Accounting
The Accounting specialisation equips students with an in-depth understanding of the current techniques and practices in accounting for use in an executive or managerial position. Students examine key issues relating to financial accounting, management accounting, decision making, audit and assurance, financial statement analysis, accounting systems, corporate governance, sustainability reporting, management control systems and international accounting. With its emphasis on understanding, analysing and interpreting financial and non-financial information for decision making, this specialisation qualifies students in the evaluation of the financial position and performance of companies and their accounting systems, governance and management controls. This specialisation prepares students to work either locally or overseas, in either public or private sector organisations. The Accounting specialisation provides students with strong technical, analytical and problem-solving skills while keeping abreast of contemporary accounting practice.
Requirements for an Accounting specialisation
To achieve a specialisation in Accounting within the Master of Commerce and Master of Commerce (Extension), students must complete 30 credit points in units of study comprising:
- 6 credit points in Table A - Foundational units of study;
- 6 credit points in Table A - Accounting core units of study; and
- 18 credit points in Table A - Accounting selective units of study.
Students completing this specialisation to meet the requirements for the Master of Commerce or as their compulsory specialisation for the Master of Commerce (Extension) would complete a 6 credit point capstone unit from Table A – Capstone units of study for their degree in the same subject area as their specialisation.
Students completing this specialisation as their optional second specialisation for the Master of Commerce (Extension) are not required to complete a capstone unit of study.
Sample pathways
(i) Master of Commerce
A sample pathway for the Accounting specialisation spread over the three semesters of the Master of Commerce degree (Full-time study) is listed below.
| Session | Units of study | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Semester | Foundational: ACCT5001 Foundation in Accounting | |||||
| 2nd Semester | Specialisation core: ACCT6008 Managerial Accounting and Decision Making * |
Specialisation selective | ||||
| 3rd Semester | Specialisation selective | Specialisation selective | ||||
* Students must complete ACCT6008 before the capstone unit for this specialisation.
(ii) Master of Commerce (Extension)
A sample pathway for the Accounting specialisation spread over four semesters of the Master of Commerce (Extension) degree (Full-time study) is listed below.
| Session | Units of study | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Semester |
Foundational: ACCT5001 Foundation in Accounting | |
| 2nd Semester |
Specialisation core: ACCT6008 Managerial Accounting and Decision Making* |
|
| 3rd Semester |
Specialisation selective | Specialisation selective |
| 4th Semester |
Specialisation selective | |
Please Note. These sample progressions are meant as examples only. Depending on unit prerequisites, students may be able to complete these units in a different sequence to that displayed in the table above.
For details of the units of study required for the specialisation please refer to the Table A - Accounting section under Commerce Subject Areas in this handbook.
Learning Outcomes
| Learning Outcomes - Accounting specialisation |
|
|---|---|
| 1 | Demonstrate an advanced, integrated understanding of relevant contemporary global developments in accounting. |
| 2 | Persuasively and professionally communicate with diverse stakeholder groups in different business contexts. |
| 3 | Use technologies to organise, process, analyse and evaluate complex accounting information from diverse sources. |
| 4 | Critically evaluate the many assumptions, propositions and prescriptions within the field of accounting in order to contribute to innovative solutions to contemporary business problems and challenges. |
| 5 | Effectively collaborate with others from diverse cultural backgrounds in different professional accounting contexts to influence outcomes, solutions and decisions. |
| 6 | Exhibit an integrated personal and professional identity in dealing with ethical issues. |
| 7 | Integrate interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary perspectives to effectively respond to complex accounting issues |
Further information
For further information regarding study in accounting in the Commerce coursework programs, please contact the Discipline of Accounting.