Accountants are one of the most sought after professionals globally. In today’s corporate world, qualified accountants occupy a significant percent of leadership positions across many companies and industries. In short, accountancy is a vibrant and dynamic career choice that offers unlimited opportunities for those who venture in to it.
However, one major shortcoming of the accounting sector in Sri Lanka has been the lack of a specialized academic qualification in accountancy. And today even that shortage has been rectified. The BSc. (Applied Accounting) Degree from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) fulfils this long felt need in the corporate financial sector of Sri Lanka by being the first applied accounting degree in the country.
There are many reasons as to why a student should follow this degree, chief among them are the facts that this degree is recognized and supported by the University Grants Commission and that this is the only degree that is offered by a recognized professional institute. In short, this degree simply allows you to save time and money by allowing you to combine an academic qualification with the professional qualification in chartered accountancy also offered by CA Sri Lanka. Additionally, you don’t have to be a student of the A/L commerce stream to enter the degree programme. With the option of a part time course module, even working professionals can pursue this degree.
The BSc. (Applied Accounting) degree programme promotes orientation to the accounting profession and is designed to improve knowledge, develop skills and inculcate the appropriate attitudes necessary to fulfil a successful accounting career. It is designed to produce employable graduates with the required skills, competencies and industry knowledge to fulfil a successful accounting career. Upon completion, students will gain extensive knowledge and the required skills in accounting practices, as this is the only degree programme in Sri Lanka that enables students to gain knowledge in the field of ‘Applied Accounting.’
Throughout the curricula, emphasis is given to the development of skills and core competencies in critical and creative thinking, analytical ability, commitment to life-long learning, adoption to situations, negotiations, interpersonal relations and team work, time and stress management, problem-solving skills and leadership skills. The development of skills will be embedded in the teaching and learning process of the course units and assessed through the internship and skills development programme at the end of each semester in the third and the final year. The faculty of the CA Sri Lanka Degree School comprises of a cultivated lecture panel comprising of university professors, senior lecturers and industry professionals with profound and wide ranging theoretical and industry knowledge.
The degree programme which has completed three intakes has also attracted an impressive number of students, from Sri Lanka as well as overseas.
The degree programme also received a further boost following accreditation from CPA Australia, one of the world’s largest accounting bodies which recognized the CA Sri Lanka degree as an entry qualification to follow the CPA Programme. The accreditation allows students who have completed the CA Sri Lanka degree programme to gain entry into the CPA Programme as an Associate member of CPA Australia.