Master of Business Administration(Professional Accounting)

The Master of Business Administration (Professional Accounting) is a two-year postgraduate degree that combines core business management subjects with a full accounting specialisation. You'll study financial accounting, management accounting, auditing, taxation law, corporate finance and business law alongside subjects in organisational behaviour, marketing, economics and strategy. Because the degree sits within a business school that also teaches human resource management, you can expect people-focused subjects such as managing teams, leadership and employment relations to appear in the mix. The accounting sequence is the spine of the course, it's what separates this from a general MBA.

How the degree is structured

Australian master's degrees are built from units of study, each worth a set number of credit points, usually delivered across trimesters or semesters. A two-year MBA typically totals around 96 to 192 credit points depending on the institution, with core units, a specialisation and electives. Expect a capstone unit in your final stage, often a business strategy or applied research project where you pull together everything you've learned. Some programs include a professional placement or industry project; check the official course page to confirm whether work-integrated learning is built in or offered as an elective.

What you'll actually learn

You'll learn to prepare and interpret financial statements, apply Australian accounting standards, analyse costs, manage budgets and understand the tax rules that affect business decisions. On the management side, you'll practise writing business cases, leading teams, reading a balance sheet like a manager rather than an accountant, and presenting to a board. Group work is common. So are case studies drawn from Australian companies and regulators. By the end, you should be able to walk into a finance or management role and speak both languages.

Who it suits

This degree suits people who want an MBA but need the accounting credential underneath it. That includes career changers from non-business backgrounds, early-career professionals in finance or administration, and international students who want a qualification recognised in Australia and overseas. If you're aiming for a CPA or CA pathway, an accounting specialisation is the usual route, confirm the exact accreditation status with the institution and the professional body before you enrol.

Studying in Australia

The course is delivered in Australia and registered on CRICOS (course code 103495D), which means it's approved for international students. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register, check there for the current figure. International applicants need to meet English requirements; for coursework postgraduate study, IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is the common standard, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the university's own English programs accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa itself. While studying, a student visa allows up to 48 hours of work per fortnight during term. After graduating, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may be available depending on your circumstances. Always confirm details on the official page.

• Management accountant, budgeting, forecasting and cost analysis inside Australian companies, government agencies and not-for-profits.
• Financial accountant, preparing statutory reports under Australian accounting standards in public practice or corporate finance teams.
• Auditor, working in audit firms or internal audit, checking controls and financial statements.
• Tax accountant, business tax compliance and planning, often in accounting firms or as an in-house specialist.
• Finance manager or business analyst, using accounting and management skills to guide decisions in banking, retail, health, manufacturing and technology.
• HR or people management roles, payroll, workforce planning and employment relations, drawing on the human resource subjects in the degree.
• General management and consulting, graduate roles in consulting firms, start-ups and large organisations where an MBA plus accounting is valued.