Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology is now offering full-time tuition for the internationally recognised Association of Chartered Certified Accountants qualification, commencing in September.
This is the first time this course will be available on a full-time basis in the west of Ireland. The ACCA is recognised as the largest and fastest-growing global professional accountancy body with 493,500 students and members in 170 countries. ACCA Ireland has more than 20,000 students and members.
GMIT has provided accounting education since its foundation in 1973. The school of business has always maintained close links with the professional accounting bodies and keeps programmes up to date to maximise exemptions. The lecturing staff within the school are highly qualified professional accountants with considerable lecturing experience who understand the requirements of professional study, as they act as examiners, lecturers, markers, and moderators for the professional accounting bodies.
“GMIT is offering a fast track option for business degree graduates to obtain ACCA membership with one year of intensive study,” said Aidan Clifford, ACCA’s advisory services manager. “The course positions graduates at the very top of the current employment opportunities and effectively recession proofs their careers.
“ACCA has already recognised the quality of the GMIT graduates from the level eight Bachelor of Business (hons ) in accounting degree, having awarded maximum exemptions from the professional ACCA exams.
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Graduates only have five ACCA final level exams to complete and this can be done in an intensive learning session with exams every six months. ACCA is a level nine qualification, the same level as a master’s degree, and GMIT is well positioned to deliver such a performance with many of the lecturers being qualified accountants themselves.
“While I would like to see these bright young graduates add value to the Irish economy, because ACCA is an international qualification, many are test driving their qualification in sunnier climates and enjoying it a little too much,” Mr Clifford added.
Dr Larry Elwood, head of the GMIT school of business, said the school was delighted to offer the final ACCA modules. “It is part of our goal to provide accounting education from technician level to professional accountant level,” he added. “This is a full-time programme but it is also possible to study individual modules which may suit individuals in trainee accounting positions. Students undertaking the programme on a full-time basis may be eligible for a student grant.”
To be eligible to apply for this programme students have to have completed or be exempted from all the ACCA fundamental level examinations. An information session will be held at 7pm on Tuesday May 11 in GMIT’s Dublin Road campus, Room 1039, to answer any queries in relation to the ACCA programme or studying accounting at GMIT. Contact Richie Hoare, business school lecturer, for further details at [email protected] or (091 ) 742883.
