Master of Professional Accounting and Law
2019 Deakin University Handbook
| Year | 2019 course information |
|---|---|
| Award granted | Master of Professional Accounting and Law |
| Course Map | This course map is for new students commencing from Trimester 1 2019. This course map is for new students commencing from Trimester 2 2019. This course map is for new students commencing from Trimester 3 2019. Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser. |
| Campus | Offered at Burwood (Melbourne) |
| Cloud Campus | Yes |
| Duration | Depending on your professional experience and previous qualifications, the Master of Professional Accounting and Law is typically 1, 1.5 or 2 years duration.
Deakin courses can also be studied part time over a longer period.
|
| CRICOS course code | 099101K Burwood (Melbourne) |
| Deakin course code | M749 |
| Approval status | This course is approved by the University under the Higher Education Standards Framework. |
| Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition | The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 9. |
Course sub-headings
- Course overview
- Indicative student workload
- Professional recognition
- Career opportunities
- Participation requirements
- Mandatory student checks
- Alternative exits
- Fees and charges
- Course Learning Outcomes
- Course rules
- Course structure
- Work experience
- Research and research-related study
Course overview
The accounting profession has recently seen a fundamental shift from a role that was seen as providing financial information and number crunching towards a multi-disciplinary advisory role. Similarly, many law firms increasingly favour graduates who display accounting and financial acumen.
Deakin's Master of Professional Accounting and Law (MPAL) course provides an advanced, integrated, and coherent set of multidisciplinary studies in a range of business and law disciplines, encompassing areas such as accounting, finance, commercial law and business taxation. Graduates will possess a skill-set covering accounting and related business law subjects, including superannuation, business taxation and financial services regulation.
The course offers graduates a pathway to gain entry to professional accounting bodies such as the CPA Australia, the Institute of Public Accountants, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and exemptions from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
Graduates with a Master of Professional Accounting and Law will have multi-disciplinary skills with the ability to solve complex business issues in multiple markets.
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
Completion of the Master of Professional Accounting and Law 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), the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA). 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 students to enter the Certified Management Accountants (CMA) study program.
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. Deakin makes no representations that individuals will meet those requirements.
Students should consult with a course adviser to identify any additional requirements for membership for each professional body, and also consult with the professional body.
Career opportunities
Graduates of this course would typically seek employment in areas of accounting such as financial accounting, auditing, taxation, management accounting, public sector accounting, forensic accounting or commercial law. However accountants can choose to work in a range of different environments depending on their own skills and preferences. They can choose to work in large firms, small public practices, industry, government, law firms, management consultancies, banking and financial services, not-for-profit organisations (NPOs) or educational organisations. Many also set up their own businesses.
Given the fundamental shift of accountants towards a wide-ranging advisory role, career opportunities are also becoming available in other vocations including working as financial planners, investment advisers, market analysts, tax consultants, advisers in mergers and acquisitions, in corporate recovery and insolvency, treasury banking, e-commerce or information technology.
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.
Clinical unit (MLM718) requires compulsory attendance.
Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability. Click here for more information.
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
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
| Graduate Learning Outcome | Course Learning Outcome |
| Discipline specific knowledge and capabilities | Demonstrate an integrated understanding of current and emerging accounting and related legal concepts and practices |
| Communication | Demonstrate skills to justify and analyse complex accounting and legal problems and present to both accountants and lawyers |
| Digital literacy | Apply appropriate software and internet technologies to analyse financial and regulatory information |
| Critical thinking | Apply in-depth analytical skills to evaluate financial and regulatory information expected of business professionals within a legal framework |
| Problem solving | Develop solutions to real world problems faced by accounting and legal professionals in business environment |
| Self-management | Use acquired skills to organise own learning including the conduct of independent research and justification of decision choices |
| Teamwork | Collaborate and communicate in groups to interpret decision-relevant information and develop suitable business recommendations |
| Global citizenship | Engage ethically, professionally and productively in a professional accounting and business context in light of changing global perspectives. |
Course rules
The Master of Professional Accounting and Law is typically 8, 12 or 16 credit points. The exact number of credit points you study depends on how much credit you receive as recognition of prior learning (RPL) - your professional experience and previous qualifications - which can save you time and money.
For students undertaking 16 credit points, you study 13 credit points of core units and 3 credit points of elective units. Most units (think of units as 'subjects') are equal to 1 credit point.
Students are introduced to research tools and techniques in core units of the course where they learn analytic skills and the practical application of those skills in professional contexts. They must also complete advanced level units and a capstone unit that require them to integrate the skills learnt over their course of study and produce applied pieces of research with reference to prevailing literature.
Course structure
Core units
| MLM070 | Academic Induction for Professional Accounting and Law # |
| MAI010 | Academic Integrity (0 credit points) |
Plus
| MPA701 | Accounting 1,2 |
| MAA703 | Accounting for Management 1, 2, 4 |
| MAA705 | Corporate Auditing 2, 3, 4 |
| MAA716 | Financial Accounting 1, 2 |
| MAA725 | Advanced Accounting Principles and Practice 1, 2 |
| MPE781 | Economics for Managers 1,2 |
| MPF753 | Finance 1,2,4 |
| MPM701/MPM701A | Business Process Management *1, 2 |
| MLC703 | Principles of Income Tax Law |
| MLC707 | Business Law 1, 2, 4 |
| MLM731 | Corporations Law |
| MLM706 | Corporate Governance |
| MLM705 | Research Methodology |
* MPM701A is a Start Anytime unit
#Online Induction is compulsory for all students. The Induction is available at Cloud Course Site. All students must complete the online induction on foundations of law within the first trimester of their enrolment. Upon successful completion of the induction, student services are automatically notified and students receive an acknowledgement of their competition of induction.
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 1 credit point from the Accounting elective list and select 2 credit points of units from the Law elective list:
Accounting electives:
| MAA744 | Strategic Management Accounting |
| MAA763 | Governance and Fraud |
| MAA767 | Integrated Reporting and Value Creation |
Law electives:
| MLC713 | Corporate Insolvency Law and Policy |
| MLM727 | Superannuation Law and Policy |
| MLC709 | Business Taxation Law and Policy |
| MLM717 | Financial Services Regulation |
Work experience
This course does not require students to complete compulsory work integrated learning units.Other course information
Course duration - additional information
Course duration may be affected by delays in completing course requirements, such as accessing or completing work placements.
Research and research-related study
Research-related learning tasks are embedded across units where student achievement is demonstrated in specific assessment tasks.