Bachelor of Commerce – Accreditation requirements
Within the Bachelor of Commerce (and related combined programs), students may choose to pursue a program of study that would allow them to seek accreditation with particular professional bodies.
Professional accounting accreditation
(i) CPA Australia and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ)
Completion of an accredited degree is a recognised pathway to a career in professional accounting. The Bachelor of Commerce and related Bachelor of Commerce combined degrees have been accredited by CPA Australia and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ).
Students must complete the following units of study to meet the core knowledge areas required by the two professional accounting bodies:
| Professional accounting core knowledge area |
Required unit/s of study |
|---|---|
| Accounting information systems | INFS2001 IS for Performance Improvement (students must also complete the prerequisite unit INFS1000 Digital Business Innovation) |
| Accounting systems and processes | BUSS1030 Accounting, Business and Society AND ACCT1006 Accounting and Financial Management |
| Accounting theory | ACCT2011 Financial Accounting A |
| Audit and assurance | ACCT3014 Auditing and Assurance # |
| Commercial law | CLAW1001 Foundations of Business Law |
| Corporations law | CLAW2201 Corporations Law |
| Economics | BUSS1040 Economics for Business Decision Making OR ECON1001 Introductory Microeconomics and ECON1002 Introductory Macroeconomics * |
| Finance | FINC2011 Corporate Finance I |
| Financial accounting | ACCT2011 Financial Accounting A AND ACCT3011 Financial Accounting B |
| Management accounting | ACCT2012 Management Accounting A AND ACCT3012 Management Accounting B |
| Quantitative methods | BUSS1020 Quantitative Business Analysis OR ECMT1010 Introduction to Economic Statistics * |
| Taxation | CLAW3201 Australian Taxation System # |
*These units apply to students enrolled in the Bachelor of Economics degree. Commerce students complete the specified BUSS coded units.
# Note: CPA Australia allows graduates the option of completing auditing and taxation units as part of their degree at university, or as electives in their professional level studies within the CPA program.
Students are advised to check the Business School website and the CPA Australia and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand websites for the latest information regarding the 2016 requirements.
(ii) Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
Students who complete the Bachelor of Commerce (with a major in Accounting) may be eligible to receive four exam exemptions from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). In addition, students who complete certain accredited units of study are also eligible for an additional ACCA exam exemptions. For further details are available on the ACCA website.
Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) accreditation
All undergraduate degrees incorporating a major in Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management are AHRI-accredited. Students wishing to satisfy the requirements for professional membership of AHRI should complete an Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management major as part of their degree. The required units of study for the major are listed under the Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management subject area.
CFA® program partners
CFA Institute® partners with globally diverse, high profile institutions who cover a significant portion of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge TM and who embrace the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct in their degree programs. Recognition as a CFA Program Partner provides a signal to potential students, current students, and the marketplace that the university curriculum is closely tied to professional practice and is well suited to preparing students to sit for the CFA exams.
The University of Sydney is recognised as a program partner through the Bachelor of Commerce (majoring in Finance) degree program. The required units of study for the major are listed under the Finance subject area. In addition to the Finance major, it is also recommended that students complete the free online learning module, Ethics and Standards of Practice available through the CFA Institute.
Students are advised to refer to the CFA Program Partners information on the Business School website for further information.