Master of Professional Accounting
The Master of Professional Accounting equips you with the skills to change careers and become an accountant. It can be completed in 16 months fast-track.
It’s designed for people with an unrelated degree who want to work towards registration with leading professional accounting bodies – including the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ). It's a good choice if you want to gain membership with professional accounting bodies or change careers to become an accountant.
The MPA will advance your understanding of accounting from a strategic business perspective and provide the financial expertise needed for senior management roles. Roles may include chartered accountant, management accountant, chief financial officer, finance manager, forensic accountant, business consultant, tax specialist or a role in senior management.
Start date: 2018
- Download Business & Economics programme brochure [PDF, 2.3 MB]
Start date: 2019
- Download our programme brochure [PDF, 7.3 MB]
- Entry requirements
- What you study
- Career opportunities
- Professional accreditation
- Related programmes
Minimum entry requirements
- Must have completed a bachelor’s degree (in any discipline) with a B- grade average in papers at level 7 or equivalent, OR
- 10 years of relevant work experience combined with a work-based portfolio
Admission is subject to the approval of the Dean (or representative).
English language requirements
- IELTS (Academic) 6.5 overall with a minimum score of 6.0 in each band.
IELTS may be waived (at the discretion of the Programme Director)
- For a student who has completed a qualification, the language of instruction for which was English, and which was awarded within the last 3 years
- For a student who has lived and/or worked in an English speaking environment for 3 years
If your English does not meet the required standard, AUT International House offers the GIE programme.
Contact us to find out more
Email mbaandpm@aut.ac.nz
Phone +64 9 921 9135
To graduate with a Master of Professional Accounting, you must successfully complete the papers below (cross-credits are not available for this qualification).
Complete the following papers
- ACCT860 Financial Accounting
- ACCT861 Management Accounting for Business
- ACCT862 Taxation in New Zealand
- ACCT863 Accounting Information Systems
- ACCT864 Auditing
- ACCT865 Advanced Financial Accounting
- ACCT866 Strategic Management Accounting
- ACCT867 Finance for Accountants
- ACCT996 Applied Professional Accounting Project
- ECON861 Economics for Business
- ECON862 Statistics for Business
- LAWS860 Business Law
- LAWS861 Law of Business Organisations
- MGMT861 Managing Organisations and People
Detailed information about papers in this programme
Detailed programme structure and paper outlines (Blackboard)
Skills you will develop
The outcomes for graduates of the Master of Professional Accounting are outlined in the Graduate Profile below.
Accounting offers excellent job opportunities both in New Zealand and internationally. There's strong demand for highly skilled accountants and senior managers with a strategic understanding of accounting and finance.
Careers include:
- Chartered accountant
- International accounting firms
- Management accountant
- Chief financial officer
- Finance manager
- Forensic accountant
- Senior management
- Business consultant
- Tax specialist
The Master of Professional Accounting provides you with the academic requirements for membership in:
- Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
- Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ)
- Certified Practising Accountants Australia (CPA Australia)
- Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
Check their websites below for information about the benefits of professional membership and the opportunities for certified and registered chartered accountants.
Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) website
Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) website
Certified Practising Accountants Australia (CPA Australia) website
Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) website
29 Oct 2018
4 Mar 2019
29 Oct 2019
$21,060 (2018 fee) / $21,480 (2019 fee)
- This represents the approximate tuition fee based on a full-time workload of 120 points in 2018/2019. Exact fees will depend on papers selected and may exceed the figure stated.
- Fees are subject to change year to year, if you are planning for beyond 2019, fees may vary from those stated.
- The MBA and Professional Masters programmes are 180 points, with start dates throughout the year. Total programme fees will therefore depend on paper selection and start dates.
- There may also be other fees and charges you need to pay. Learn more about fees to study at AUT
$49,995 (2018 or 2019 fee)
- This represents the full 2018/2019 tuition fee for the 180 point programme.
- There may also be other fees and charges you need to pay. Learn more about fees to study at AUT
- International students' tuition fees reflect the full cost of tuition. Domestic students' tuition fees are less due to a proportion of the tuition fees being funded by the New Zealand Government.
The information on this page was correct at time of publication. For a comprehensive overview of AUT qualifications, please refer to the Academic Calendar.