The Master of Accounting is a 72-unit program offered by the Flinders Business School, within the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences.

It meets the academic requirements for membership of CPA Australia, the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia (ICAA) and the National Institute of Accountants (NIA).

Admission requirements

Applicants must have completed a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification in any discipline (other than accounting) from an approved tertiary institution. 

Students with an accredited degree in accounting are not eligible for admission into the Master of Accounting. However, the Faculty Board may, under certain circumstances and subject to specific conditions, admit others who can show evidence of fitness for candidature.

Course aims

The course aims to provide students with the appropriate knowledge, skills and attributes for a successful career as an accounting professional and to cultivate research practices for independent, industry and discipline related research in a business context. The course is designed to meet the educational component for entry into professional accounting body programs. The role of professional accountants in contemporary society will be explored with reference to ethics, globalisation and sustainability issues.

Learning outcomes

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

  • Explain the role of accounting and financial management within an organisation and recognise taxation and other legal issues relevant to business.
  • Appraise and apply the professional accounting body ethical standards to professional and business scenarios and critically evaluate the role of theory in informing accounting practice.
  • Apply technical financial accounting skills to process transactions and construct accounts for a variety of organisations, including sole traders, partnerships and companies.
  • Apply management accounting concepts to produce reports for management planning, control and decision making.
  • Apply accounting information system concepts and auditing principles and processes to diverse business scenarios.
  • Describe both qualitative and quantitative business research methods and apply relevant methods to workplace and/or academic projects.
  • Work both individually and in groups to solve business related problems and communicate the results to a range of stakeholders.

Program of study

To qualify for The Master of Accounting a student must complete 72 units with a grade of P or NGP or better in each topic, according to the following program of study.

Not all topics are necessarily available in a given year.

Core - Year 1 & 2 topics

 58.5 units of core topics:

 BUSN9113  Accounting Fundamentals  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9114  Information Systems and Accounting Processes  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9115  Quantitative Methods  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9116  Economics for Business  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9117  Management and Cost Accounting  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9118  Financial Accounting Issues  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9119  Financial Management  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9120  Corporate Accounting  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9121  Auditing and Assurances  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9122  Perspectives on Taxation Law  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9123  Principles of Commercial Law  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9124  Accounting Theory in Practice  (4.5 units) 
 BUSN9254  Business Research Methods and Project  (4.5 units)

Option - Year 1 & 2 topics

 13.5 units of electives from the following:

 BUSN9125  Industry Project  (4.5 units)^
 BUSN9126  Industry Placement  (4.5 units)^
 BUSN9127  International Project  (4.5 unirs)^
 BUSN9128  International Placement  (4.5 units)^
 BUSN9223  Investments and Portfolio Management  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9228  Strategic Marketing  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9229  Sustainability and Ethics in Management  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9231  Global Business Context: An Asia Pacific Focus  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9233  Data Analysis for Decision Making  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9234  Project Management  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9235  Managing Negotiations  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9236  Leadership: Theory, Practice and Experience  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9237  Financial Markets and Institutions  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9238  Advanced Issues in Finance  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9239  International Business in the Asia Pacific Region  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9241  International Business Finance and Banking  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9242  International Human Resources Management  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9243  International Marketing and Export Management  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9248  Managing People  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9258  International Study Tour  (4.5 units)
 INTR9061  Governance and the new Political Economy of East Asia  (4.5 units)
 POAD9022  Public Management  (4.5 units)
 POAD9034  Risk Management - Principles and Practice  (4.5 units)
 POAD9037  Financial Management  (4.5 units)

^ Enrolment into these topics requires approval from the Program Director