Master of Professional Accounting programme postgraduate SME meeting on 23/05/2016

Christopher Cripps – Programme Director

Rebekah Sage – Senior Administrator

Paul, Jane and Nick

Business needs/issues

Want to maintain their point of difference

Centrally managed marketing hasn’t been as effective as their own

While they get lots of queries about the non-academic requirements for the professional bodies we will link to these because they change too often to summarise

Chris felt that the video over-emphasised non-kiwi staff. Could counter with profiles of locals.

Students

2 groups:

International

Majority are fresh from University

Many from India, China

1/3 have UG accounting degree and do it to get accreditation (and jobs)

Jobs aren't something that Victoria can guarantee 

Want NZ travel experience

Almost all go fulltime (currently only one part time)

Domestic

Usually a career change, either:

• Complete change (biggest group)
• Professionalise their accountancy skills in same industry
• Gain business skills but stay in industry (lots of brewers and winemakers for some reason)

Mainly part time.

Key messages

Professional

• Gives academic requirements of professional certification (might be only programme in which the Master’s alone (i.e. not the bachelor’s) gives academic requirements of professional certification)
• c.f. other accounting Master's which is more research based
• Fastest way you can meet the academic requirements of the accountancy professional body [faster = cheaper overall even though fees are higher for the professional accounting than if they go the UG degree pathway]. From CAANZ they will need 5 technical courses and three years experience in addition to academic requirements.
• Only Masters 

Other

Flexibility/study while you work – can do it all either in evening or lunch time

Nobody has had a problem completing the programme (solely) due to changing their discipline to accountancy/picking up accountancy - Students worry about picking up:

• Maths side of accountancy
• English

Have to be careful pitching career benefits to internationals - they tend need residence to get jobs and jobs to get residence. But it’s a common driver, especially from India – he gets calls asking if they can guarantee a job]

They don't like the latest MPA video as it doesn't have a NZ balance, it is too international. They would like to make another video but don't have the budget. Ideally would like it re-edited as being too international puts off international students who are coming here for a local experience.

In the past campaign emails didn't say what the student was interested in, it was too generic

They don't feel that campaign approach works, they used to have their own budget for advertising, there numbers are going down (true?) and they put it down to the lack of specific advertising. 

Entry

Can have a UG degree in any discipline

Don’t promote but can enter in any Trimester, Tri1 (most students enter) and Tri2 (helps fit in with EPP) and Tri3 is a big entry point

Don't publicise but you can get in with no undergraduate degree. They will be allowed into the programme if they have sufficient experience. May not get qualfied by professional body if they don't have a UG which is why they don't promote this.

What they need to be admitted:

• transcript
• fill out form
• CV - mostly to bolster application - not a traditional CV necessarily just needs info on what they have done which gives them relevant experience

Stair-casing

In brochure they do mention exit option. 

Can't enrol directly in Dip or Cert.

Only advertise the Masters

Pain points

Can they do it and pass?

They need good english proficiency as they do Commercial Law Papers