Curtin accounting programmes get ICAEW recognition and CPL credits

Miri – 29 June 2018 – Two of Curtin University’s accounting programmes – the Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) and Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting and Finance) – are now recognised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). Accompanying this prestigious recognition is the granting of five Credits for Prior Learning (CPL) at the Certificate Level.

This comes as very welcome news to the Faculty of Business at Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia), Curtin University’s largest international campus and global hub in Asia, which also offers the two programmes.

Acting Dean of the Faculty, Associate Professor Pauline Ho said the added recognition, which comes on top of recognition by other accounting professional bodies, will further strengthen the accounting programmes at Curtin Malaysia and encourage more enrolments in an education sector where programme recognition, accreditation, and subject rankings are crucial in decision-making.

She said Curtin’s accounting programmes are now recognised by five major accounting professional bodies, namely CPA Australia, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), ICAEW and Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants – Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (MICPA-CAANZ).

Professor Ho added that being granted CPL credits was also significant as Curtin University, including its international campuses in Malaysia, Singapore, Dubai and Mauritius, is one of only three Australian institutions given the privilege and listed on the ICAEW CPL website.

ICAEW has over 147,000 members and over 15,000 live and work outside the United Kingdom. In 2015, 8,256 students joined ICAEW – the highest ever figure. 82 of the United Kingdom’s FTSE 100 companies have an ICAEW Chartered Accountant on their boards.

To be admitted to membership of the ICAEW, applicants must generally complete 450 days of relevant work experience (training) and pass a series of examinations. During the training, candidates will need to display professional ethics and skepticism along with a commitment towards continuous professional development, which must be maintained even when the qualification has been obtained. This pathway is defined as the ACA qualification.

Generally, there are three levels of ACA examinations (Certificate Level, Professional Level and Advanced Level) and six papers each at Certificate and Professional Level, and three at Advanced Level. Curtin students are exempted from five examinations at Certificate Level: Accounting, Assurance, Business and Finance, Law and Principles of Taxation. The sixth paper, Management Information, is not exempted.

To apply for the credits, they will need to have achieved a minimum grade of 50% in each of the required modules. Thereafter, they will advance to the Professional and Advanced Levels, and having completed 10 papers, they would have completed the ICAEW professional programme and qualify as Chartered Accountants.

Curtin Malaysia offers Curtin’s Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting (single major) and Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Banking, and Accounting and Entrepreneurship (double majors).

Developed to build professional expertise in relevant areas of specialisation and in a range of other required skills, the programmes are aligned with the latest industry trends, with considerable emphasis on decision-making, trends in technology and associated work patterns, and other aspects of management in the highly competitive business arena.

In addition, Curtin Malaysia’s strong industry connections enables its students to gain a broad understanding of the structure and operations of financial markets in the region through field trips, internships, real-life case studies and practical assignments, guest lectures by industry professionals, and networking events.

All business courses offered at Curtin Malaysia are identical to those offered at its parent campus in Perth. Furthermore, all are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), a recognition given to only the top five per cent of business schools in the world.

Associate Professor Ho commented that AACSB accreditation means Curtin Malaysia’s business students and alumni can be proud they are involved with one of the leading business education providers in the world.

She said the recognition given by the various professional bodies is testimony to the quality of Curtin’s programmes. This also evident in the Curtin’s achievements in the global university rankings, which includes Top 150 in the world for Accounting and Finance and Business and Management Studies in the 2018 QS World University Rankings by Subject.

In addition to being recognised by ICAEW, the accounting programmes at Curtin Malaysia are recognised as being acceptable for associate membership in CPA Australia, ACCA and Institute of Public Accountants (IPA), as well as entry to the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia (ICAA) graduate programme. After obtaining membership in CPA Australia, ACCA or ICAA, graduates are eligible for membership in the MICPA-CAANZ and the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA).

Indeed, Curtin’s globally-recognised qualifications have resulted in over 80 per cent of Curtin Malaysia’s graduates securing jobs within six months of completing their studies. Furthermore, more than 90 per cent of companies that employ its graduates have indicated that they are satisfied with their work performance, citing ethical work manners, ability to synthesise information and ability to working in teams as their top three attributes.

Accounting programmes at Curtin Malaysia further strengthened by ICAEW recognition.

Associate Professor Pauline Ho, Acting Dean of Curtin Malaysia’s Faculty of Business.