ACCA vs Accounting Degree: Which Should You Study?

An Accounting Degree is an academic degree awarded by a university whereas ACCA is a professional accounting qualification awarded by an International body. 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AccordingtomanyACCAqualifiers,ACCAisfarbetterthananAccountingdegreebuthowtrueisthisintodaymodernworld?Forsure,therequirementtoqualifiedasACCAistoughbutisitworthitwhenthemarketspreferdegreeholder? What’sthemaindifferencebetweenACCAandAccountingDegree?AnAccountingDegreeisanacademicdegreeawardedbyauniversitywhereasACCAisaprofessionalaccountingqualificationawardedbyanInternationalbody.ACCAisnotanacademicdegree.AnIndividualmaycompleteACCAafterhisdegreebuthecannotdoitfromtheoppositewayunlesstheycannotdoitfromtheoppositeway. Whatwillyoustudy atACCAandAccountingDegree?Ifanindividualisabusiness-mindedpersonandnotconsidertoworkinanAccountingfieldfortherestoftheirlife,anAccountingdegreemightbemoresuitable.Adegreehasacoursestructuremadeupofcoreaccountingsubjectstogetherwithotherrelevantelectivessuchasmanagement,marketing,financeandbusinesslaw.allofwhicharemeanttogiveanindividualamorewellroundedandholisticexperience.Whereas,inACCAanindividualwillbetaughtwithaccountingsubjectsthroughouttheentirecourse.Whereas,ACCAnarrowsontechnicalaspectsandprinciplesofaccountingthatarerequiredofaprofessionalaccountant,givinganindividualmoredeepknowledgeinaccounting.Thesyllabuscoversadvancedaccountingtechniquesandcalculationsingreaterdetailcomparedtoadegree,especiallyattheProfessionallevel.ACCAdonotprovidemuchinteractionbetweenanindividualandhispeepsduringthelengthofthecourse,causinghimtoloseouttheopportunitytodevelopleadershipandteamworkingskillsduringtheeducationage. Samplesubjectscomparison:ACCA AccountingDegree(samplesyllabus)F1ABAccountantinBusinessL1BusinessCommunicationF2MAManagementAccountingL1IntroductiontoManagementF3FAFinancialAccountingL1AccountingforManagersF4CLCorporateandBusinessLawL1EconomicsF5PMPerformanceManagementL1BusinessInformationSystemsF6TXTaxationL1MarketingPrinciplesF7FRFinancialReportingL1CommercialLawF8AAAudit&AssuranceL1QuantitativeAnalysisF9FMFinancialManagementL2FinancialAccounting1P1Governance,RiskandEthicsL2AccountingInformationSystemsP2CorporateReportingL2FinancialAccounting2P3BusinessAnalysisL2CorporationsLawP4AFMAdvancedFinancialManagementL2ManagementAccounting1P5APMAdvancedPerformanceManagementL2CorporateFinanceP6ATXAdvancedTaxationL3AccountingTheoryandContemporaryIssuesP7AdvancedAudit&AssuranceL3AuditingandAssurance L3CompanyAccounting L3TaxationLaw L3ManagementAccounting2ACCAandAccountingDegree,whichismoredifficult?AnaccountingdegreeiseasierthanACCAduetoagradualprogressionofdifficultythroughoutthe3yearsofstudy.Moreover,anaccountingdegreeisnot100%paper-basedexam,itincludesmarkingfromassignmentandpresentation.UnlikeACCA,thecourseis100%paper-basedexamandmorechallengingasthesubjectmaterialbecomesexponentiallymoredifficultasanindividualmovefromonetotheother.ACCAandAccountingDegree,whichisfaster?Accountingdegreeusuallytakesabout3–4yearstocompletefromSPMlevel,startingwithpre-universitystudiessuchasA-Levelorfoundationandfollow-bytoanaccountingdegree,whichtakesabout2(Singapore)to3years(Malaysia).Whereas,ACCAusuallytakesabout3yearsafterSPM.AnIndividualcantakethe1-yearCertifiedAccountingTechnician(CAT)rightafterSPMandproceedtotherestofACCApapersasquicklyas2years. ACCAandAccountingDegree,which ischeaper?A3-yearsAccountingdegreecancostaround RM45,000uptoRM110,000 dependingonthequalityandreputationoftheuniversity.Ifcostisamajorconcernontheaffordability,anindividualcanapplyforagovernmentloan(PTPTN)toloosenthefinancialburdenineducation.Whereas,ACCAcostaround RM32,000–RM45,000 nottomentionthereisanannualmembershipfeeof RM1800peryear tobear.AnindividualcanhaveanACCAqualificationwithoutattendinganyprivatetuitioncentre(thereareplentyofitinMalaysia)butchoosetoself-studyinstead.Thiswilllowerdownthecostsbypayingallthenecessaryexaminationfeesinsteadoffulltuitionandresourcefees.MalaysiaCollege&UniversityFeesGuide2019ACCAandAccountingDegree,aretheybothequallyrecognised?Today,havinganAccountingdegreefromprivateuniversitiesisfarmorerecognisedthanthepastduetointernationalaccreditationandpartnershiparrangement(likehowanindividualcouldearnanAustraliandegreefromUCSIUniversityinMalaysiawithoutphysicallypresentinAustralia).AlthoughACCAisaprofessionalqualification,itdoesnotnecessarilygiveanindividualabetteraccesstothejobmarketsoverseas.Theworldisverydifferentnowcomparedtothepastwhereeverycountryisdoinganythingtheycantoprotectthelocaljobmarket.Thus,itissimplynotenoughrelyingonACCAqualificationiftheultimategoalofanindividualistoworkoverseas. (Callus016-214-3443IfyouwouldliketoworkinAustralia)Whatareyourcareeroptions?WithanAccountingDegree,anindividualcanbranchintocareersbothinandoutsidetheaccountancyfield.Whereas,mostACCAqualifierscanonlyworkinaccountingfields. DoyourequireACCAtoworkatbigfour?Somearguethatthetopaccountingfirms(knownastheBigFour)wouldprefertheiremployeestohaveatleastaprofessionalqualification(whetheritisMIA,ACCA,CPAorCA).Thisisamythandnotnecessarilythetruth,hiringisacomplicationprocess,otherthananoutstandingacademicqualification,thehiringmanagersalsolookingatthepersonality(throughpersonalitytest),communication,leadershipandinitiativeskills.ThisisverifiablethroughLinkedIn. Alternatively,anindividualmaycompletehisprofessionalqualification(ACCA)afterthedegree.Iftheindividualisluckyandtalentedenough,somecompaniesmightevensponsorhimtopursueaprofessionalqualification,suchastheACCAorCPA,inexchangeforabondtothecompany.Inconclusion,AccountingDegreegivesanindividualavarietyofcareerchoicesinandoutsidetheaccountingfieldwhereas,ACCAprovidesanindividualwithdeepprofessionalskillsinAccounting.However,thechoiceshouldultimatelydependonhowlonganheiswillingtosetasideforthestudies,thebudgetandthecareerchoiceinthefuture.  Contactustofindoutmore InternationalStudentenquiries: Phone:+6018-241-4802 Email: [email protected] Formorestorieslikethis,jointheExcelEducationcommunityon Facebook Needhelpwithyouruniapplication?Connectwithus here AboutPostAuthor MichellePhanMichelleisafreelancecontentwritergraduatedfromCurtinUniversitywithadegreeinCommunication(Commercialwriting).Michellelovestotravelandenjoyswalkingonthebeach.Michellealsofeedsonpsychologyquoteandwillgiveawayjustaboutanythingtocuddlewithfurryfelines. 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