 | |  |
| • | School Home |
| • | Faculty Home |
| Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) | |
|
|
 |
|
|
Find answers here to the following Frequently Asked Questions: 1. What is accounting? What do accountants do? 1. What is accounting? What do accountants do? Accounting, in its broadest sense, is the system of measuring the activities of businesses and then analysing and communicating that information to decision-makers. It is a system that is central to the management of any business; its terminology and conventions are so common in the business world that an understanding of accounting is essential to anyone aiming to become a business manager. Accountants have in the past been referred to, disparagingly, as mere "bean counters". This is a reference to the often tedious process of book-keeping, which was once seen as the chief activity of accountants and as an end in itself. Today, computers perform much of the book-keeping tasks in any organisation, while accountants have the important role of analysing and presenting the resulting information in timely and meaningful reports. It is this information on which virtually all business decisions are made. Read more about accounting as a career. Read about what the accounting role is really like today. 2. Is the course just accounting? Does it limit me to being an accountant? The Bachelor of Accounting course involves completing a compulsory major in accounting, but students may complete a second major in any other business discipline if they wish. You can graduate with a major in Finance, Information Technology, Marketing, Management, International Business, E-Business, Tourism, Economics or Banking. Your choice of sub-majors is much wider still. See the Faculty of Business Online Handbook for details of available sub-majors and electives. The emphasis during the Bachelor of Accounting course is on accounting study and work training, and the focus of our graduates and sponsors is accounting-based careers. This is the clearly identified path to a successful career in business, whether that be within the accounting profession or in other areas such as banking, finance, information systems, government or consulting. As discussed above and in our Career Prospects page, employers are increasingly looking for business graduates with an accounting qualification. Read more about accounting as a career. As a graduate of the Bachelor of Accounting course you will hold one of Australia's most highly-regarded business degrees. The demand from all sorts of businesses for top-calibre accounting graduates is stronger than ever, a fact which is evidenced by the continuing high level of support the program attracts from sponsor organisations. 3. What is the difference between the Bachelor of Accounting and a cadetship? How does it compare to other co-op courses? If you are considering a cadetship or traineeship with a CA firm, then you should definitely consider the Bachelor of Accounting. The main benefits are similar, yet the Bachelor of Accounting offers even more and has definite advantages over a cadetship and other co-op courses. But you can't do both BAcc and a cadetship. 4. I want to study accounting. What is the difference between the Bachelor of Accounting and the Bachelor of Business at UTS? Not much, in terms of subjects studied. If you are interested in a business career, or accounting specifically, you should apply for both courses. But one course may be more suitable for you than the other, depending on your circumstances and background. Read more about the Bachelor of Business degree. 5. Does the Bachelor of Accounting qualify me to become a CPA / CA? Partly. To become a Certified Practicing Accountant or a Chartered Accountant you need more than just a university degree. CPA Australia and the ICAA are professional bodies whose membership requirements include experience as a full-time accounting practitioner and studying for further professional examinations. A recognised university degree will usually allow you to apply for associate membership, the first step towards full membership of these professional associations. The Bachelor of Accounting degree (and most other business and commerce degrees from Australian universities) satisfies all of the academic requirements for associate membership of both CPA Australia and the ICAA. The work experience undertaken by Bachelor of Accounting students as part of their degree may subsequently be counted towards the professional experience requirement for full membership of CPA Australia and the ICAA, depending on the nature and circumstances of the work completed. Contact CPA Australia or the ICAA for more information. 6. What are the admission requirements? What UAI will I need? The Bachelor of Accounting course was established to address a perceived shortage in top-calibre accounting graduates. We are looking for young men and women with a range of talents, who can go on to become the business leaders of tomorrow. As a result, the application process and selection criteria are different to that used for most university courses. We are looking for a whole person, not just the ability to pass exams. We do have an expected UAI (desirable but not essential requirement of 95), but UAI (academic ability) is just one of our 5 selection criteria. 