance

MAA789

Accounting Systems and Analytics

MAA703

Accounting for Management

MAA705

Corporate Auditing

MAA716

Financial Accounting

MAA725

Advanced Accounting Principles and Practice

Tax Law course electives:

MLC707

Business Law

MLC703

Principles of Income Tax Law

MLC709

Business Taxation Law and Policy

MLI714/MLC714

Financial Advice Regulation ^{^}

Financial Planning course electives:

MAA745

Financial Planning and Economic Fundamentals

MAA719

Superannuation and Retirement Planning

MAI728/MAA728

Financial Behaviour and Decision Making ^{^}

MAA727

Financial Planning Development

^MAI and MLI code denotes Intensive versions of the units.

Work experience

This course does not require students to complete compulsory work integrated learning units.

Course duration

Course duration may be affected by delays in completing course requirements, such as failing of units or accessing or completing placements.

Further information

Student Central can help you with course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements.

Contact Student Central

Fees and charges

Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study, and their study discipline or your study load.

Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.

Estimate your fees

For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current students website.