Bachelor of Business (Accounting), Bachelor of Arts

This double degree pairs the core of an accounting major with the breadth of a Bachelor of Arts. You graduate with two awards in four years instead of the six it would take to do them one after the other. The accounting side covers financial accounting, management accounting, auditing, taxation law and business finance, the units you need if you want to work towards CPA Australia, CA ANZ or the IPA. The arts side is where you choose: politics, history, sociology, Indigenous studies, media, writing, languages, psychology. You pick a major and build around it.

How the degree is structured

Southern Cross runs most courses on a trimester calendar, so there are three study periods a year rather than two. That suits students who want to move faster or spread the load. Each unit is worth credit points, and you need a set number to graduate from each award. The double degree shares some core units between the two, which is where the time saving comes from. You will normally complete a capstone unit in your final year that pulls the accounting and arts strands together, often a research or applied project rather than an exam. Some students take an honours year afterwards if they want to go on to a master's or a PhD.

What you actually learn

By the end you can prepare and read a set of financial statements, work through an audit, apply Australian tax law to real scenarios, and argue a case in writing. The arts half trains you to read carefully, research properly, and write for different audiences, skills that show up in policy work, journalism, community organisations and management. You also get group work, presentations and data analysis. Many units include a work-integrated learning or placement option, and Southern Cross has campus locations in northern New South Wales and the Gold Coast, plus online study. Where you do a placement depends on your major and the organisations nearby.

Who it suits

This is a good fit if you want a professional accounting qualification but do not want to spend your whole degree on spreadsheets. It also suits people who started in arts and realised they needed a vocational edge, or who are already working and want to move into a finance or management role. The double degree is heavier than a single award, four years, more units, more exams, so be honest about the workload. International students should check the CRICOS registration (course code 117745J) and confirm the current English requirement, tuition and intake dates on the official Southern Cross and CRICOS pages before applying. While studying in Australia on a student visa you can work up to 48 hours a fortnight, and after graduating you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream.

• Accountant or assistant accountant in public practice, government or a private company
• Audit assistant or graduate auditor
• Tax consultant or business services accountant
• Financial analyst or management accountant
• Payroll or accounts officer moving into a professional role
• Policy officer or researcher in the public service
• Communications, media or publishing roles
• Community sector and not-for-profit coordination or management
• Graduate roles in banking, insurance and superannuation

Accounting graduates often work towards CPA Australia, CA ANZ or the Institute of Public Accountants, which affects which units you choose. Arts graduates move into government, education, media, cultural organisations and the community sector. Some go on to further study, including honours and postgraduate research.