7. Do I need to be studying Economics or Business Studies at school? No. The Bachelor of Accounting course has no requirement regarding HSC (or equivalent) subjects to be studied. And the only assumed knowledge is any 2 units of English, as well as assumed knowledge equivalent to the level of the HSC Mathematics Advanced syllabus. Assumed knowledge means that the subjects you study at uni will assume you have previously learnt Maths to this level. It does not mean that it is compulsory to study Mathematics at this level. You could do just General Maths for your HSC and still be eligible to get into BAcc. But the risk will then be on you that you may struggle with some of the math concepts covered in first-year uni subjects. 8. Do I need to have the Bachelor of Accounting as my first UAC preference? No. We understand that most young people will at this stage of their life still be considering many different and attractive options open to them for tertiary study. We don't expect you to be interested in our course and nothing else. However, please note that you must have the Bachelor of Accounting as one of your UAC course preferences by 31 October, as under the UAC system it cannot be added at a later date. Also, you should be aware that in order to make Preliminary Round offers to successful applicants (in late December each year) the UAC system requires that the Bachelor of Accounting be at that time your first preference for tertiary study. 9. I'm a non-recent school-leaver. Can I apply? Yes. Any person who is a citizen or permanent resident of Australia may apply - there are no other restrictions on eligibility. However, the course is "intended" for recent school-leavers. Previous experience in accounting will not be an advantage in the selection process, nor will previous study in accounting, except insofar as it relates to the published selection criteria. The course is "intended for school leavers" in that applicants who are currently in Year 12, or only 1-2 years out of school, are those sought by the employers who sponsor the course. Applicants more than a few years out of school are unlikely to be selected - based on our selection criteria - but are still eligible to apply. We are looking ideally for outstanding young men and women to study together as part of a close-knit group for 3 intensive years, from introductory accounting classes and work experience through to graduation and recruitment. 10. I've completed a TAFE Diploma in Accounting. Can I apply? Yes. However, TAFE students looking to gain entry with advanced standing into a university degree in accounting should consider the Bachelor of Business course in preference to the Bachelor of Accounting. Recognition of prior learning at other institutions is more widely available in the former than the latter. See also FAQ 9 11. Can I study Bachelor of Accounting in conjunction with another UTS degree, such as Law or International Studies? No. The Bachelor of Accounting is only offered as a stand-alone degree course. 12. When is the closing date for applications? Make sure you are aware of the special closing dates for Bachelor of Accounting applications. 13. Why do applications close so early? Because each year a significant number of our applicants also apply for cadetships with Chartered Accounting employers. The 5-month difference between when CA employers generally make their offers (July) and when universities generally make theirs (December) was creating difficulties for all parties. By making some offers mid-year we hope to help all parties avoid these difficulties, and provide more certainty for applicants interested in pursuing either a cadetship or a co-op accounting course. 14. What can I do if I'm not able to submit my Application Form Part A online? If you don’t have access to the web, or for any other reason are unable to submit your Part A online, please contact us before the closing date to make alternative arrangements. 15. Do I need to make a separate application through UAC? Yes. All applicants must apply through the NSW/ACT Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) as well as sending a BAcc Application Questionnaire direct to UTS. UAC handles all offers for NSW university courses, and you can't receive an offer if you have not applied through UAC. Non-NSW residents should make particular note of this - you will need to get hold of a copy of the NSW/ACT UAC Guide and follow the instructions therein. 17. What happens if I don't get an offer in Round 1 - am I still in with a chance of selection? Applicants who are rated highly after interview but not quite “outstanding” (and thus do not quite qualify for an offer) will go onto a reserve list. This reserve list will consist of applicants from both Rounds 1 and 2. Reserves will remain a good chance for final selection once UAIs are released, depending on the number of offers made and accepted, and the number of applicants waiting on the reserve list. Applicants who are rated only moderately after interview will be advised that they have missed out on selection. Round 1 applicants cannot re-apply for Round 2. 18. How do I know if my application has reached UTS? We receive hundreds of applications each year, and they all pour in over a few days around the closing date. It is impossible for us to acknowledge receipt of all these applications. However, please note: Part A of our Application Form is completed online. Once you submit this Part online, you will get immediate on-screen confirmation that it has been successfully submitted to us. You can print and keep this confirmation. Part B of our Application Form must be submitted by your school. In the event that we receive Part A of your application and not Part B, we will contact you and give you time to chase this up. You will not be disadvantaged if, for whatever reason, the fax transmission of your Part B was unsuccessful. Furthermore, we undertake to contact ALL applicants, by email, within one week of the application closing date. This email will advise whether you have been selected for interview; please contact us if you have not received this email once a week has expired after the closing date. 19. When are the interview dates for the next student intake? Interview dates for next student intake. 