A change in career is a common reality for many – you might be interested in forging a path in a new line of work or be ready to gain expertise in a new area of interest. Changing careers is a great way to open a range of new job opportunities and show employers that you’re adaptable and unafraid of change.

This Master’s degree has been designed for those who would like to pursue a new career in professional accounting. It’s a conversion programme, meaning you have the advantage of covering core knowledge and competencies – and developing higher level capabilities – quickly so you can start working as soon as possible.

You’ll need an undergraduate degree to apply (or equivalent professional experience) – but it doesn’t matter what discipline you’ve previously studied as the programme builds on the diverse skill set you already have.  This includes analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, technical accounting skills, and research capabilities to operate in a variety of small to medium enterprises, as well as some larger organisations.

Professional accounting bodies

To work as a registered chartered accountant or certified practicing accountant in New Zealand, you need to gain membership to the following professional accounting bodies:

Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ)

Certified Practising Accountants Australia (CPA Australia)

There are so many benefits to being professionally certified and registered – global networking opportunities, discounted professional development – so when you successfully graduate this programme, you’ll have the academic requirements you need to apply for provisional membership.

What you’ll learn

The Master of Professional Accounting (MPA) is an 18-month, 180-credit programme studied over three semesters. It’s made up of 10 compulsory courses – nine 15-credit courses at Level 8 (including an internship), and a 45-credit research project at Level 9.