Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting

at University of Wollongong - Southern Sydney Campus Australia

Finance is about money and investments. People on their own, people in partnerships, companies and other entities (including state and federal governments), have a common objective of profitable investment. What is a government-secured bond? What is a share? What are the reasons for investing in either and when is the right time? These are some of the questions answered in the domain of finance.

This degree
You will undertake a foundation year that covers all core disciplines of business, giving you a solid understanding of issues facing organisations today. From your second year, you will begin your major in Finance. The degree has an emphasis on practical applications and real-world financial management. Careers include finance manager, research analyst, management reporting manager, equity trade analyst, stockbroker, bank officer, investment operations analyst and venture capitalist.
You will also undertake a final-year capstone subject that lets you apply everything you have learned in collaboration with students from other disciplines. Plus, you have the option of applying for an internship to gain valuable experience whilst receiving credit towards your degree.

What you will study
You will learn the theoretical knowledge and tools demanded by employers in all sections of the world economy: investment, financial markets, financial modelling and portfolio analysis. You will utilise state of the art technology to learn advanced statistical techniques for analysis, including the classical linear regression model, model diagnostics, univariate time series modelling and forecasting. You will explore corporate finance, including financial strategies, security analysis and portfolio management.

The Master of Applied Finance (Financial Services) is for students interested in acquiring an advanced understanding of financial institutions, bank management, and lending. If you are currently working in the Finance industry or a recent graduate, you will benefit from the specialized knowledge learned in this course.

You will study the theory and practice of financial management and gain an understanding of the global financial system. Additionally, competing approaches to corporate governance and business ethics will be developed, and you will learn how to provide protection against portfolio, financial and corporate risks.

You will examine the legal framework establishing, controlling and regulating financial institutions and examine bank management theory, a bank's lending process and the securities associated with it.

The Master of Innovation and Entrepreneurship will provide you with the knowledge and skills necessary to develop ideas into sustainable business opportunities and to foster innovation in your workplace. You will learn how to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset, experiment with design thinking, and learn to use tools and techniques to convert your ideas into reality.

Throughout your degree, our academics will equip you with knowledge in innovative leadership, financial skills for entrepreneurs, how to navigate the complexities of innovation and entrepreneurship, business innovation planning, and creating and marketing new products. You will understand how to raise capital and gain detailed knowledge of the complexities of initiating, developing, managing and exploiting innovation.

The Master of Innovation and Entrepreneurship will allow you to explore the potential exploitation of your own business idea. You will learn to evaluate opportunities from a range of perspectives, including financial, technical and legal, as well as gain a thorough understanding of the processes associated with the development and marketing of a new product in today’s complex environment.

You will then complete your degree with an industry-based research project that will enable you to apply the skills developed into a practical project.

The Master of Applied Finance with a double specialisation in Investing and Financial Services is for students who are interested in focusing on investment, portfolio management and financial services. The degree will allow you to integrate technical, theoretical and industry knowledge on the operation and organisation of – and participation in – local and international finance. The Investing specialisation focuses on investment and portfolio management, while the Financial Services specialisation focuses on financial institutions, as well as bank management and lending.

Accountancy is about providing reliable, timely and accurate information for decision makers, especially for economic decisions. Whether working for a multinational company, a government agency or in public practice, accountants play a pivotal role in advising senior management on the financial performance and direction of the organisation.

This degree
You will undertake a foundation year that covers all core disciplines of business, giving you a solid understanding of issues facing organisations today. From your second year, you will study advanced accountancy topics. The Bachelor of Business majoring in Accountancy provides you with the knowledge and experience to move into many types of business careers such as an accountant, auditor, business analyst, treasurer, corporate accountant, financial controller and advisor. You will also undertake a final-year capstone subject that lets you apply everything you have learned in collaboration with students from other disciplines. Plus, you have the option of applying for an internship to gain valuable experience whilst receiving credit towards your degree.

What you will study
Topics of study include financial reporting, auditing, management accounting, and information systems in accounting. You will learn about financial accounting in its organisational, social and political contexts as well as study relevant law subjects (including taxation law and law of business organisations) to be eligible for associate membership of professional accounting bodies.

The Master of Marketing involves an exploration of the motives of consumers during the purchase of products and services. You will learn how to use this market research to make more effective marketing decisions.

Leading Marketing academics will teach you to examine who the customer is to develop a competitive advantage by effectively positioning products/services in the market. You will study how to utilize promotional tools an organization may use to create this competitive advantage and enhance a brand’s equity, whether the organization is a commercial, non-profit, or social entity.

This master’s degree will ultimately enable you to develop and demonstrate technical knowledge and skills in marketing, a field increasingly important for all types of organizations that need to deliver value through the products and services they create. You will have the opportunity to study a wide range of advanced topics in marketing and gain professionally oriented generalist and specialist marketing skills.

The Master of Professional Accounting (MPA) Advanced is a two-year course designed for non-accounting graduates who want a career in the accounting profession and want to enhance their learning experience by including another discipline specialisation within their course. The learning experience and knowledge areas in the MPA Advanced are focused on the practice of accounting.

Within the MPA Advanced, you can choose to complete one of three possible specialisations, depending on your career aspirations. The Financial Management specialisation enables you to focus on areas of financial management such as banking and securities. The International Business specialisation allows you to broaden your knowledge of intercultural aspects of the business environment. The Business Analytics specialisation equips you with the skills to utilise and interpret data to inform business strategies and add value to businesses.

Marketing is the activities, institutions and processes for creating, communicating and delivering products and services. This includes facilitating relationships to deliver value for consumers, clients and society. It's about everything from establishing who the customer is to developing a competitive advantage by effectively positioning products/services in the market. Marketing is essential for all organisations, even small business operators and not-for-profits.

This degree
You will undertake a foundation year that covers all core disciplines of business, giving you a solid understanding of issues facing organisations today. From your second year, you will major in Marketing and develop the skills and knowledge needed to plan, develop and execute integrated marketing and communications strategies.

Graduates take many different directions including advertising, digital and social media marketing, social change marketing and the development and of marketing new products. You will also undertake a final-year capstone subject that lets you apply everything you have learned in collaboration with students from other disciplines. Plus, you have the option of applying for an internship to gain valuable experience whilst receiving credit towards your degree.

What you will study
You will study how consumers behave, how organisations find out about their markets and the customers in those markets, how to create effective marketing communications campaigns, and how organisations manage marketing successfully. You will have the opportunity to deepen your understanding in key areas of marketing, for example, how to create change for the better in society or learn about marketing's applications internationally.

The Graduate Certificate in Applied Finance is an introductory course designed to provide a general understanding of areas in Applied Finance such as financial statement analysis, managerial finance, statistics and corporate governance.

Upon successful completion of the Graduate Certificate in Applied Finance, you may enrol in a Master of Applied Finance and be eligible for credit for the four subjects completed within the Graduate Certificate. Progression with credit to other Masters programs, including the MBA, may also be possible.

We value the importance of prior learning and work experience in this course and understand that not all mature age working professionals have completed an undergraduate degree. If you fit this profile, still apply for the course, as we will assess your other relevant tertiary qualifications or substantial relevant professional or managerial experience.

In today’s technology-driven world, people and organizations are generating, collecting, and storing more data than ever before. Organizations across various industries are seeking graduates with skills to utilize and interpret this data to inform business strategies and add value to their business.

The Master of Business Analytics is designed to prepare you with the essential skills to undertake real-world Business Analytics tasks on big data business problems. You will develop skills and knowledge in business analytics, including how to apply tools and technologies required to perform descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics and how to apply these tools to a business landscape.