The Advanced Diploma in Accounting (AdvDip.Acc) Program

Minimum Entry Requirement - High School Certificate (or equivelent)

The Institute of Certified Management Accountants (Australia) works through authorized Registered Training Organisations in Australia to faciltate students wishing to undertake an Advanced Diploma in Accounting. This consists of the CAT program plus Stage 2 of the GMA program. This qualification is equivalent to those having an Advanced Diploma from the Australian Technical and Further Education (TAFE) system.

The Institute runs accredited courses in accounting both in Australia and internationally, and has appointed WITS as the principal provider of its programs with the authority to appoint sub-agents worldwide.

ICMA/WITS has the vision that it will, via its RPIs, be able to deliver its educational programs in a number of different sites in the Middle East, South Asia, South East Asia and China, and to have graduates articulate into Australian and overseas MBA and other Masters Degree qualifications via the pathways that it has been able to negotiate.

The overall educational strategy is to:

• Facilitate courses that are a "tunnel of success", by creating flexible learning solutions.
• Provide timely learning that is enjoyable.
• Provide team building for the participants including group problem solving tasks and group success goals.
• Provide updated technical education by the achievement of excellence in teaching and materials.

The Advanced Diploma in Accounting is part of the Graduate Program and is available to those satisfactorily passing a University entrance examination of a particular country (e.g. SATs, International Baccalaureates; Advanced Levels; TERs etc.). The program consists of 8-units undertaken via two stages of study. The ICMA works through Registered Training Organisations with regards to the Advanced Diploma in Accounting. Students who complete the first 4-units of the Advanced Diploma in Accounting are awarded a Certified Accounting Technician (CAT) qualification of the ICMA, and can apply for credit in the Advanced Diploma in Accounting. Students successfully completing this Advanced Diploma in Accounting program are given credit towards the Institute's Graduate Member Program, and on completing further 8-subjects, may describe themselves as Graduate Management Accountants (GMAs) of the ICMA. Those having 3 years relevant experience can apply to the ICMA for Associate Management Accountant (AMA) membership status.

It can be seen from this diagram that it is possible for students to complete the Advanced Diploma of Accounting and articulate this into an undergraduate degree and a Master Degree. Alternatively they may complete the Advanced Diploma, continue studies to the Certified Management Accounting qualification, and then progress to a Master of Business Administration. This latter option is probably a more time effective pathway for older students that have spent some time in the workplace.