Curtin University
Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting
- Delivery: Face to Face
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 6 months
- Course Type: Graduate Certificate
Establish core capabilities across financial and management accounting, finance and business law while learning to analyse and communicate information for organisational decision-making.
Course overview
Accounting knowledge supports effective financial reporting, planning and organisational decision-making. Curtin’s Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting is intended for people entering the field for the first time or seeking a general understanding of accounting-related matters.
You will examine financial accounting, management accounting, financial principles and corporations law. Key areas include cost behaviour, budgeting, job order costing, financial reporting, planning and special decision-making as well as typical applications for billing, general ledger, inventory, purchasing and sales.
Your studies also develop your ability to analyse commercial activities, communicate financial information and consider the ethical, cultural and international contexts in which accounting operates. Upon successful completion, you may be eligible to continue your studies through the Master of Professional Accounting.
Offered at Curtin Perth, the course can be completed in six months of full-time study or the part-time equivalent. Graduates may pursue opportunities as bookkeepers or account clerks across accounting, finance, government, law and resource-based organisations.
Key facts
12th July, 2027
What you will study
To earn the Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting, you must successfully complete units totalling 100 credit points, as detailed below. Unless otherwise noted, each course is worth 25 credit points.
Core units
- Intermediate Management Accounting
- Intermediate Financial Accounting
- Fundamentals of Business and Corporate Law
- Financial Principles and Analysis
Entry requirements
Academic requirements
To be eligible for this course, you must meet one of the following requirements:
- Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in a field of study other than accounting recognised at a level equal to or greater than AQF Level 7.
- Proof of appropriate, relevant three (3) to five (5) years of work experience, as determined by the School of Accounting.
English language requirements
Curtin requires applicants to demonstrate English language proficiency. You can meet this requirement by providing evidence of one of the following:
- An IELTS Academic overall band score of 6.5, with a minimum score of 6.0 in reading, writing, listening and speaking.
- An alternative English language test accepted by Curtin, provided you achieve the required equivalent scores.
- An eligible previous qualification or another form of English language evidence accepted by Curtin.
Contact the university or visit its website for more information.
Recognition of Prior Learning
Applications for credit for recognised learning are not considered within this course. Contact the university for more information.
Outcomes
Learning outcomes
- Apply accounting, economics, information systems, statistics, law and social sciences principles related to reporting business activity.
- Critically analyse issues in the collection, recording and reporting of economic activity to enable the development of accounting information systems, providing cost-effective decision-making and valuable information.
- Locate, extract and critically appraise decision-useful information related to economic activity from sources within an organisation and external sources.
- Relate the significance of commercial events and issues to the business and investing community using effectively structured financial communication and appropriate language.
- Use electronic resources to effectively interrogate databases, analyse data, collect information and communicate.
- Take responsibility for self-directed learning and developing a career-long attitude of continuing professional development.
- Recognise the global nature of accounting by applying international financial reporting standards and appreciate the information requirements of a worldwide economic system.
- Demonstrate an understanding that cultural practices and differences impact commercial practices and interpersonal relations.
- Apply an ethical approach to analysing and reporting commercial activities, advising clients, demonstrating leadership and the ability to delegate tasks to ensure timely outcomes, working independently and in teams to achieve agreed outcomes.
Career outcomes
Graduates may pursue careers in roles such as:
- Bookkeeper
- Account Clerk
Industries:
- Accounting
- Finance and Investment
- Government
- Law
- Resources and Renewables
Fees and FEE-HELP
Indicative annual fee in 2026: $18,372 (Full-fee paying place)
Indicative annual fees are based on your first year of study.
A student’s annual fee may vary by:
- The number of units studied.
- Choice of units.
- Credit from previous study or work experience.
- Eligibility for government-funded loans.
Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.
FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee paying domestic students with the cost of a university course.