Handbook

Our accounting major provides graduates with a critical skillset to thrive in their future careers. This is because knowing how accounting works, and understanding how to analyse and interpret accounting information, is vital to the success of every organisation.  

Our accounting major produces highly employable graduates known for their ability to leverage their accounting expertise to advise, influence, and lead strategic, operational, and commercial decisions.  

Key areas of learning in our accounting major include: 

• Financial Management: Prepare and interpret business financial reporting in line with latest practices and standards, and analyse that information for insights on an organisation’s value, financial health, and prospects. (Courses include: ACCT2511, ACCT2542, ACCT3563, ACCT3601, and ACCT3610.) 
• Resource Management and Value Creation: Produce performance data, forecasts, and other information that informs strategic, operational, and commercial decisions. (Courses include: ACCT2522, ACCT3672, and ACCT3583).  
• Assurance and risk: Enhance trustworthiness through assurance of business reporting, assessing fraud and other risks, to build confidence in organisational reporting and market data (Courses include: ACCT3708 and ACCT3995).  
• ESG and Responsible Financial Management: Integrate and effectively incorporate environmental, social, and governance information into business reporting and decision-making to assess, to promote greater accountability for sustainable and inclusive organisations and society (Courses include: ACCT2562 and ACCT3625). 

What career opportunities are there? 

Accounting is a highly transferrable skill set. Its value is by no means limited in application to pursuing a career in accounting. Its application is much broader. Our graduates are highly sought after for roles not just in accounting but also in consulting, corporate finance, business advisory, analytics, and investment banking, as well as in public and not-for-profit roles.  

Graduates are increasingly looking to start up their own businesses at some stage in their careers. Accounting equips budding entrepreneurs with a key advantage – understanding the financial levers that will ensure their business is both financially successful and sustainable.  

Accounting graduates also find themselves well-placed to take on leadership roles down the track. Business leaders with financial management knowledge are highly sought after. Research has shown that the most common pathway to CEO roles is through CFO and other financial leadership positions.  

There is a current major and long-term shortage of accounting professionals. Accounting majors from UNSW are highly sought after in these roles not just for their mastery of accounting, but also for their ability to inform and influence decisions that drive organisational success.  

Accounting is also a passport to international work and travel. If your ambition is to work and travel sometime after graduation, you can be confident that accounting will enable you to realise that ambition.  

Professional Recognition 

UNSW is an accredited tertiary institution for foundation knowledge requirements for the following professional organisations: CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ), and the Institute of Public Accountants.