University Accounting Curricula: The Perceptions of an Alumni Group

Abstract

Many of the problems associated with accounting education could be due to at least two reasons: inadequate attention given to the design of accounting programmes, and the narrow view of stakeholder approach adopted in examining education issues. The existing literature mainly focuses on students' perception about issues such as teaching quality, alumni experience in major accounting firms, and so on. This paper deals with the design of accounting programmes, and proposes to ascertain the views of an important stakeholder group (i.e. alumni) on this issue. The findings of this study give credence to some of the generally held views, e.g. that it is no longer appropriate for tertiary education providers to adopt a one-size-fits-all approach. However, in some other areas, the findings represent a stark contrast to the views on certain issues promulgated by the professional bodies in New Zealand and overseas including the USA, (for example, the issue of appropriate proportions of accounting, business and liberal studies in an accounting programme). Notably, the respondents in general placed a low importance on auditing as part of an education programme. Further, in terms of the emphases that should be placed in an accounting programme, contrary to the endorsement in the literature, ‘work experience’ was not considered as important as other areas of emphasis, (e.g. global perspective, local perspective, professionalism and social and environmental perspective).

Keywords:

• Alumni
• competency
• accounting curriculum
• stakeholders
• accounting programme design

Notes

1. See Palmer (2004) for a history of competency studies in accounting.

2. Prior to 1996, it was called the New Zealand Society of Accountants (NZSA). In 1996, it was renamed the Institute of Chartered Accountants of New Zealand (ICANZ). In August 2005, it underwent another name change and has since been known as the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (NZICA).

3. Other stakeholder groups they have identified include Advisory Council, Business and AICPA, Staff, University and Society.

4. The questionnaire used in this study is available on request from the corresponding author.

5. The requirement for the four-year programme of study to meet the specified percentages is waived if the four-year programme includes an honours degree or a post-graduate qualification in accounting, or the student completes two or more bachelor's degrees.

6. The Institute's Admissions Policy (2005) states that students must cover:

• 1. Four “advanced” elective topics from financial accounting, management accounting, auditing, taxation, business finance/treasury and accounting information systems, including at least two from financial accounting, management accounting and auditing.

• 2. Compulsory topics including:

  • i. all the accounting sub-disciplines of financial accounting, management accounting, auditing, taxation and business finance/treasury, either as part of the four advanced electives or at a lower level, within their four year programmes; and

  • ii. the five business-related topics economics (macro and micro), organisational management, quantitative methods/statistics at least at introductory level; and, information technology and commercial law (including the foundations of business law, contract law, and the law of entity structure) at least at intermediate level.