Reshape your business career with a speciality in professional accounting

Graduate Diploma in Professional Accounting (Level 7)

Overview
Details

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Programme highlights

Do you want to become a Chartered Accountant?

If you already have a qualification from another institution, either in New Zealand or overseas, you can study the Graduate Diploma in Professional Accounting.

When you graduate, you will qualify for provisional membership of the College of Chartered Accountants of CAANZ or CPA Australia.

This qualification includes the practical experience and professional competence components you need to become a full member of these professional accounting bodies.

Download the programme guide

Programme guide PDF, 543.57 KB

Flexible study option

Fast-track your programme of study to graduate sooner

Your work experience or previous tertiary study may count towards achieving your qualification. Our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme is designed for those who already have on-the-job skills and knowledge, but want to take their career to the next level with a qualification.

With RPL we can measure and match your existing skills against credits in our courses – creating a tailored path of study that will not only save you money but also help you to complete your qualification faster. To learn more make an appointment to speak with one of our RPL facilitators by phoning 0800 62 62 52 or email enquiries@manukau.ac.nz.

Students who have completed an accounting degree or qualification outside of New Zealand and would like to continue studies towards professional accounting, please check your qualifications with Chartered Accountants of Australia and NZ (CAANZ). CAANZ will assess your application and confirm the programme of study required to complete the chartered accounting pathway.

Key facts

Start month(s)	February, July See key dates
Study location(s)	MIT Manukau
Level	7
Domestic fees	$7,000 (approx.) Click here to see individual course fees
Youth Guarantee (fees-free*)	Not available Click here to find out more
Programme code	MN4443

Duration	Full-time for 1 year (34 teaching weeks), part-time available. _{The maximum time to complete this programme part-time is 4 years.}
Study method	Full-time, Part-time (daytime and evening classes)
Credits	120
International fees	NZD$22,000 (approx.)
Māori and Pasifika Trades Training Scholarship (fees-free*)	Not available Click here to find out more
Qualification leads to	MIT Graduate Diploma in Professional Accounting (Level 7)

Entry requirements

Applicants must meet the following entry requirements:

Have successfully completed a Bachelor's degree; and
Have English language competence to undertake this programme which is taught and assessed in English. Any applicants whose first language is not English may be required to provide evidence of an overall IELTS (Academic) band score of 6.0 (with no score below 5.5 in speaking, reading, writing and listening) or equivalent.

Provisional entry

Students who have attained the age of 20 years and do not hold the minimum entry requirements for a programme or training scheme may be eligible to be enrolled. Such decisions must consider any applicable pre-requisites and will be made by the Head of School. Students who have not attained the age of 20 years and do not hold the required minimum entry requirements may also be eligible to be enrolled in exceptional circumstances where they can demonstrate capability for study at the required level. Such decisions must consider any applicable pre-requisites and will be made by the Head of School.

International students

Test your English level to help you plan.

Take our free online English test to get a basic indication of your English level. This will help you understand what programmes you can apply for and what preparation you may require before you start your programme of study.

Need IELTS?

Book your British Council IELTS test with us.

You will complete your test in one day, plus get free online tuition to help you succeed. We offer paper-based or computer-delivered IELTS. Choose computer-delivered IELTS and get your results in 3-5 days.

Programme structure

You will need to choose one of the following options to complete a Graduate Diploma in Professional Accounting. A minimum of five courses must be Level 7.

Option one

Five papers at Level 7 and three papers at Level 6.

Option two

Five papers at level 7, two papers at level 6 and one paper at level 5.

You will need to complete eight courses from the below based on your chosen option:

Level 5

143.505 Business Statistical Analysis (15 credits)

Gain a practical understanding of data analysis, spreadsheets, and how to present this data meaningfully in the form of graphs.

311.537 Introduction to Accounting (15 credits)

Learn the basics of accounting in a New Zealand business context; create and understand financial statements; and analyse business performance for small companies.

311.538 Accounting Practices (15 credits)

Learn essential accounting practices, including processing GST transactions, accounts payable, accounts receivable and using MYOB accounting software.

323.510 Commercial Law (15 credits)

Learn the fundamentals of the legal system as it relates to business, including liability, contract law and consumer rights.

341.576 Management (15 credits)

Understand and apply the factors that influence people and change management of an organisation.

371.514 Economics (15 credits)

Develop an understanding of elements of economic theory and how they relate to contemporary business issues, including exchange rates, international trade, and the relationship between market economics and regulation.

