Curtin BComm (Accounting) exemptions from CIMA professional examinations testimony of high quality of qualification

Miri – 15 December 2010 – Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) graduates of Curtin University, including those at its offshore campus in Sarawak (Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia), are now exempted from most of the papers of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)’s professional examinations.

Following a process of application with CIMA by Curtin’s School of Accounting in Perth, Western Australia, Curtin has been successful in obtaining a large number of exemptions for units in its Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) programme.

The CIMA professional examinations are structured across four levels. There are five papers at the certificate level, three at the operational level, two at the management level, and three at the strategic level. The examinations need to be completed prior to the graduates embarking on a further professional competence level, which is essentially work-based.

According to Professor Glennda Scully, head of the School of Accounting, Curtin has gained exemptions from all five papers at the certificate level, all three papers at the operational level, and two papers at the management level. Papers at the strategic level are considered for exemptions from Master level units only.

She said the achievement was part of the School of Accounting’s strategy of providing more linkage with professional bodies and providing more alternative career paths for Curtin’s students.

She further hoped that linkages with prestigious accounting bodies such as CIMA, which are very relevant in the United Kingdom and Asian countries, as well as the provision of an alternative to students, will assist Curtin’s offshore campuses and international partners in being more competitive in their marketing.

The exemptions are indeed good news to Curtin Sarawak students as they can now look forward to a simpler process of becoming chartered management accountants. They need to complete only one paper at the management level and three papers at the strategic level of the CIMA examinations.

It is also testimony of the high quality of Curtin’s accounting course, which is offered as part of the Bachelor of Commerce programme, according to Curtin Sarawak’s Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Professor Ian Kerr.

In the accounting major, students are introduced to accounting principles, auditing, taxation and relevant areas of business law and financial management. They examine the recording and communication of information relating to the financial performance of organisations, and learn to prepare reports or give advice on an organisation’s record-keeping and compliance requirements.

Students can enhance their studies with a secondary major or choose from a range of elective units to support their career goals. They can study accounting as part of a double major with banking, entrepreneurship or finance at Curtin Sarawak, or with accounting technologies, business information systems, business law, financial planning or taxation at Curtin Bentley.

Professor Kerr commended the Curtin School of Accounting for its success in getting the exemptions.

“These exemptions will be very valuable for Curtin Sarawak students intending to become chartered management accountants and will be a welcome addition to an already impressive list of professional accreditations and exemptions that Curtin University and Curtin Sarawak are accumulating,” he remarked.

More information on Curtin Sarawak can be obtained from its website at www.curtin.edu.my.