Graduate Diploma of Professional Accounting

2017 Deakin University Handbook

Course sub-headings

• Course overview
• Indicative student workload
• Professional recognition
• Pathways
• Fees and charges
• Course Learning Outcomes
• Course rules
• Course structure

Course overview

Accountants are finance and information specialists, and the major decision-makers in a wide range of organisations. This course offers the opportunity to complement your overall management knowledge and expertise, or to establish a pathway to further studies towards membership of CPA Australia or entry into the CA Program.

Complex global markets and reporting requirements mean that never before has accounting been a more dynamic and exciting profession. Accountants are finance and information specialists who inform business decision making within a wide range of organisations.

This course provides pathways to professional accounting qualifications for graduates of any discipline. You’ll get the skills, technical knowledge and understanding required in accounting and finance, and their application within the broader world of business.

Among the areas covered are topics such as cost concepts and cost-volume-profit relationships, financial performance analysis, and contemporary approaches to measuring performance. You’ll gain an understanding of the regulatory and conceptual frameworks that underpin accounting for corporate entities and of the logic behind existing accounting rules.

You’ll explore complex areas of financial accounting, including accounting for income tax, impairments of assets, various assets and expenses, and foreign currency issues. In addition to the more technical areas of accounting, the fundamentals of accounting theory and of accounting for corporate social responsibility are introduced.

Deakin Business School's Work Integrated Learning program gives you the opportunity to enhance your job prospects with real world experience. In the finance unit you’ll have the opportunity to engage with business within the workplace and in doing so develop practical and analytical finance skills by participating in real-world projects.

You’ll develop analytical skills for making key financial management decisions, including time-value-of money and risk-return analytics. The unit will offer useful 'take-home' skills and knowledge relevant both if you are running (or are planning to run) your own business or for roles in managerial positions within large companies.

As an accounting graduate you may find employment in major international accounting firms, investment banks and virtually every area of business and government.

Indicative student workload

As a student in the Faculty of Business and Law, you can expect to participate in a range of teaching activities each week. This could include classes, seminars, practicals and online interaction. 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 Graduate Diploma of Professional Accounting may provide eligibility to join in the programs of CPA Australia, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, the Institute of Public Accountants and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

Completion of the Graduate Diploma of Professional Accounting and selecting the correct combination of units in one of our professionally accredited courses, provides the opportunity for students to be eligible to apply for admission to the:

CA Program of the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ)
Associate membership for the CPA Program, CPA Australia
IPA Program for the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA) and
Exemptions may apply for the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

Students should carefully note the trimesters when units are offered to ensure that all required units can be completed in the appropriate time frame.

Students who wish to enter the CA, CPA programs or exemptions to the ACCA program are advised that it is their responsibility to ensure that they take the appropriate units required for entry.

Students who have completed prior undergraduate or graduate units in accounting or other core knowledge areas are advised to have their qualifications assessed by their preferred professional organisation to ensure they complete the correct units.

Please note: The eligibility of students for membership of any of the accounting accrediting bodies is subject to meeting the requirements of that body and that Deakin makes no representations that individuals will meet those requirements.

Pathways

Upon completing the Graduate Diploma of Professional Accounting you can progress to the Master of Professional Accounting, Master of Commerce, or Master of Professional Accounting/Master of Commerce.

Fees and charges

Fees and charges vary depending on your course, your fee category and the year you started. To find out about the fees and charges that apply to you, visit the Current students fees website.

Course Learning Outcomes

Course rules

To complete the Graduate Diploma of Professional Accounting, students must attain a total of 8 credit points, consisting of 6 credit points of core units and 2 credit points of elective units. Most units (think of units as 'subjects') are equal to 1 credit point.

From Trimester 3 2017:

To complete the Graduate Diploma of Professional Accounting, students must attain a total of 8 credit points, consisting of 4 credit points of core units and 4 credit points of elective units. Most units (think of units as 'subjects') are equal to 1 credit point.

Course structure

Core units

From Trimester 3 2017:

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.
³ For 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 ACCA program.

Course structure

Elective units

Select 2 credit points of units from:

or units from the Master of Professional Accounting, Master of International Finance and the Master of Financial Planning. Other postgraduate units may be taken subject to the approval of the Course Director.

From Trimester 3 2017:

Select 4 credit points of units from:

or units from the Master of Professional Accounting, Master of International Finance and the Master of Financial Planning. Other postgraduate units may be taken subject to the approval of the Course Director.

^MPM701A is a Start Anytime unit.

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.
³ For 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 ACCA program.

Credit for Prior Learning

Credit for prior learning into the Graduate Diploma of Professional Accounting may be granted to students who have successfully completed appropriate postgraduate studies.  There are negotiated credit for prior learning arrangements in place for CPA members.