Deakin University
Graduate Diploma of Professional Accounting
- Delivery: Online
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 12 months
- Course Type: Graduate Diploma
Enhance your skills and knowledge in finance and business online to become a financial information specialist.
Course overview
Become a financial specialist with the skills and knowledge to inform business decision-making across various organisations. Ideal for graduates from any discipline, you'll gain the accounting and finance expertise needed to excel in management roles. Unlock exciting career opportunities with a world-class qualification that combines theory with practical experience from a university ranked in the top 150 globally for accounting.
You will master core accounting principles, including management accounting, financial reporting, and performance management, giving you the skills and confidence to assess financial positions and advise on critical business decisions. Gain a competitive edge with Deakin Business School's work-integrated learning program. Apply your knowledge to real-world projects, developing the analytical skills you need to thrive in business.
Key facts
July, 2026
November, 2026
What you will study
To complete the Graduate Diploma of Professional Accounting, you must attain a total of eight credit points, consisting of four credit points of core units and four credit points of course elective units.
You must complete the compulsory Academic Integrity Module in your first trimester of study (zero credit point unit).
Core units:
- Accounting
- Principles of Finance
- Accounting for Management
- Financial Accounting
Course elective units:
Select four credit points of units from:
- Corporate Auditing
- Advanced Accounting Principles and Practice
- Principles of Income Tax Law
- Business Law
- Economics for Managers
- Accounting Systems and Analytics
- Analytical Methods
Entry requirements
Selection is based on a holistic consideration of your academic merit, work experience, likelihood of success, availability of places, participation requirements, regulatory requirements and individual circumstances. You must meet the minimum academic and English language proficiency requirements to be considered for selection, but this does not guarantee admission.
Academic requirements
To be considered for admission to this degree, you will need to meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Completing a primary sequence or bachelor's degree or higher in a related discipline.
- Completion of a bachelor's degree or higher in any discipline and at least two years of relevant work experience (or part-time equivalent).
English language requirements
To meet the English language proficiency requirements of this course, you will need to demonstrate at least one of the following:
- Bachelor's degree from a recognised English-speaking country.
- IELTS overall score of 6.5 (with no band score less than 6.0) or equivalent.
- Other evidence of English language proficiency (contact the university for more information).
Recognition of Prior Learning
Recognition of Prior Learning into the Graduate Diploma of Professional Accounting may be granted to students who have successfully completed appropriate postgraduate studies. There are negotiated Recognition of Prior Learning arrangements in place for CPA members.
Outcomes
Learning outcomes
Deakin's graduate learning outcomes describe the knowledge and capabilities graduates can demonstrate after their course. These outcomes mean that regardless of the Deakin course you undertake, your degree will teach you the skills and professional attributes that employers value. They'll set you up to learn and work effectively in the future.
- Demonstrate conceptual knowledge of advanced accounting, auditing and financial management techniques, including their applications to complex real-world problems.
- Draft and present user-friendly reports that clarify the merits and weaknesses of alternate solutions and make& defensible recommendations.
- Identify potential alternative accounting and financial solutions and evaluate both financial and non-financial costs and benefits of such solutions.
- Determine ways to resolve a firm’s financial and non-financial constraints by appropriately matching the theoretical solutions and developing a structured implementation plan.
Career outcomes
As an accounting graduate, you may find employment in major international accounting firms, investment banks, or other areas of business and government.
Professional recognition
Completion of the Graduate Diploma of Professional Accounting and selection of the correct combination of units in one of our professionally accredited courses provides the opportunity for students to be eligible to apply for admission to the:
- CA Program of the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ).
- Associate membership for the CPA Program,CPA Australia.
- IPA Program for the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA).
Exemptions may apply for the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
Fees and FEE-HELP
Estimated first-year tuition fee in 2026: $34,200 (domestic full-fee paying place).
All costs are calculated using current rates and are based on a full-time study load of eight credit points (normally eight units) per year.
A student’s annual fee may vary in accordance with:
- The number of units studied per term.
- The choice of major or specialisation.
- 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.