Future Students

Accounting

There are two majors in the area of Accounting, Financial and Managerial.  These majors can be studied in the Bachelor of Commerce, associated combined degrees and as a second major in the Bachelor of Economics.

To join a professional accounting body when you graduate, such as CPA Australia, the Institute of Chartered Accountants or National Institute of Accountants you will need to use two of your elective units to study units that are required by those professional bodies.

It is possible to complete an Accounting and Finance double major with the unit sequence to fulfil the requirements of the professional bodies (a Finance major complements the Accounting majors). You can also add a Business Law minor to enhance your commercial skills

The two accounting majors are:

Financial Accounting

The ability to prepare and interpret accounting information aimed at people outside the company is a cornerstone of effective decision making in business.  Financial accounting data are the inputs into financial models and so Financial Accounting complements Finance.  The Financial Accounting major provides an understanding of how to prepare financial accounting reports, develops skills in using accounting information for problem solving and decision making, and develops awareness of key issues in related professional disciplines such as taxation, auditing and management services.  In recent years, an increasing emphasis has been placed in the major on developing communications skills.

Level 1 Core Units

ACCT1101 Financial Accounting
ECON1101 Microeconomics: Prices and Markets
STAT1520 Economic and Business Statistics

Additional Level 1 Prerequisite Unit

ACCT1112 Management Accounting

Managerial Accounting

Effective allocation of resources within an organisation requires an understanding of how much various activities cost and the profit margin derived from each product or service provided.  Managerial accounting develops the skills and competencies that help explain, for instance, why budget airlines find it profitable to sell a Perth-Sydney ticket for just $200 and why an aspirin tablet cost the patient $7 if taken within the hospital.  Management accounting is also concerned with performance evaluation and development.  It has close links with disciplines such as organisational behaviour, marketing, economics and information management.

Breadth of study is encouraged within this major which has been designed to be taken in conjunction with another major such as corporate finance, economics, financial accounting, management or marketing.

Level 1 Core Units

ACCT1101 Financial Accounting
ECON1101 Microeconomics: Prices and Markets
STAT1520 Economic and Business Statistics

Additional Level 1 Prerequisite Unit

ACCT1112 Management Accounting

Business Law Minor
There is no Law major available to students within the Business School. However, a comprehensive Business Law minor is available which complements the other majors, and offers excellent commercial skills.

Course rules
Explore the rules for this course, as well as get details of the kind of units you will study, by visiting the University Undergraduate Handbook entry for this course.

Career opportunities

Financial Accounting

Professional accountants work in a variety of jobs as company directors, board members, chief executive officers, partners in business and in the profession, and in banking, company accounting, cost and management accounting, financial consulting, fund management, management consulting, merchant banking, public accounting practice, public sector, self-employment, small business, stockbroking and taxation. The Financial Accounting major offers an almost limitless variety of career paths. This major can be combined with additional units to meet the requirements of Australian professional accounting bodies.

Managerial Accounting

Accountants play a key role in most organisations, have highly transferable skills and therefore have career opportunities in a wide range of fields including corporate accounting, managerial accounting, financial controlling, public service, auditing and tax.