Deakin University

Graduate Certificate of Professional Accounting

  • Delivery: Face to Face
  • Study Level: Postgraduate
  • Duration: 6 months
  • Course Type: Graduate Certificate

Gain practical foundations in accounting, finance and reporting while tailoring your studies to your professional interests and further-study goals.

Course overview

Reliable financial information plays an essential role in every organisation. Deakin University’s Graduate Certificate of Professional Accounting introduces the accounting principles and analytical skills used to understand financial performance, evaluate alternatives and support better business decisions.

Explore areas such as financial reporting, management accounting, finance, auditing, taxation, business law and accounting analytics. A flexible unit structure allows you to shape the course around your existing experience and career direction. If you are working towards professional recognition, you can also select units relevant to the entry requirements of recognised accounting bodies.

Learning is guided by academics with industry experience and focuses on applying accounting concepts to practical business situations. You will strengthen your ability to assess financial costs and benefits, address financial constraints and communicate recommendations through clear, accessible reports.

The course can support entry into accounting and finance-related roles or strengthen the financial capabilities required in administration, operations and small business environments. It also provides a pathway to Deakin’s Graduate Diploma of Professional Accounting and Master of Professional Accounting.

Key facts

Delivery
Face to Face
Course Type
Graduate Certificate
Duration
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Can be studied part time
6 months (Full time)
Price Per Unit
From $4,375
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The estimated fee is determined by individual units of study and the year the course was commenced.
Campus
Burwood
Intake
November, 2026
February, 2027
June, 2027
October, 2027
Units
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You may be required to complete 0 credit point units throughout your course. The university will confirm this as part of your enrolment.

The unit total reflects the number of units required for course completion, not the total credit point weight. Some units may be double- or triple-weighted, so the number of units you complete may be lower.
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Fees
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FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee paying domestic students with the cost of a university course.
FEE-HELP

What you will study

To earn the Graduate Certificate of Professional Accounting, you must successfully complete units totalling 4 credit points, as detailed below. Unless otherwise noted, each course is worth 1 credit point.

Core unit options

Select at least two credit points from the following:

  • Accounting for Management
  • Financial Accounting
  • Advanced Accounting Principles and Practice
  • Accounting
  • Principles of Finance

Select a maximum two credit points from following:

  • Corporate Auditing
  • Accounting Systems and Analytics
  • Principles of Income Tax Law
  • Business Law
  • Economics for Managers
  • Analytical Methods

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

To be eligible for this course, applicants must meet at least one of the following requirements:

  • Hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
  • Have at least two years of relevant work experience or part-time equivalent.

Selection also considers academic history, work and life experience and individual circumstances. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.

English language requirements

Applicants must provide evidence of at least one of the following:

  • A bachelor degree from a recognised English-speaking country.
  • An IELTS overall score of 6.5, with no band score below 6.0, or an accepted equivalent.
  • Other accepted evidence of English-language proficiency.

Contact the university for further information.

Recognition of Prior Learning

You may be eligible for recognition of prior learning if you have previously studied or have relevant work experience. This will help reduce the number of units you need to study to finish your course. Contact the university for more information.

Outcomes

Learning outcomes

  • Demonstrate conceptual knowledge on basic accounting, and techniques in auditing and financial management including simplified applications to real world problems.
  • Draft user-friendly reports that clarifies the merits of alternate solutions and makes simple recommendations.
  • Identify potential alternative solutions and evaluate the financial costs and benefits of such solutions.
  • Determine ways to resolve a firm’s financial constraints through appropriate match with the theoretical solutions.

Career outcomes

Career opportunities include:

  • Bookkeeper
  • Accounts payable or accounts receivable clerk
  • Assistant accountant
  • Payroll and finance administrator
  • Small business financial officer
  • Tax assistant
  • Business support officer
  • Budget and reporting assistant
  • Office manager with finance responsibilities
  • Accounting systems operator
  • Compliance and records assistant

Graduates often work in small-to-medium enterprises, government departments and accounting support roles. 

Fees and FEE-HELP

Indicative annual fee in 2027: $17,500 (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.