A Certified Practising Accountant (CPA) is a finance, accounting and business professional with a specific qualification. Being a CPA is a mark of high professional competence. It indicates a soundness in depth, breadth and quality of accountancy knowledge.
The CPA designation is recognised and respected across the globe. It signifies financial, accounting and business advisory professionals of the highest training and expertise.
CPA Australia’s core services to members include education, training, technical support and advocacy.
Categories: Administration & Services, Business & Commerce, Education, Other
Accounting and Finance
About the CPA Program
Our program provides candidates with a deep understanding of the issues that organisations face every day.
The benefits of being a CPA
Becoming a CPA can take your career to the next level, opening up opportunities around the world.
Give your career a global boost
CPA Australia is one of the world’s largest accounting bodies with more than 173,000 members working in over 100 countries and regions. There are more than 25,000 CPA Australia members working in senior leadership positions.
The CPA Program goes beyond the numbers. It teaches you the skills that will help you reach the next level in leadership, strategy and business.
Being a CPA gives you a competitive advantage over your peers. CPAs are internationally recognised and membership is associated with a strong legacy, international presence and thought leadership.
CPA Australia builds and maintains strong relationships with high-profile companies globally, including more than 400 Recognised Employer Partners, ensuring the CPA certification and the quality skillsets of our members are internationally promoted.
The CPA Program includes four compulsory subjects, two electives and an experience component that will give you the skills to stand out in the real world.
Compulsory Subjects
- Ethics and Governance
Learn how to apply ethical principles and the key corporate governance concepts and mechanisms. - Financial Reporting
We’ll teach you how to apply accounting standards, interpret financial reports, and understand their business impacts. - Strategic Management Accounting
Learn how management accounting provides the data critical to business decision making processes. This subject progresses to cover the role of the management accountant in business strategy. - Global Strategy and Leadership
In the capstone subject, you’ll use strategic analysis to address complex business issues in a competitive and uncertain business environment.
Elective subjects
If you have completed recognised studies in taxation and auditing, you can choose any two elective subjects.
If you haven’t completed recognised studies in taxation, you’ll need to select Australia Taxation or your local variant where available.
If you haven’t completed recognised studies in audit, you’ll need to select Advanced Audit and Assurance.
- Australia Taxation
Understand and apply the fundamental principles of Australian tax law affecting individuals, business and investment entities. Local tax subjects are available for Malaysia, Singapore and New Zealand. - Australia Taxation – Advanced
This subject builds on the fundamental principles of Australian tax law to determine the tax implications of complex business and investment arrangements. You’ll explore specialist taxation topics, including tax theory and tax policy, the taxation of financial arrangements, tax consolidations and international transactions and cross-border tax issues. - Advanced Audit and Assurance
This subject will focus on both external and internal audit procedures. It will ensure you understand the audit process and can apply international standards to complex audits. - Financial Risk Management
This subject will help you to identify the financial risks facing businesses and understand the key mechanisms and frameworks used to address and manage these risks. - Contemporary Business Issues
Analyse and evaluate the role of the CPA in contemporary business and how the accounting profession continues to evolve. - Digital Finance
This subject explores the knowledge and skills necessary to understand and navigate the complex world of digital finance.
CPA Australia is recognised by The Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong as an institution providing Continuous Professional Training (CPT). The CPA Program is a registered course (Registration no. 310005) under the Non-local Higher and Professional Education (Regulation) Ordinance in Hong Kong. It is a matter of discretion for individual employers to recongise any qualification to which this course may lead.
Study your way
You can study the CPA Program via distance learning, and via full-time or postgraduate options in some regions.
Distance learning
How distance learning works:
- Online learning with interactive study tools including Guided Learning
- Printed study guide, and study groups
- Study from any location around the world
- Self-directed study
- Complete the program at your own pace
- Optional additional tuition.
Start the CPA Program alongside an undergraduate degree
Get a head start on your journey to become a CPA by enrolling into CPA Program subjects in the final year of your undergraduate degree with CHRIST (Deemed to be University).
How the undergraduate entry pathway works:
- A structured semester with regular classes
- Additional accounting studies to graduate with a degree
- On campus support network
- Intensive tuition and exam preparation
- Face-to-face support
- Support from a dedicated tutor with industry expertise
Combined postgraduate degree option
How the combined postgraduate degree pathway works:
- A structured semester with regular classes
- Additional accounting studies to graduate with a degree
- On campus support network
- Intensive tuition and exam preparation
- Face-to-face support
- Support from a dedicated tutor with industry expertise
- Program delivered in 12 months.
Find out more about enrolling in a combined postgraduate degree
Browse combined postgraduate courses near you and take your learning journey to the next level.
Different pathways to becoming a CPA
We offer flexible pathways to becoming a CPA. Depending on your background, your pathway may include foundation exams, the CPA Program subjects and an experience component.
The CPA Program Pathway
Integrating education and practical experience, our program uses current and internationally relevant content to provide an understanding of the issues that organisations face every day.
If you’ve studied an accounting-related degree, it’s likely you can enter the CPA Program directly. In some cases, you may need to complete further studies.
Experience-Based Pathway
Leverage your experience in business to become a CPA. If you have worked for over five years in a relevant profession, the Experience-Based Pathway could further boost your global career by helping you to become a CPA. The pathway caters for business professionals with both traditional and non-traditional accounting qualifications, while also welcoming applicants with experience in accounting, finance, auditing or consulting roles. Further Info.
Pathways to CPA Australia from other designations
CPA Australia is one of the world’s largest and most respected accounting bodies, with more than 170,000 members working in over 100 countries and regions. Joining this global membership base can help advance your career to the next level, opening up new opportunities all over the world.
Pathways to CPA Australia membership are available to holders of designations from many other professional accounting bodies globally. Adding the CPA designation can help position you as a truly global professional with dynamic accounting and finance skills and connect you to CPA Australia’s content, resources and global network.
What is the CPA Program?
The CPA Program is made up of three key components:
- CPA Program Subjects
- Your Experience Requirement
- Your degree
The subjects component relates to education, and is a semester-based, distance-learning program. You’ll have access to a range of learning resources including printed and online materials to assist your studies.
To complete the CPA Program, you must hold a degree that is comparable to an Australian Bachelors degree level, or at least 8 standard units (one year full time) Australian postgraduate degree level.
Do I need a degree to start the CPA Program?
Everyone’s journey to becoming an Associate member is different. Whether you completed your degree before you joined CPA Australia, or you’re planning to study alongside the CPA Program, you’ll need to have a degree level qualification recognised by CPA Australia to become a fully qualified CPA.
To complete the CPA program and become a CPA, you must hold a degree that is comparable to Australian Bachelors degree level, or at least 8 standard units (one year full-time) Australian postgraduate degree level.
Having a relevant degree in a complementary field such as accounting is not a prerequisite to begin the CPA Program. However, a relevant degree will help provide the base knowledge and competencies required to commence start your CPA Program studies.
If you haven’t completed a relevant degree, you can complete Foundation exams to cover any knowledge gaps before you begin the CPA Program.
When do enrolments open and close?
How long do I have to complete the CPA Program?
I completed a designation with another accounting body, do I have to complete the CPA Program?
Connect with us today!
Please get in touch if you have any further questions we can help you with.
Phone: 0468577590