Programmes

B.Com (Honours) in Accounting

Programme Components

There are 2 major elements in the Honours year -

1.1 The Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting (PGDA), viz:

• Financial Reporting IV
• Corporate Governance
• Managerial Accounting & Finance II
• Taxation and Estate Duty II

The Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting is an integral part of the programme and students must satisfy all the requirements for the certificate before being admitted to the degree Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) Accounting. However, a student who fails to satisfy the examiners for admission to the degree will not be precluded from nor prejudiced in the award of the Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting.

All PGDA subjects must be completed by attending all lectures and tutorials prescribed for full-time PGDA.

It must be emphasised that Honours students must comply with all the requirements of the PGDA including those pertaining to Financial Reporting IV (i.e. tests, tutorial attendance, etc.)

1.2 The Honours Programme

This component is treated separately from the Postgraduate Diploma in Accountancy from both the administrative and academic standpoints. It is for this component that the Honours degree is awarded. The balance of this document (ie. Section 2 onwards) deals exclusively with this component. All references to 'the programme' pertain to this component alone unless otherwise stated.

This course is not comparable with Honours programmes offered by other universities which serve solely to prepare candidates for entry to the accounting profession. Persons seeking to follow this route at UCT should apply for entry to the Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting.

Tutoring of Undergraduate Courses

It is desirable, but not mandatory, for Honours students to tutor undergraduate courses throughout the year. This experience is designed to sharpen both technical and teaching skills as well as fostering confidence and general personal development.

The Anatomy of the Honours Programme Component

Objectives

The Honours programme has been designed to allow both a broad perspective, plus an in-depth analysis in certain areas.

Aims and Objectives

The broad aim of the programme is the fostering in participants of conceptual knowledge and critical thought leading to the development of problem solving ability in the broader accounting areas of financial reporting and, to a lesser extent, financial management and auditing.

The objectives of the programme are as follows:

• allow the participants an opportunity to develop a rational approach to accounting, in a relatively unstructured academic environment;
• enable participants to familiarise themselves with major trends in accounting thought and research;
• provide the infrastructure for participants to discuss issues in depth;
• develop the participants' ability to conduct meaningful research;
• develop the participants' ability to evaluate relevant literature critically and familiarise themselves with the resources of literature;
• develop the participants’ ability, given a particular situation, to:
  • eliminate irrelevant material
  • identify key issues
  • rank the issues in order of importance
  • suggest possible courses of action
  • select the most appropriate course of action
• develop the participants’ written and oral communication skills;
• allow sufficient scope for individuals to attain any personal objectives.

Programme Content

The programme comprises:

1. The Seminar Programme
2. Assignments
3. A Research Report

The Seminar Programme

The core courses will be conducted on a seminar basis. The staff responsible for the core course will advise on the detail of the conduct of these seminars. In general students will be asked to submit presentations (e.g. paper, case study etc.) which may be individual or group assignments. The paper will be distributed to each student, the course co-ordinator and to any other staff members who have an interest in the course area in advance. Students will be expected to read all papers and demonstrate their knowledge during the seminar discussion.

The major areas of course content are:

• Accounting Theory and Frameworks
• Issues in Income Determination and Accounting for Inflation
• Current Issues in Financial Reporting
• New Areas of Financial Reporting and Accountability
• Efficient Capital Markets, Theory of Finance and Implications for Accounting

In the case of financial accounting (which forms the bulk of the programme) there will be two seminars per week, the first having an academic emphasis, and the second dealing with a current practical issue.

The detailed programme is distributed in February each year.

Assignments

Students will be required to submit a small number of individual assignments. All assignments are required to be typed, double-spaced on A4 white paper. All references should be properly acknowledged in footnotes and a full bibliography provided.

Research Reports

Each student is required to prepare a research report ('Technical Report' - TR) (6 000 - 8 000 words) on an approved topic. This must be on a topic in a field related to accounting, auditing or finance. The topic selected and a proposal must be approved before detailed work begins. Candidates are expected to show an ability to research thoroughly and to review critically what has been published. Supervision of the reports, as well as proposals, will be provided. It is imperative that you apply your mind to the choice of topic and the manner it will be researched, as early as possible The submission deadline is 30 September each year.

Professional Communication

A course on professional communication with particular emphasis on report writing has been arranged with the professional communication unit. This course should assist in preparing your papers and reports. It runs in early February. Details are included at the back of this document.

Assessment

In order to qualify for the honours degree a student will be required to:

• pass the PGDA and
• obtain a weighted average of at least 50% in the following:

The degree may be awarded in the:

Class participation will be a factor in determining grades in borderline cases.

In order to pass, all the following criteria will have to be satisfied:

1. An overall average of 50%.
2. A minimum mark of 50% must be achieved in at least two of the three components.
3. A minimum of 45% must be achieved in the research paper.

General Information

For regulations, see the Faculty prospectus and the rules for the Postgraduate Diploma.

Course co-ordinator: Prof Geoff Everingham, Room 520, Tel 650 2284.
Secretary: Bernie van Leeuwen, Room 503, Tel 650 4030.

Last Word

It is envisaged that the Honours programme will occupy a significant proportion of the student's academic work time. Actual time spent per seminar is likely to vary considerably among students and topics. The average weekly commitment is likely to be in the region of 20 hours.

The pressure will be tough at times, however if properly managed the work will be a great deal of fun. Do not let problems become catastrophic - speak to the course co-ordinator about any work related problems. All queries on specific seminars should be directed to the relevant member of staff.