Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting (PGDA) [COMG10]

The Post Graduate Diploma in Accounting (PGDA) is a one year programme that prepares students for the Qualifying Examination (Part 1) set by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants. The programme is only offered on a full-time study basis.

UCT courses offered as preparation for the PGDA

UCT offers the following programme as preparation for the PGDA:

• B Com (Chartered Accounting Stream), or
• Bachelor of Business Science Finance (CA option), or
• PGDM (Financial Accounting), or
• PGDM (Accounting Conversion Course)

Graduation in any one of the above options is an entrance requirement to the PGDA.

PGDA entrance requirements for the programme

UCT students have to meet the following requirements in order to be eligible for the PGDA:

• 55% for Financial Reporting III in the year preceding the year in which they wish to register for the PGDA
• An average of 55% for Financial Reporting III, Auditing I, Taxation I, Management Accounting II and Financial Management (or in the case of Business Science students BUS4083W Finance Honours Selected Topics). All these courses in the preceding year or one year prior to the preceding year.

Students transferring from other institutions

Students from other universities that are accredited by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) may apply to be registered for the PGDA provided that they have successfully completed appropriate undergraduate courses towards their degree and have met the entrance requirements for acceptance to the Post Graduate programme at the university from which they have qualified toward being eligible to write Part 1 of the Qualifying Examination.

Students wishing to transfer from other universities will need to apply for acceptance to the PGDA and in so doing provide a transcript of their final academic record. Transferring students will only be accepted based on exceptional undergraduate performance.
Admission as a candidate to the PGDA one year diploma as per Faculty of Commerce handbook:

FGDA1.1
A graduate of this University who has completed the prescribed courses for the BCom degree (CA option), the BBusSc degree (Business Finance CA Option), postgraduate Diploma in Management (Accounting Conversion Course) or postgraduate Diploma in Management (Financial Accounting), and who has obtained: a minimum mark of 55% in Financial Reporting III in the preceding year and an average mark of 55% for the following courses:
Auditing I, Financial Reporting III, Taxation & Estate Duty I, Management Accounting II and Financial Management (or BUS4083W Finance Honours Selected Topics), written in the preceding year or one year prior to the preceding year.

FGDA1.2
A graduate of any other accredited university who has completed courses deemed by the Senate to be equivalent to the courses prescribed for the BCom degree CA option and who has an academic record deemed acceptable by the Senate for the purpose of admission and has been successful in the entrance examination unless this requirement is waived in the light of exceptional academic performance.

The Application Process

Students who are currently registered at the University of Cape Town should fill in a UCT Form 5. Students who wish to transfer from other universities (SAICA recognised) or are not registered at the University of Cape Town in the current year need to fill in a UCT Form 1. UCT application forms are available electronically from the University of Cape Town’s home page: (http://www.uct.ac.za/apply/applications/forms/) or may be obtained from the UCT Admissions Office, Kramer Bldg, phone: 021-6502128.

The second stage of the application process is the completion of the Accounting Department PGDA Personal Particulars Information Sheet which will be sent by Commerce Faculty together with the PGDA course documentation to those students who have satisfied the entrance requirements. Students are required to complete and return the PGDA Personal Particulars Information Sheet by 31 January to Prof Alex Watson. Alternatively, this form may be obtained from the UCT home page: http://www.commerce.uct.ac.za/PGDA or from Mrs B van Leeuwen, Room 503, Robert Leslie Commerce Bldg, phone: 021-6504030.

A year planner with term dates and provisional exam dates will also be sent to you (PGDA Year Planner). Attached to those documents is the Accounting Department PGDA Information Sheet that requests contact details, etc and should be returned together with two passport type photographs by 31 January 2009. (Personal Particulars).