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Accounting

Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) GY207

A focussed degree for students who have decided to pursue a career in accounting

The B.Comm (Accounting) is a three year degree which combines a broad-based business education with a focussed programme for those who have decided on a career in accounting or a related discipline (taxation, finance, etc.).  As with the general B. Comm. degree, the subjects on offer contain a balance of theoretical and practical learning experiences in Accounting, Business, and related areas.  However, the B.Comm. (Accounting) degree is specifically designed to begin the specialised Accounting education of the student at an earlier stage in their studies, and to bring the Accounting degree students to a higher and more comprehensive level in their educational development for an Accounting career.

From September 2010 students will require a grade HC1 in higher level leaving certificate Accounting to gain entry to this course.

The obligatory and elective subjects contained within the Accounting degree have been purposefully selected by Faculty to provide students with an education in Accounting and in the broader areas of Business and Finance which allows the student to develop a specialised expertise in Accounting which is underpinned by a relevant business education. The CAO entry points required for this degree in 2008 were 450.

B.Comm (Accounting) or a general B. Comm?

Students taking the general B.Comm. Degree can specialise in Accounting in their final year.  This is a well tried path towards a career in accounting and related disciplines.  However, the B.Comm (Accounting) at NUI Galway has a number of advantages for students who have already decided on a career in accounting or a related discipline (taxation, finance, etc).

The B. Comm (Accounting) includes additional elements which are not available to other students. The number of places on the programme is limited to thirty in 2008 so that students on this programme will benefit from being part of small cohesive group with a dedicated programme director from the Department of Accounting and Finance. In the first year, students will have the advantage of small group teaching for accounting lectures and tutorials. First year subjects other than accounting will be taken with the general B.Comm students. This will allow our B. Comm (Accounting) students the opportunity of mixing with the general B.Comm. students and importantly ensure that there is a possibility for our students to transfer into the general B. Comm. at the end of first year if they meet the relevant requirements.  In second year, the B.Comm (Accounting) students will begin their specialised accounting education.  The staff of the Department of Accounting and Finance believe that it is very beneficial for students wishing to pursue a career in accounting to obtain relevant practical experience in accounting during the Summer break on successful completion of second year. The staff will support and assist interested students in securing internships to obtain relevant accounting experience for that period. In the final year of the B.Comm. (Accounting) degree the course encompasses advanced specialised courses in accounting and finance as well as cutting edge courses in Corporate Governance and Strategic Management Accounting.  A seminar series featuring guest lectures from industry and practice will form an important part of the program. For further information about the program content click here.

The small student numbers and specialised nature of the B.Comm (Accounting) degree will facilitate the faculty in negotiating the maximum available exemptions for this degree from the examinations of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland

Where can the B.Comm (Accounting) take me?

A B Comm (Accounting) provides a gateway to a successful career in the accounting profession.  Many of our graduates complete their professional training while employed in accounting firms which provide accounting, audit and taxation services, and are a vital source of advice to all sizes and types of business.  Although many of our graduates take the traditional route of training as a Chartered Accountant through a professional accounting firm, many others qualify while working and training as tax specialists or management accountants in a diverse range of professional and commercial organisations.

Once qualified, some of our graduates remain in professional practice while others move on to employment in a diverse range of industries from manufacturing to financial services. Whether trained through practice or industry, the salaries are excellent and many accountants use their professional qualification as a springboard to top management positions. Professional accountants are found on the majority of boards of directors of the country’s largest and most successful businesses. Click here for more information on training as a professional accountant.

As this is the first year of the program we don’t yet have an analysis of career paths taken by graduates, however the following link will take you to an analysis of the destination of our graduates who completed the Accounting stream of the general B.Comm in 2004.

http://www.nuigalway.ie/careers/students/pdfs/dest_accountancy.pdf

Entry requirements

Applications are made for the B.Comm (Accounting) through the Central Applications Office (CAO, http://www.cao.ie/) using the code GY207. The entry requirements for the B. Comm. (Accounting) degree are the same as those for the general B. Comm. degree, namely a minimum of Grade HC3 in two subjects and passes in four other subjects at H or O level in the Leaving Certificate including: Irish, English, another language, Mathematics and any two other subjects recognised for entry purposes.  Students who are certified to the University by an appropriate professional authority as having a serious hearing impairment are exempt from the ’third language’ requirement, and are permitted to matriculate as follows: Irish or English and any five other subjects recognised for Matriculation registration purposes, provided School requirements are otherwise satisfied. From September 2010 students will require a grade HC1 in higher level leaving certificate Accounting to gain entry to this course.

We anticipate that students choosing the B.Comm. (Accounting) programme will have studied accounting at leaving certificate higher level although this is not a formal entry requirement until September 2010. Prospective applicants should note that no prior knowledge of business studies or Economics is required for admission to the B. Comm. (Accounting) degree programme.

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