Bachelor of Commerce – Accreditation requirements
Within the Bachelor of Commerce (and related combined programs), students may choose to pursue a program of study that would allow them to seek accreditation with particular professional bodies.
Professional accounting accreditation
(i) CPA Australia and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ)
Completion of an accredited degree is a recognised pathway to a career in professional accounting. The Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Commerce combined degrees, and Bachelor of Commerce (Liberal Studies) have been accredited by CPA Australia and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ).
Depending on the area(s) of specialisation and elective units selected, students enrolled in these programs can complete all the required units of study covering the core competency areas to meet the joint accreditation requirements for CPA Australia and/or CAANZ.
Selection of the following units of study is necessary to maximise the coverage of the foundation competency areas that are required by the two main professional accounting bodies in Australia:
| Competency areas | Required unit of study |
|---|---|
| Accounting systems and processes | BUSS1030 Accounting, Business and Society AND ACCT1006 Accounting and Financial Management |
| Audit and assurance | ACCT3014 Auditing and Assurance # |
| Business law | CLAW1001 Foundations of Business Law AND CLAW2201 Corporations Law |
| Economics |
BUSS1040 Economics for Business Decision Making OR ECON1001 Introductory Microeconomics and ECON1002 Introductory Macroeconomics * |
| Ethics | Covered across the curriculum |
| Finance and financial management |
FINC2011 Corporate Finance I |
| Financial accounting and reporting |
ACCT2011 Financial Accounting A AND ACCT3011 Financial Accounting B |
| Information technology | INFS2001 IS for Performance Improvement (students must also complete the prerequisite unit INFS1000 Digital Business Innovation) |
| Management accounting | ACCT2012 Management Accounting A AND ACCT3012 Management Accounting B |
| Quantitative methods | BUSS1020 Quantitative Business Analysis OR ECMT1010 Introduction to Economic Statistics * |
| Taxation | CLAW3201 Australian Taxation System # |
*These units apply to students enrolled in the Bachelor of Economics degree. Commerce students complete the specified BUSS coded units.
# Note: CPA Australia had allowed exemptions from ‘Audit and assurance’ and ‘Taxation’ competency areas provided students completed Audit and/or Taxation as professional level units in their CPA Program. From semester 2, 2018, CPA Australia will only allow this exemption for graduates applying for associate membership for ‘Audit and assurance’. This means that from semester 2, 2018 students seeking associate membership of CPA Australia must have completed the accredited taxation unit in their degree. CAANZ continue to require graduates to have both ‘Taxation’ and ‘Audit and Assurance’ accredited units for their provisional membership.
As accredited units are subject to review by the professional accounting bodies, students are advised to check the CAANZ and CPA Australia websites for units accredited in the year they commenced their course
If required, the CPA/CAANZ Accreditation Liaison Officer in the Discipline of Accounting can provide further advice on professional accounting accreditation.
(ii) Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
Students who complete the Bachelor of Commerce (with a major in Accounting) may be eligible to receive four exam exemptions from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). Students who complete other accredited units of study are also eligible for an additional ACCA exam exemptions.
Further information on ACCA exam exemptions can be found on the ACCA exemptions enquiry database.
Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) accreditation
Students wishing to satisfy the requirements for professional membership of AHRI should complete an Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management major as part of their degree. The required units of study for the major are listed under the Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management subject area. All undergraduate degrees incorporating a major in Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management are AHRI-accredited.
CFA® program partners
CFA Institute® partners with globally diverse, high profile institutions who cover a significant portion of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge TM and who embrace the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct in their degree programs. CFA program partnership is recognition that the university curriculum is closely tied to professional practice and is well suited to preparing students to sit for the CFA exams.
The University of Sydney is recognised as a program partner through the Bachelor of Commerce (majoring in Finance) degree program. The required units of study for the major are listed under the Finance subject area. In addition to the Finance major, it is also recommended that students complete the free online learning module, Ethics and Standards of Practice available through the CFA Institute.
Students are advised to refer to the CFA Program Partners information on the Business School website for further information.