Bachelor of Business (Accounting)

The Bachelor of Business (Accounting) at Torrens University Australia is a three-year degree for people who want to work as accountants, not just study the theory. You learn how financial statements are put together, how tax works for Australian businesses, how audits are planned and how management accounting feeds decisions inside an organisation. Core business subjects sit alongside accounting units, so you also cover economics, business law, marketing and management, the context accountants actually work in.

How the degree is structured

Australian bachelor degrees are made up of units of study, each worth a set number of credit points, and you need a certain total to graduate. Torrens runs its academic year in trimesters, so you typically take three study periods a year instead of two. That's one reason a three-year degree can be finished faster if you keep up the pace. You'll study a mix of core units, accounting specialisation units and electives. Most students finish with a capstone unit that pulls the whole degree together, often a simulated business case or a real client project where you prepare accounts, analyse performance and present recommendations.

What you actually learn

Expect to prepare journals and ledgers, build financial statements from source documents, work through GST and income tax problems, and use accounting software that Australian firms rely on. Group work is common because accounting is a team sport in practice, you'll review each other's work the way a junior and senior accountant do. Assessment is a mix of exams, assignments, reports and presentations. Some units include work-integrated learning, where you take on a placement or industry project with an accounting firm, a corporate finance team or a not-for-profit. Torrens has campus locations in several Australian cities and a strong online delivery option, so you can study where you live or move between modes.

Who it suits

This degree suits school leavers who like numbers and want a professional qualification, career changers who've been doing bookkeeping or admin and want to move up, and international students looking for an Australian accounting degree that maps to the local job market. If you're aiming for CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand or the Institute of Public Accountants, check the current accreditation status of the course with the university and the professional body before you enrol, accreditation rules change and the official page is the only place to confirm it.

English requirements for international applicants are set out on the university's page. The common standard is IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall for undergraduate and coursework postgraduate courses, with higher scores for teaching, nursing, medicine, law and social work. TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the university's own English programmes are accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa itself, so meeting the university's requirement doesn't automatically satisfy the visa requirement. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 117488K. While you study, a Student visa lets you work up to 48 hours per fortnight, and after you finish you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. Confirm all details, including fees, intake dates and English requirements, on the official course page.

• Assistant accountant, preparing financial statements, reconciliations and month-end reports in accounting firms, corporate finance teams and government departments.
• Tax accountant, working on GST, income tax returns and compliance for small businesses, individuals and companies, often in suburban or CBD practices.
• Audit associate, testing controls and verifying financial records at mid-tier and Big Four firms, with travel to client sites.
• Management accountant, building budgets, forecasts and cost models inside mining, retail, health, manufacturing and not-for-profit organisations.
• Bookkeeper or accounts officer, managing ledgers, payroll and accounts payable/receivable in small and medium businesses across every industry.
• Financial analyst (entry level), supporting analysis and reporting in banking, insurance, superannuation and investment firms.
• Graduate roles in the Australian Public Service, finance, audit and compliance positions in federal, state and local government.

Accounting is on Australia's skilled occupation lists, and graduates often go on to complete the CPA Australia, CA ANZ or IPA programs while working. The Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) gives eligible graduates time to gain Australian work experience after study.