20. When does the course start for new students? Start date for our next intake. 21. Can I defer an offer of enrolment into this course? It is difficult to defer an offer of enrolment into the Bachelor of Accounting course, because of our reliance on annual sponsor support to provide scholarships, work training and other essential elements of the course. Unlike other courses, no guarantee can be made of how many, if any, sponsored student places will be available in future years. However, formal deferment (for one year) is available to those applicants who apply and have been approved in advance to have this option. Giving us notice allows us to plan ahead and manage the number of possible deferments; but you don't have to make a final decision on deferment until after you receive an offer (if you are eventually selected). So if you are considering travelling after Year 12 or taking a “gap year” before starting your university study, then read the details on our deferment procedure that will be sent out to you prior to your interview. 22. How many hours would I be studying each week? Bachelor of Accounting students typically attend 15 hours of classes each week - a mixture of large-group lectures and smaller-group tutorials. In addition to this they can expect to spend as many hours again in private study, revision, reading and working on assignments. The accelerated program of study within the Bachelor of Accounting course means students take on a workload which is often 20% more than that of a typical full-time business student. Read more about the course and study details. Yes, read more at our Study Details page. 24. How many places will be offered in next year's intake? Around 30 places. The exact number depends upon the number of sponsored student places supported by our industry partners, because each student place must be supported by a sponsor (they provide the scholarship and work training). The exact number of sponsored student places supported by our industry partners for the following year's intake is usually not known until late December each year. 25. Am I guaranteed a job with a sponsor company upon graduation? After completing the course there is no formal obligation on BAcc students to be employed by any of our sponsor companies. Likewise, there is no obligation for sponsor companies to offer employment. However most employers rate BAcc graduates very highly - based on the competitive selection process to get into the course and the work training and other experiences during the course - and they are generally highly sought after. Over fifteen years no BAcc graduate has yet missed out on a graduate job; most will have secured employment with a sponsor organisation by May of their final year of study. 26. What other scholarships or co-op courses are available at UTS? UTS offers one other specialist co-operative education program - the Bachelor of Information Technology - which is very similar to the Bachelor of Accounting. There are also co-op courses in Engineering at UTS, as well as various other undergraduate scholarships. For more detail, go the the UTS Undergraduate Scholarships website. We don't have a central office co-ordinating all co-op courses; one of the strengths of the Bachelor of Accounting is that all aspects of its operation are within the control of staff dedicated to the course rather than being administered as one part of a central bureaucracy. 27. Can I survive in Sydney on the scholarship alone? If you live outside of the Sydney metropolitan area then you will have to move to Sydney to join the Bachelor of Accounting course. And living in Sydney can be expensive. You will be paying: 1. Rent for accommodation; The scholarship is available to Bachelor of Accounting students to assist with these sort of expenses, allowing students to concentrate on their studies without having to find part-time work. Even so, most students will need some other financial support (from family or Centrelink) apart from the scholarship to be able to study full-time and live in Sydney. There are also special elements of the Bachelor of Accounting course that make the transition from school to university life easier. And we do try to encourage the best applicants to consider the move no matter where they live - it's not just a course for Sydney students. You should also consider other ways to help finance your studies: 1. Youth Allowance to supplement your scholarship, where available; 28. Do BAcc students have to pay HECS? Bachelor of Accounting students are not exempt from the Federal Government's Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS). To see the typical HECS-HELP liability for a full-time business student at UTS go to the UTS Fees page. Students can elect to defer this liability and only repay the loan at such time that they are earning a graduate salary, or they can pay the fees up-front and receive a 20% discount. |
(CRICOS Provider No: 00099F)
16 June 2008 1:11 PM
Authorised by Gareth Prosser, Manager BAcc Program
Send comments about this page to UTS: Business
Disclaimer | Privacy Statement | UTS homepage