Level 6

311.646 Intermediate Financial Accounting (15 credits)

Gain an understanding of the regulatory and technical aspects of financial accounting, including the formation of new companies, analysis of financial reporting, and contemporary issues in accounting.

311.647 Intermediate Management Accounting (15 credits)

Build on the skills learnt in the Introduction to Accounting course, learning how to analyse and present management-accounting information to help an organisation make effective business decisions.

311.648 Taxation in New Zealand (15 credits)

Study the principles of accounting in the context of taxation and apply that knowledge of taxation rules to New Zealand businesses in a range of situations.

311.650 Introduction to Finance (15 credits)

Gain a practical understanding of financial management, capital budgeting techniques, asset management and analysis of short-term and long-term financing alternatives.

311.651 Auditing and Assurance (15 credits)

Learn about auditing and assurance processes, audit standards and frameworks, and current issues of auditing research.

323.607 The Law of Business Entities (15 credits)

Learn about, and demonstrate an understanding of, the legal requirements for the creation, operation and ending of different kinds of business entities.

578.605 Accounting Information Systems (15 credits)

Learn to design, implement and maintain accounting information systems; gain skills in spreadsheets, databases and accounting packages; and learn to create meaningful reports and flowcharts.

Level 7

311.728 Advanced Financial Accounting (15 credits)

Gain the skills necessary to operate in New Zealand’s financial reporting environment, preparing and presenting complex financial statements in the context of accepted modern accounting practice.

311.729 Advanced Management Accounting (15 credits)

Build on the skills learnt in Intermediate Management Accounting, learning advanced techniques to provide and evaluate accounting information, how it affects behaviour and how it contributes to strategic decision-making.

341.753 Industry Project Part A (15 credits)

You will carry out a project for a host organisation on a topic in a field allied to your graduate diploma by identifying a project, host organisation and presenting a proposal.

341.754 Industry Project Part B (30 credits)

Develop capabilities related to your chosen area of specialisation, in a “hands-on” immersion in industry practice. Enable you to apply your learning, test the relevance of academic theories to the workplace and reflect critically on this relationship between your academic study and industry practice. You will carry out a significant work assignment for the host organisation on a topic in a field allied to your major and present a project report in conjunction with an academic supervisor.

In addition, other courses may be selected from the Bachelor of Applied Management to make up 120 credits if necessary.

Key dates and timetables

To find the key dates and timetables of this programme, please view the business calendar.

Career opportunities

A Graduate Diploma in Accounting will give you a strong grounding for a variety of roles within businesses. Accounting is also integral to almost all management positions within any company.

If you wish to become a Chartered Accountant, and you have a degree in accounting but not all the requisite knowledge, you should pursue the CAANZ/CPA Accounting pathway on the Bachelor of Applied Management instead. For potential salaries visit careers.govt.nz.

Further training or study

Postgraduate study e.g: Master of Business Administration.

MIT is becoming Te Pūkenga

Vocational education in Aotearoa is changing to better meet the needs of learners like you.

As part of this transformational change, MIT will next year become fully part of Te Pūkenga, a national network delivering skills training in a wide range of locations throughout Aotearoa. This means that while you’re applying with MIT now, from Semester 1, 2023 when you enrol you’ll become a Te Pūkenga learner.

The new system has the success and wellbeing of learners at its heart, and a review of all programmes is currently underway to help support this, including the programme that you’ve enrolled with. The aim is to make qualifications more portable, consistent and closely aligned with the needs of industry, and more in tune with where the world is headed.

As the programme review is ongoing, the courses outlined may be liable to change over time. Rest assured that we’ll notify you of any material changes to delivery that might impact what you’re studying, where you’re studying or the ways you’re learning.

_{Information is correct as at 17 August 2022. Programme fees are based on a full-time student and may vary depending on your final selection of courses that make up your programme. To provide you with an indication of costs, the approximate fees quoted in this publication are based on the indicative 2022 fee structure. The indicative programme fees for 2022 do not include the Compulsory Student Services Fee (CSSF). The CSSF is an additional levy to your 2022 programme or course fees. Further information about the CSSF can be found here www.manukau.ac.nz/cssf. Programmes stated as eligible for free study in 2022 are based on the 2021 fee structure and subject to funding confirmation for 2022. All fees are in New Zealand Dollars. You will be advised of the current fees at the time of enrolment. All courses and programmes will proceed subject to numbers and academic approval. Manukau Institute of Technology Limited is accredited under the provisions of the Education and Training Act 2020. International students must study in class and will not be able to enrol for online study options.}