Master of Accounting

The overall aim of the Master of Accounting is to improve students' applied knowledge, skills and capabilities as accounting professionals and broaden students' horizons intellectually. The degree is designed to stimulate students' awareness of existing and emerging issues, and advance students' skills in identifying and solving accounting and business analysis problems of an applied nature.

1. Learning Goal

Graduates of this degree will be: Adept at identifying and analysing the thinking and developments of contemporary and emerging accounting and auditing issues.

Learning objectives to achieve this goal

On successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Describe contemporary accounting issues as reflected in national and international accounting regulator activities and pronouncements
2. Explain the key policy issues in auditing and assurance services
3. Explain developments of contemporary accounting issues in relation to valuation, performance measurement and control systems, and corporate governance.

2. Learning Goal

Graduates of this degree will be: Capable of advanced critical and strategic thinking in relation to accounting and business analysis issues and problems.

Learning objectives to achieve this goal

On successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Adapt strategic management accounting tools for different decision making environments
2. Critically discuss the impact of IT on organisational change
3. Analyse the impact of activity based cost systems on strategic resource management
4. Analyse the role of and the impact of accounting in a variety of management decision settings.

3. Learning Goal

Graduates of this degree will be: Technical and analytical in their use of relevant decision making frameworks and empirical research evidence, in addressing specific accounting and business system problems.

Learning objectives to achieve this goal

On successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Analyse and critique accounting literature and case studies
2. Analyse issues in real world auditing and reporting settings
3. Describe and evaluate common performance measures
4. Critically evaluate the impact of accounting in contracting and agency settings.

4. Learning Goal

Graduates of this degree will be: Competent in identifying and critically evaluating accounting and business system issues emerging from strategic developments in practice and regulation.

Learning objectives to achieve this goal

On successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Evaluate the effectiveness of budgeting practices in organisations
2. Identify and critically evaluate emerging corporate reporting issues from regulation and practice
3. Discuss strategic issues in relation to the management of resources.

The Master of Accounting 16 Subject Program consists of sixteen semester-length subjects comprising five core subjects and eleven elective subjects over four semesters full-time or eight semesters part-time.

Students may be able to select other 600-level subjects from the offerings within the Faculty of Economics and Commerce. This will be subject to the student having the required pre-requisite subjects and the approval of the Program Director and subject coordinator. The Program Director will be able to provide subject selection advice and suggested subject sequencing, based on your academic background.

Assessment

Students must successfully complete 16 semester-length subjects (200 points) in order to qualify for the Master of Accounting.

The minimum entry requirement is an undergraduate degree of good academic standard in accounting or its equivalent.

As well as:

• Completion of the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT)
• Personal Statement
  

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

On successful completion of the Master of Accounting program graduates will be:

• Adept at identifying and analysing the thinking and developments of contemporary and emerging accounting and auditing issues
• Capable of advanced critical and strategic thinking in relation to accounting and business analysis issues and problems
• Technical and analytical in their use of relevant decision making frameworks and empirical research evidence, in addressing specific accounting and business system problems
• Competent in identifying and critically evaluating accounting and business system issues emerging from strategic developments in practice and regulation. Critical thinkers particularly in relation to current issues in accounting
• Clear in articulating accounting issues and ideas to a range of audiences in written and oral form
• Able to synthesise and evaluate accounting data and other accounting informatio
• Adept at problem identification and analysis in accounting and information technology
• Collaborative in their work practice
• Proficient in conducting research, including accessing accounting information and evidence from a range of sources.

On successful completion of this course, students should be able to demonstrate the following skills:

• Critical thinking particularly in relation to current issues in accounting
• Clarity in articulating accounting issues and ideas to a range of audiences in written and oral form
• Synthesis and evaluation of accounting data and other accounting information
• Problem identification and analysis in accounting and information technology
• Work collaboratively in teams
• Research, which includes accessing accounting information and evidence from a range of sources.

Students who have successfully completed the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (ICAA) PY/CA Program or the CPA Australia CPA Program may receive a maximum of four credits for Master of Accounting subjects.

Students who include a winter semester subject as one of their final subjects in the Master of Accounting course may not be eligible to graduate from the program until after results are released in December of the same year.