University of Canberra
Master of Professional Accounting
- Delivery: Face to Face
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 24 months
- Course Type: Master's
Uniquely developed to help equip you with the necessary professional and technical skills to enter the Australian accounting industry with confidence.
Course overview
Become an Australian Trained Accountant
The UC Master of Professional Accounting course is the perfect study pathway for those looking for any one of the following outcomes:
- Those students who already hold an undergraduate degree in another field but are considering exploring switching careers and becoming an accountant.
- Internationally educated accountants, looking to meet the minimum entry requirements for working in Australia as established by the CPA (Certified Practising Accountant) Australia and CAANZ (Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand). The MPA program is also accredited by the Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Australia (CMA Australia) and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA-UK).
This two-year full-time course has been carefully designed in close consultation with industry experts to help you maximise the quality of your time at UC.
Covering a diverse range of subjects such as Government Finance Management, Micro-finance, entrepreneurship and more, this course will bring you up to speed with the latest accounting practices and help you meet the legal and professional requirements as determined by the professional accounting bodies of Australia.
Study the Master of Professional Accounting at UC and you will:
- Gain extensive technical, analytical and practical accounting skills
- Learn the accepted industry ethics and integrity standards
- Gain unprecedented access to industry contacts
- Work on real-world problems in practical environments
- Explore professional accounting practices in industry, government and private practice.
- Forge strong professional industry networks
- Graduate with an internationally recognised qualification
- Gain admission as an associate member of cpa australia, or CAANZ
Key facts
15th February, 2027
9th August, 2027
What you will study
To earn the Master of Professional Accounting, you must complete 48 credit points or 16 units. Each unit is valued at three credit points.
Students must pass 39 credit points as follows:
- Accounting Systems and Practices
- Business Finance
- Business Law
- Economics for Managers
- Management Accounting
- Research Methods
- Corporate Accounting
- Law of Business Associations
- Quantitative Methods in Commerce
- Revenue Law
- Accounting and Decision Support Systems
- Auditing and Assurance
- Advanced Issues in Accounting
Entry requirements
Applicants must have a bachelor's degree or equivalent as approved by the University. There are no work experience requirements. Students who have undertaken an undergraduate degree with a major in accounting at an Australian institution are ineligible for entry to the degree.
English language requirements
Applicants must have an IELTS Academic score of 6.5 overall, with no band score below 6.0 (or equivalent).
Recognition of Prior Learning
If you have previous studies or professional work experience that is relevant to your intended field of study at UC, you can gain credit towards your degree. This reduces the number of units you must take to complete your course, meaning you could finish your studies sooner and save money too.
For more information, please get in touch with the university or visit its website.
Outcomes
- Develop an advanced and integrated understanding of accounting and related disciplines required to practice as an accountant.
- Critically analyse, interpret and synthesise complex financial and related information, problems, concepts or theories.
- Exercise initiative and professional judgement to produce well-developed advice and arguments in solving financial problems.
- Argue and justify ethical, socially responsible and sustainable business decisions in a complex business environment, demonstrating high levels of personal autonomy and accountability.
- Evaluate and explain accounting and financial transactions to a broad range of stakeholders, including managers, clients, regulators, etc and navigate in an increasingly complex financial, legal, economic and global business environment, including recent developments in these fields.
- Display professional communication skills and the ability to transmit knowledge, skills and ideas using a variety of communication styles, as would be expected by audiences from technical or non-technical backgrounds.
Fees and CSP
Average full-course fee in 2026: From $31,620 (Commonwealth Supported Place)
The average full-course fee is calculated based on a full-time study load of 48 credit points (16 units).
Student fees may vary in accordance with:
- The number of units studied per term.
- The choice of major or specialisation.
- Choice of units.
- Credit from previous study or work experience.
- Eligibility for government-funded loans.
You may also need to pay the student services and amenities fee.
Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.
Commonwealth Supported Places
The Australian Government allocates a certain number of CSPs to the universities each year, which are then distributed to students based on merit.
If you're a Commonwealth Supported Student (CSS), you'll only need to pay a portion of your tuition fees. This is known as the student contribution amount – the balance once the government subsidy is applied. This means your costs are much lower.
Limited CSP spaces are offered to students enrolled in selected postgraduate courses.
Your student contribution amount is:
- Calculated per the unit you're enrolled in.
- Dependent on the study areas they relate to.
- Reviewed and adjusted each year.
HECS-HELP loans are available to CSP students to pay the student contribution amount.